Braised Pork Belly with Potato Pancake, Fried Egg and Tomatoes with Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 ½ pounds pork belly
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
Directions:
Combine first two ingredients in a sauce pot; add 2 cups water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until salt and sugar are dissolved. Add 1 cup water, and pour mixture into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish; cover and chill 30 minutes. Add pork belly, fat side up; cover and chill 24 hours.
Remove pork from salt-water mixture; discard salt-water mixture, and rinse pork under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Score fat ¼ inch deep in a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Cook pork fat side down in hot oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from heat, and cover.
Bake at 275 degrees F for 4 to 6 hours or until fork tender.
Stuffed Turkey Breast with Swiss chard, Cranberries, Fontina and Parmesan Cheese, with Sautéed Carrots and Green Beans
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Swiss chard, chopped and sautéed
1 cup bread (day old)
Milk, for soaking bread
1 egg
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
¾ cup grated Fontina cheese
½ cup dried cranberries
1 ½ to 2 pounds turkey breast (bones removed)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 to 3 cups chicken stock, simmering
Butcher’s twine or kitchen string, for tying rolled turkey
Directions
In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté the Swiss chard for 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool. Set aside.
Meanwhile, soak bread in milk until moistened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Squeeze bread to remove excess moisture.
To make stuffing: In a small bowl, combine Swiss chard, bread, egg, dried cranberries, Parmesan and Fontina. Season the stuffing lightly with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
To butterfly the turkey breast: Without slicing all the way through, cut the turkey breast in half horizontally, and open it up like a book into one bigger piece. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap. Starting from the inside, pound toward the edges to an even thickness, as thinly as possible.
Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing evenly and roll tightly; tie with butcher’s twine or kitchen string.
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When oil is hot, add stuffed turkey, and brown evenly on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer turkey to oven. Turn and baste turkey with a ladleful of simmering stock every 10 to 15 minutes. Roast turkey until juices run clear and meat is no longer pink, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove turkey from pan, and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
To make pan sauce: Place the skillet with the turkey drippings over medium-high heat. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Let drippings reduce until slightly thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons butter to thicken the sauce.
Remove string from turkey roll. Cut turkey into slices, and drizzle with sauce. Serve.
Blue Cheese-Crusted Lamb Chops with Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Sautéed Spinach and Rosemary Demi-Glaze
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 racks lamb rib chops, Frenched
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
½ cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
Directions:
Mix the butter, blue cheese, bread crumbs and parsley. Place on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log shape; place blue cheese butter in freezer.
In a medium bowl, add the olive oil, pepper, salt and oregano, and toss together. Cut the racks into double chops and add them to the oil mixture, turning them to coat well.
Preheat skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chops from the marinade and arrange in a single layer in a hot skillet. Pan fry for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes for medium rare. Remove blue cheese butter from freezer; slice butter into disks, and top each chop with a slice of butter. Place chops under broiler to melt butter.