Mustard Pork Cutlet

I love me a crispy, pan-fried, cutlet. I often do a traditional flour, egg, breadcrumbs coating however I wanted to dry something a bit different. The idea of using mustard to bind the crumbs to the pork popped into my head. Walla, another successful weeknight protein source.

Mustard Pork Cutlet
Servings: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops, about 4 oz. each and 1/2″ thick
• 4 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Place the panko breadcrumbs in a pie plate or rimmed dish. Set aside.
2. Use a meat pounder to flatten each pork chop to around 1/4″ thick. Season with black pepper and kosher salt on both sides. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
3. Smear each side of the cutlets with about 1/2 tsp. of mustard. Press each side of the cutlet into the breadcrumbs until they are well coated. Coat all 4 cutlets before continuing.
4. Heat the oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet until it shimmers. Add 2 cutlets and cook for 4 minutes per side. Check the temperature of the cutlets with an instant read thermometer; 140°F is fully cooked. Transfer to a cooling rack set over some paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Repeat with the other two cutlets.

Soy-glazed Chicken Thighs

This recipe is brought to you by rainy weather which ruined my plans for grilled chicken. A couple hours in a soy sauce based marinade turned “boring” old chicken thighs into something very flavorful.

Soy-glazed Chicken Thighs
Servings: 8-10
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 4 hours (includes time for marination)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dark soy sauce
• 3/4 cup dry sherry
• 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil plus additional oil for browning the thighs
• 12-16 bonless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

Directions:

1. In a large measuring cup or bowl combine the first 5 ingredients and whisk them together until combined.
2. Place the trimmed chicken thighs in a large zip top bag or sealable container. Add the marinade, coating the thighs. Stash in the fridge for a minimum of 2-3 hours, Give the bag/container a shake every hour or so to recoat the thighs.
3. Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 4 chicken thighs, “skin” side down and brown for 3 minutes. Flip the thighs and brown the second side for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer to a foil lined sheet tray.
5. Repeat browning of the remaining thighs, heating additional oil as needed.
6. When all the thighs are browned cover the tray with foil and transfer it to the heated oven for 20-25 minutes. The chicken should register 165&degF on an instant-read thermometer before removing.
7. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Notes:
A 1-quart measuring cup is ideal for mixing the marinade.

Inspiration provided by the Joy of Cooking cookbook recipe for Deviled Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts.

Mustard Gravy

Occasionally I plan to make a pan sauce after browning meat and find that the fond in the bottom of the skillet is just too blackened to make a good sauce. I came up with this “gravy” after a recent meal featuring skillet seared pork chops. The chops were nicely browned however the fond in the bottom of the pan was too far gone to use. Luckily pork and mustard have an affinity for one another so this recipe did the trick. It was also tasty on the roasted broccoli we served.

Mustard Gravy
Servings: 1 1/2 cups
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 6 Tbsp. water
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
• 1 cup hearvy cream
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. rendered bacon fat (or other softened solid fat, such as butter)
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the flour and fat in a small bowl to form a paste. This is called a beurre manié and it will be used later to thicken the sauce. If you don’t have bacon fat then unsalted butter could also be used.
2. Add the Worcestershire and water in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Add the mustards, whisk to combine and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. The mixture will reduce slightly in volume.
3. Stir in the heavy cream. Allow the mixture to return to a simmer and add the burre manié you made in the first step. Whisk the sauce until it is fully melted and incorporated.
4. Allow the sauce to simmer for another minute; it should thicken into a nice sauce.

Note:
Don’t be scared off by the beurre manié. You can use any softened solid fat, such as butter or even the odd tablespoon of Crisco. Use a fork, or the back of the spoon, to press the fat into the flour until it is well combined. The idea is that the fat-coated flour particles will melt and help thicken the sauce as it simmers. Additionally the fat added at the end will add a soft sheen, similar to the effect of finishing a sauce by whisking in cold butter.

Mustard-glazed Pork Loin

When you host friends for dinner as often as we do you sometimes run low on inspiration. Luckily there are a host of websites, TV programs, cookbooks and magazines aimed at helping you find something to try. I believe the inspiration for this came from an copy of Food Network Magazine that I thumbed through while at my doctor’s office.

I used pork loin “roast” for this recipe. A pork tenderloin would also work however the cooking time would be less.

