Saturday, August 15, 2009

Tuscan-style garlic-rosemary roast pork loin with jus

From Cook's Illustrated

Serves 6 to 8. Published September 1, 2002.

The roasting time is determined in part by the shape of the roast; a long, thin roast will cook faster than a roast with a large circumference. Though not traditionally served, the ribs are rich with flavor. If you'd like to serve them or enjoy them for yourself, increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees, untie the roast and remove the loin as directed, then scrape off the excess garlic-rosemary paste from the ribs, set them on a rimmed baking sheet, and return them to the oven for about 20 minutes, until they are brown and crisp. Slice in between bones and serve.

Ingredients

Roast
2 cups kosher salt or 1 cup table salt
2 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar (16 ounces)
10 large cloves garlic , lightly crushed and peeled
5 sprigs fresh rosemary (each about 6 inches long)
1 bone-in, center-cut, 4-pound pork rib roast , prepared according to first two illustrations below

Garlic-Rosemary Paste
8 - 10 cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced to paste (1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt or pinch table salt

Jus
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces and softened

Instructions

  1. 1. TO BRINE THE ROAST: Dissolve salt and brown sugar in 1 1/2 quarts hot tap water in large stockpot or clean bucket. Stir in garlic and rosemary; add 2 1/2 quarts cold water and submerge meat and bones in brine. Refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 3 hours. Rinse meat and ribs under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

  2. 2. FOR THE GARLIC-ROSEMARY RUB: While roast brines, mix together garlic, rosemary, pepper, olive oil, and salt in small bowl to form paste; set aside.

  3. 3. TO PREPARE THE ROAST: When roast is done brining, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat heavy-bottomed 12-inch nonreactive skillet over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Place roast fat-side down in skillet and cook until well-browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer roast browned-side up to cutting board and set aside to cool. Pour off fat from skillet and add wine; increase heat to high and bring to boil, scraping skillet with wooden spoon until browned bits are loosened, about 1 minute. Set skillet with wine aside.

  4. 4. Following "Adding the Paste" illustrations below, make lengthwise incision in pork loin, rub with one-third of garlic-rosemary paste, rub remaining paste on cut side of ribs, and tie meat back to ribs. Sprinkle browned side of roast with 1 teaspoon pepper and set roast rib-side down in flameproof roasting pan. Pour reserved wine and browned bits from skillet in roasting pan. Roast, basting loin with pan drippings every 20 minutes, until center of loin registers about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 65 to 80 minutes. (If wine evaporates, add about 1/2 cup water to roasting pan to prevent scorching.) Transfer roast to carving board and tent loosely with foil; let stand until center of loin registers about 145 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes.

  5. 5. While roast rests, spoon off most of fat from roasting pan and place over 2 burners at high heat. Add shallot and rosemary; using wooden spoon, scrape up browned bits and boil liquid until reduced by half and shallot has softened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Add any accumulated pork juices and cook 1 minute longer. Off heat, whisk in butter; strain jus into gravy boat.

  6. 6. Cut twine on roast and remove meat from bones. Set meat browned-side up on board and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Serve immediately, passing jus separately.


Variation: Tuscan-style garlic-rosemary roast pork loin with fennel
2 medium bulbs fennel
1 tablespoon olive oil
Table salt and ground black pepper

2. PREPARE THE FENNEL: Trim fennel bulbs of stalks and fronds; finely chop 2 teaspoons fronds. Cut each bulb lengthwise into eighths. Toss fennel with 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium bowl and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. FOR THE GARLIC-ROSEMARY RUB: While roast brines, mix together garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds, chopped fennel fronds, pepper, olive oil, and salt in small bowl to form paste; set aside.



Variation: Tuscan-style garlic-rosemary roast pork loin with roasted potatoes
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 pounds medium red potatoes , 2 1/2-inch diameter, (about 14 potatoes total), quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil

Table salt and ground black pepper

5. When pork has roasted 15 minutes, toss potatoes with olive oil in medium bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Baste pork. After pork has roasted 30 minutes, add potatoes to roasting pan; stir to coat potatoes with pan juices. Continue to roast pork (basting every 20 minutes) until center of loin registers about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 65 to 80 minutes. (If wine evaporates, add about 1/2 cup water to roasting pan to prevent scorching.) Transfer roast to carving board and tent loosely with foil; let stand until center of loin registers about 145 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Turn potato pieces with wide metal spatula and spread them in even layer. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and return potatoes to oven; continue to roast until tender and browned, 5 to 15 minutes longer.


Preparing the Roast and Adding the Paste

Position roast so bones are perpendicular to cutting board. Starting from far end and working toward you make series of small, easy strokes with boning knife.

Gradually cut along curved rib bones down to backbone until meat is free of bones.

