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Here's The Pork

Here's The Pork

Johnny Meatballs DeCarlo (January 10, 2012)

New Year's Pig Party

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On New Year's Day, I prepared a stuffed pork chop dish that was a big hit. Today, I will share the recipe so you can make it at home as well. It was very satisfying and perfect for the holiday, but just because the holidays are over that doesn't mean you can't serve it up any night of the week!


First, start off with some thick cut, bone-in pork chops. You can get your butcher to make an incision in them if you like. I did it myself with an incision in my left hand, but that's another story...On Christmas Day, I was attempting to remove the metal band from around the stems of a bushel of broccoli rabe and I sliced in between my thumb and pointer finger. Nine stiches later and three hours in the ER and I was back in the kitchen. (The stiches are out and I'm all healed now.) Ok, back to the pork chops...

I stuffed them with some spinach which I sauteed in a little bit of oil and garlic along with breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Then I placed in a slice of Muenster cheese. That's a stuffing mixture that I picked up from one of Frankie the Butcher's cooking shows where he did this dish with veal chops. I also used his idea of wrapping the chop with a piece of prosciutto, which adds incredible flavor and also keeps the mixture from spilling out when you are cooking the chops. Secure the chops using string. Next, we'll get them into a marinade.

Here's what I used...

Olive oil, white wine, worcestershire sauce, apple cider, garlic cloves, some vinegar, fresh parsley and a sprig of rosemary. I covered them up and let them sit in the fridge overnight.

Next, I used a grill pan and seared them on both sides and transferred them into the oven to finish. I saved the marinade and boiled it down to make a nice sauce and then I added a little flour and butter in to thicken it up, as well as some more white wine and fresh garlic. This created a garlicky wine glaze that really accentuated the dish. Some people make extra marinade that they keep seperate from whatever they are marinading to create sauces but even though the marinade was on the raw meat, by cooking it, it is definitely safe to eat.


That's pretty much all there is to it! We also had rosemary roasted potatoes and asparagus wrapped in bacon. Yes, the pig was prevalent on New Years just like the Honeymooners marathon on Channel 11! But I'm not done yet...

And now for "Gianni Amatriciana," a fantastic side dish or main course. Yes, I'm the Meatball King and not the Pork King but I do make this mean sauce with bacon which is a nice change of pace from the Sunday Gravy every now and then. It's my take on the traditional "Amatriciana" cooked with guanciale or pancetta, but bacon does work very nicely as well.

First, chop up a few onions and saute them in a little oil and butter with a sprinkling of sugar. Next, dice up some bacon and get it nice and crisp in the same pan. You don't wanna totally caramelize the onions before you add in the bacon because then the bacon will get overdone. The onions will finish with the bacon and the two flavors will marry together nice.

Throw in  some chopped garlic and let everything continue to simmer. The tomatoes come last. I like to use a combo of two medium cans of Italian stewed that I crush with my wooden spoon and then a few large cans of tomato puree. I also like to drizzle in a splash of balsamic vinegar or wine. These are my own little additions. I follow that with a sprinkling of red chili flakes and finally is some fresh basil.

Boil up your macaroni of choice and then toss it with the sauce (adding in a little of the pasta water) and top with shaved Pecorino-Romano. I hope you all had a very enjoyable day with your loved ones and I look forward to sharing lots more recipes and stories in the coming months.


PS- Don't forget to stop by Cuzin's Corner Deli today between 4 and 7pm. I'll be there visiting and serving up Johnny's Meatballs, which are now a feature on Cuzin's Italian-American menu. So stop by 580 McBride Avenue in Woodland Park and grab a nice sengweech!!!

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