Mustard-glazed Pork Loin
Servings: 4-6
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• a 2 lb. pork loin
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
• heaping Tbsp. Dijon
• 3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Directions:

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Pat the pork loin dry and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
3. Mix the mustards, vinegar and maple syrup together and set aside.
4. Add the oil to a oven-safe heavy bottomed skillet and heat on high until the oil shimmers. Sear the pork on all sides until nicely browned.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and brush the pork with about 1/2 the glaze. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Brush on the remainder of the glaze, rotate the skillet 180°’s and roast another 15 minutes.
6. Check the temperature of your pork roast. If it hasn’t reached 145°F on an instant-read thermometer then roast in 5 minute increments until it reaches that temp. If it has reached that temp then remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the roasts to a cutting board. Allow them to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Notes:
I thought this paired very well with Za’atar Roasted Sweet Potatoes that I served that night. The savory glaze, with a hint of sweetness matched the earthy sweetness of the side dish really nicely.

Farro and Cauliflower Salad

My introduction to farro might have been almost a decade ago however I was reintroduced to it earlier this year via the local megamart deli counter. They sell a farro salad with finely chopped vegetables that was quite tasty. Once I located a good source of farro I started experimenting with combinations for salads until I found one I liked.

Farro and Cauliflower Salad
Servings: 6-8
Prep time: 20 minute
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head cauliflower
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 red pepper
• 4 oz. shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs such as chives or parsley
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups cooked farro
• kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the cauliflower into small pieces, no bigger than 1/2″. Toss with the tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Prep the rest of your veggies. I quarter the zucchini, removed the seeds and then cut it into 1/4″ pieces. Same goes for the red pepper. I also cut the shredded carrots into smaller pieces.
3. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until just fragrant. Transfer to your serving bowl and set aside.
4. Make a basic vinaigrette from the shallots, mustard, vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Combine farro, veggies and herbs with the pine nuts. Toss to combine and then drizzle with the Vinaigrette. Toss some more until well combined. Enjoy.

Notes:
Both the farro and cauliflower can be prepared in advance, even the day before.

Turkey Cutlet with Worcestershire-Mustard Sauce

I had planned on serving the cutlets with a salad however the salad greens turned out to be rather nasty once I got around to prepping them for dinner. I decided a quick pan sauce could serve in place of the vinaigrette I had planned to make however when I searched for the usual pan sauce ingredients I came up bare. This improv sauce came out quite nice and will certainly make a return appearance.

Turkey Cutlet with Worcestershire-Mustard Sauce
Servings: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 turkey breast cutlets
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 heaping Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Pat turkey cutlets dry with paper towels. Season top side with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a 12″ skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers. Place the cutlet, seasoned side down, into the skillet. Sprinkle the unseasoned side with salt and pepper. Cook until the cutlet easily lifts from the pan, about 5 minutes. Flip the cutlets over and cook for another 3-4 minutes. When they reach 160°F on a instant-read thermometer transfer them to a plate and cover with foil.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and drain any remaining oil. Add the Worcestershire sauce and water; scrap the pan to remove any fond that has developed. Whisk in the mustard until the sauce is smooth and has thickened.
4. Taste, adjust seasoning if desired, and serve sauce turkey cutlets.

Weeknight Green Beans

Healthy living (and my dietitian) suggest that the dinner plate should be half filled with non-starchy vegetables. I’ve never been great with this on the best of days and weeknight meals I often struggle to make a main and starch. So I’ve been poking through my brain to figure out vegetables we like that I can look with a minimum of fuss on a weeknight.

Weeknight Green Beans
Servings: 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. fresh green beans
• 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

Directions:

1. Trim the stem ends off of the green beans and cut into 2″ pieces. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl, add a splash (call it a tablespoon) of water and cover with plastic wrap. Heat at full-power for 5 minutes. Drain water and set aside.
2. While the green beans cook combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mix until combined.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add green beans and distribute into a single layer in the pan. Good for 2 minutes without disturbing to develop a bit of browning.
4. Toss and stir to redistribute the beans. Cook for 2 more minutes. Check a green bean. If done to your liking go on to the next step, otherwise toss, stir and repeat until your happy with the doneness.
5. Drizzle the mustard mixture over the green beans. Toss green beans so that the sauce coats as many of the beans as possible.
6. Taste a green bean, add salt and pepper as desired, and serve.

Notes:
No reason this couldn’t be doubled except maybe your skillet size. If you can’t get a single layer of beans when doubling then bump the heat up to high and redistribute every minute.

Watercress and Endive Salad with Pistachios and Dried Cranberries

Our Christmas Eve dinner usually includes a plated courses in place of the family-style dinners we do for Saturday night. While the prep work during the day can be a bit annoying the salad course goes from component pieces to finished product in less than 5 minutes. When the plating starts folks know we’re about to get serious with the eating and find their places around the table.

