Reprinted from Dec. 26, 2013
Time marches on and the present is no different from any other in terms of paltry temporal matters.
We are once again fortunate enough to be ringing in a new year and in a couple days someone out there will have a monstrous hangover as a result of their personal neglect.
No amount of Alka Seltzer or hair of the dog will quell the headaches, the shaky legs and grumbling stomach; it is up to the cook – the culinary alchemist – to settle the illness on day one of the year to come.
Of course, the easiest way to avoid a hangover is to not drink at all, but I quit the Temperance Union decades ago, hence I don’t even own my soapbox anymore. They recalled it.
Suffice it to say that today’s dish will make do for anyone who likes pork, but as luck would have it, this traditional Pennsylvania Dutch New Year’s supper also happens to be a great picker-upper for the partygoer, and it works great if you decide to have an early dinner. After all, wouldn’t it make more sense to beat this thing while you can and enjoy the rest of your day?
A simple pork roast with a twist – rotkraut (“red kraut”) – will do things nicely, and with a few vegetables thrown in for good measure, your body will thank you as you take a more holistic approach to fixing yourself.
Of course some of you will still have the energy drinks, Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s but that is to be expected. ‘By any means necessary’ I believe the saying goes.
In making this dish, I like to add bacon or salt pork to improve the flavor and increase the salt levels. Choose whichever one works for you and play around. After all, this is your year to grow in all areas, including cooking and feeding your family.
The basis of rotkraut is stewed red cabbage, apples, caraway seed, vinegar, and salt.
The sweet and sour play with the richness of the roasted pork and your beautiful pan sauce or gravy. Simply adding some mashed potato, cauliflower puree or garlic greens elevates this dinner to mere perfection.
I am a sucker for comfort food, especially on a day when people need comforting.
And given the timing of this recipe, I hope that you will run to the store and get what you need to make a full and robust meal to cheer in a new twelve months of discovery, play, work and relaxation.
Well, I guess half of them isn’t bad. But we should all take time to play and relax a bit; spend time with our children, our friends and family. Help out our neighbors and work our way through this little thing we call life. Time flies, doesn’t it?
The next time that I write an article it will be to kick off my 10th season of sarcasm, sushi, food science and tales of food and kitchen woes. Has it really been that long? Has this journey come full circle, or am I just getting started?
Have a very happy New Year and many wishes and successes to everyone.
Roasted Pork
2 pounds pork loin, trussed
salt & pepper, as needed
1/4 cup clarified butter
4 pieces of bacon, cut into small strips
6 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 white onion, julienne
2 shallots, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 stick celery, minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
1 cups chicken stock
Heat an ovenproof pan large enough to roast the pork and add the clarified butter
Season the trussed loin with salt and pepper, liberally, and then sear on high heat on all sides until the roast is browned
Remove the roast and add the bacon, cooking until crispy and fat has rendered out
Add garlic, onion, celery, bay leaf, tomato paste and shallot
Cook for 3 minutes and then add the pork loin on top
Add wine and stock and place in oven uncovered
Cook at 350 until the internal temperature reaches 145F
Remove and cover with foil for at least fifteen minutes to rest
Strain the sauce and make a pan sauce or gravy
Serve with pickled vegetables, cauliflower puree, garlic greens and mashed potatoes. Hangover is as good as gone!
Rotkraut and Vegetables
Makes 2 pounds, for 6 people
1 head red cabbage
3 cups Snow peas
bell peppers, optional, large chunks
clarified butter
garlic, to taste
2 shallots
3 cups chicken stock
caraway seed, to taste
3 strips bacon, minced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 1-inch slice ginger, minced
pinch nutmeg
Red wine vinegar, to taste
sugar, to taste
Cut the cabbage into large chunks
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
Blanch the cabbage and the snow peas for 3 minutes (this part is very important if you are using red cabbage as it will keep your kraut from turning pink
Drain and heat a pan large enough for all ingredients
Heat the clarified butter and add the vegetables, garlic, shallot, apple and ginger
Cook for 4 minutes and add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer
Cook until vegetables are tender and the acidity has nicely saturated the dish
Adjust seasoning and serve.