Adding the Paste #1: With fat side of roast down, slice through center of entire length of meat, stopping 1 inch shy of edge. Spread meat flat.

Adding the Paste #2: Rub one-third of rosemary mixture in even layer on one side of cut, leaving 1/2 inch on each end bare.

Adding the Paste #3: Spread remaining rosemary mixture evenly along bones from where meat was cut, leaving 1/2 inch on each end bare.

Adding the Paste #4: Fold meat back together and tie meat on bones exactly from where it was cut with 7 individual lengths of twine.

Lime-cumin dressing

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Serves 4 to 6. Published January 1, 2000. From Cook's Illustrated.

Ingredients
1/4 cup lime juice from 2 limes
2 small cloves garlic , minced
1 medium jalapeño chile , minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon cumin seed , toasted in small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and golden, about 4 minutes
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup olive oil
Table salt and ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Whisk lime juice, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, and orange zest in medium bowl; whisk in oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pasta with tomato and almond pesto (pesto alla trapanese)

From Cook's Illustrated

Serves 4 to 6. Published July 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

A half teaspoon of red wine vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes can be substituted for the pepperoncini. If you don’t have a food processor, a blender may be substituted. In step 2, pulse ingredients until roughly chopped, then proceed with the recipe, reducing processing times by half.

Ingredients

1/4 cup slivered almonds
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 small pepperoncini (hot peppers in vinegar), stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (see note)

Table salt

Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pasta , preferably linguine or spaghetti
1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Instructions

  1. 1. Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

  2. 2. Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

  3. 3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

  4. 4. Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

Southern-style cornbread

From Cook's Illustrated

Makes one 8-inch skillet of bread. Published May 1, 1998.

Unlike its sweet, cakey Northern counterpart, Southern cornbread is thin, crusty, and decidedly savory. Though some styles of Southern cornbread are dry and crumbly, I favor this dense, moist, tender version. Cornmeal mush of just the right texture is essential to this bread. Though I prefer to make cornbread in a preheated cast-iron skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or 9-inch square baking pan, greased lightly with butter and not preheated, will also produce acceptable results if you double the recipe and bake the bread for 25 minutes.

Ingredients

4 teaspoons bacon drippings or 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup yellow cornmeal , preferably stone ground
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup water (rapidly boiling)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg , beaten lightly

Instructions

  1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set 8-inch cast-iron skillet with bacon fat (or vegetable oil) in heating oven.

  2. 2. Measure 1/3 cup cornmeal into medium bowl. Mix remaining cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.

  3. 3. Pour boiling water all at once into the 1/3 cup cornmeal; stir to make a stiff mush. Whisk in buttermilk gradually, breaking up lumps until smooth, then whisk in egg. When oven is preheated and skillet very hot, stir dry ingredients into mush mixture until just moistened. Carefully remove skillet from oven. Pour hot bacon fat (or melted butter) from the skillet into the batter and stir to incorporate, then quickly pour batter into heated skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and instantly turn cornbread onto wire rack; cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.

Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue sauce

From Cook's Illustrated

Makes 2 cups. Published July 1, 1997.

This is a classic pepper-spiked vinegar sauce, without tomatoes.

Ingredients

1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

Table salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients, including salt and pepper to taste, in medium bowl.

Western South Carolina-style barbecue sauce

From Cook's Illustrated

Makes 2 cups. Published July 1, 1997.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion , minced
2 medium cloves garlic , minced
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup ketchup

Instructions

Heat oil in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except ketchup; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, then add ketchup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Roast chicken with dijon mustard-thyme sauce

From Cook's Illustrated

Jean-Louis Gerin of Restaurant Jean-Louis in Greenwich, Connecticut, serves this sauce with butterflied baby chicken (poussin). The immersion blender transforms all the wonderful tasting (but not-so-wonderful looking) browned mustard bits and pieces into flecks, giving the sauce a smooth, more refined look.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme , stems removed
4 chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. 1. Mix Dijon mustard and thyme; coat chicken pieces with this marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

  2. 2. Bring chicken to room temperature and heat oven to 350°. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet. Add 2 breasts and cook, skin side down, over medium-high heat, until well browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer breasts to a roasting pan. Repeat cooking process with remaining chicken, adding another tablespoon butter, if necessary. Transfer chicken to the oven; roast until juices run clear when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.

  3. 3. Meanwhile, add chicken stock to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up any brown bits that have stuck to the pan; simmer until stock reduces to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add cream; return to simmer for 1 minute. Pour sauce into an appropriate container. Submerge an immersion blender and blend until sauce is smooth and frothy. Place a piece of chicken on each of 4 dinner plates. Spoon a portion of sauce over each piece of chicken and serve immediately.