This year used a recipe from The Way We Cook by Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven as a starting point. I’ve tweaked the ingredient list a bit and written up the instructions in my own words. Enjoy.

Skillet Green Beans with Bacon and Mustard

I made these as a side to go with roast pork loin and potato gratin a couple of weeks back. They’d probably go pretty well with the ubiqutous turkey and mashed ‘taters of American Thanksgiving.

Skillet Green Beans with Bacon and Mustard
Servings: 6-8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 pieces of bacon, diced
• 2.5 lbs. green beans, stemed and cut into 1.5″ pieces
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add cold bacon to a large skillet. Place over medium heat and cook until the fat is fully rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with a couple of sheets of paper towels; set aside. Transfer the bacon fat into a small bowl, returning 1 tablespoon of fat to the skillet. Try not to snack on the bacon too much.
2. Return the skillet to the burner, return to medium heat and add the green beans. Cook green beans, tossing periodically, for 5 minutes. Add shallot and 1/3 cups water and cover. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. While the green beans cook combine the mustard and vinegar together and mix until combined.
4. Remove cover and allow the water to evaporate, about 1 minute. Add the mustard/vinegar mixture. Toss until green beans are coated. Add the bacon pieces and combine. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Notes:
Method copied from Cook’s Illustrated.

Grilled Chicken and Sausage

This chicken & sausage came together using a couple of recipes. I used parts Nigella Lawson’s One-Pan Sage-and-Onion Chicken and Sausage and combined it with some of the technique in the Grilled Lemon Chicken with Rosemary recipe from Cook’s Illustrated.

The result was nicely colored meat with a fairly moist interior.

Grilled Chicken and Sausage
Servings: 8-10
Prep time: 75 minutes
Total time: 115 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup kosher salt
• 3 quarts water
• 12 chicken drumsticks, skin removed, bone-in
• 12 sweet Italian sausage links
• 1 cup olive oil
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• 2 lemons
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• salt & black pepper for seasoning

Directions:

1. Make a brine by combining the sugar and salt in a large bowl or 2-quart cup glass measuring cup. Heat 2 quarts water to a boil and then pour over sugar/salt. Stir until the sugar/salt is dissolved. Add remaining cold water (or ice) to reduce the temp of the brine. The temperature needs to get down to at least room temp before moving on. Colder is better, say 40-50°F.
2. Cut 1/2″ slits, about 1/2″ apart, on the both sides of the drumsticks. Transfer to a large bin or zip-top bag. Add the cooled brine and seal. Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet or small pan over medium heat. Add the sage leaves one at a time and cook until crisp, about 1 minutes. Transfer the leaves to a double-layer of paper towels to remove some of the excess oil. Allow olive oil to cool.
4. Zest and juice the lemons while the chicken brines. Crumble about sage into small pieces. Combine zest, lemon juice, 1/2 the crumbled sage, Worcestershire and Dijon in a small bowl. When oil cools whisk it into the mixture to create an emulsion. Add salt and pepper to taste. This will be a dressing and basting liquid for the chicken & sausages.
5. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Transfer to a large dish, add the sausage links and add about 1/3 of the lemon/oil dressing. Rub the dressing onto the chicken and sausages.
6. Heat gas grill on high for 15 minutes. Clean the grill grates, leave half of the burners at high and turn the rest to low. Lubricate with vegetable oil.
7. Place the drumsticks on the hottest part of the grill and arrange the sausages around the drumsticks. Close the grill and cook for 8-10 minutes. Flip the drumsticks and sausages over; brush with with basting liquid. Cover and continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes.
8. Check the temperature of the chicken and sausages. If it is in the 175°F range then remove it from the grill to a clean dish. If it hasn’t hit 175°F yet turn it over again, baste it once more and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Repeat until all the pieces are cooked through.
9. Brush cooked meat with any remaining basting liquid and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
10. Transfer meat to a serving disk, sprinkle with remaining sage leaves. Serve.

Notes:
If you have the time and forethought, make the brine the day before, let it cool to room temp and stash it in the fridge overnight.

I served this with some grilled onion segments. Cut peeled onions (top to root) into quarters or eighths, depending on their size. Place the onions in a microwave safe bowl, toss with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 5 minutes to soften the onions. When you flip the chicken the first time place the onion quarters on the grill. Flip them after 4 minutes. It takes a bit of dexterity however if you leave a bit of root in place they should stay together.