Time marches on and the present is no different from any other in terms of paltry temporal matters.
We are once again fortunate enough to be ringing in a new year and in a couple days someone out there will have a monstrous hangover as a result of their personal neglect.
No amount of Alka Seltzer or hair of the dog will quell the headaches, the shaky legs and grumbling stomach; it is up to the cook – the culinary alchemist – to settle the illness on day one of the year to come.
Of course, the easiest way to avoid a hangover is to not drink at all, but I quit the Temperance Union decades ago, hence I don’t even own my soapbox anymore. They recalled it.
Suffice it to say that today’s dish will make do for anyone who likes pork, but as luck would have it, this traditional Pennsylvania Dutch New Year’s supper also happens to be a great picker-upper for the partygoer, and it works great if you decide to have an early dinner. After all, wouldn’t it make more sense to beat this thing while you can and enjoy the rest of your day?
A simple pork roast with a twist – rotkraut (“red kraut”) – will do things nicely, and with a few vegetables thrown in for good measure, your body will thank you as you take a more holistic approach to fixing yourself.
Of course some of you will still have the energy drinks, Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s but that is to be expected. ‘By any means necessary’ I believe the saying goes.
In making this dish, I like to add bacon or salt pork to improve the flavor and increase the salt levels. Choose whichever one works for you and play around. After all, this is your year to grow in all areas, including cooking and feeding your family.
The basis of rotkraut is stewed red cabbage, apples, caraway seed, vinegar, and salt.
The sweet and sour play with the richness of the roasted pork and your beautiful pan sauce or gravy. Simply adding some mashed potato, cauliflower puree or garlic greens elevates this dinner to mere perfection.
I am a sucker for comfort food, especially on a day when people need comforting.
And given the timing of this recipe, I hope that you will run to the store and get what you need to make a full and robust meal to cheer in a new twelve months of discovery, play, work and relaxation.
Well, I guess half of them isn’t bad. But we should all take time to play and relax a bit; spend time with our children, our friends and family. Help out our neighbors and work our way through this little thing we call life. Time flies, doesn’t it?
The next time that I write an article it will be to kick off my 10th season of sarcasm, sushi, food science and tales of food and kitchen woes. Has it really been that long? Has this journey come full circle, or am I just getting started?
Have a very happy New Year and many wishes and successes to everyone.
Roasted Pork
2 pounds pork loin, trussed
salt & pepper, as needed
1/4 cup clarified butter
4 pieces of bacon, cut into small strips
6 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 white onion, julienne
2 shallots, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 stick celery, minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
1 cups chicken stock
Heat an ovenproof pan large enough to roast the pork and add the clarified butter
Season the trussed loin with salt and pepper, liberally, and then sear on high heat on all sides until the roast is browned
Remove the roast and add the bacon, cooking until crispy and fat has rendered out
Add garlic, onion, celery, bay leaf, tomato paste and shallot
Cook for 3 minutes and then add the pork loin on top
Add wine and stock and place in oven uncovered
Cook at 350 until the internal temperature reaches 145F
Remove and cover with foil for at least fifteen minutes to rest
Strain the sauce and make a pan sauce or gravy
Serve with pickled vegetables, cauliflower puree, garlic greens and mashed potatoes. Hangover is as good as gone!
Rotkraut and Vegetables
Makes 2 pounds, for 6 people
1 head red cabbage
3 cups Snow peas
bell peppers, optional, large chunks
clarified butter
garlic, to taste
2 shallots
3 cups chicken stock
caraway seed, to taste
3 strips bacon, minced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 1-inch slice ginger, minced
pinch nutmeg
Red wine vinegar, to taste
sugar, to taste
Cut the cabbage into large chunks
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
Blanch the cabbage and the snow peas for 3 minutes (this part is very important if you are using red cabbage as it will keep your kraut from turning pink
Drain and heat a pan large enough for all ingredients
Heat the clarified butter and add the vegetables, garlic, shallot, apple and ginger
Cook for 4 minutes and add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer
Cook until vegetables are tender and the acidity has nicely saturated the dish
Adjust seasoning and serve.