Tommaso’s Sinful Delights

The purpose of constantly testing and updating recipes is ultimately bettering their outcome.  I had some pork chops at Costco.  If you’ve ever been to Costco, you’ll know nothing comes in petite sizes.  Not only are the packages big, but the individual portions are four times the thickness of what’s considered A portion.  I had to come up with a way to cook the chops on the stove without drying them out and burning the crust.  Butterflying meat works as a last resort if the internal temperature isn’t met, but that method always dries the meat it out.  So, I came up with a way to make perfectly cooked pork chops that are moist on the inside.

Sauteed Breaded Pork Chops

4, boneless pork chops (about 3″ thickness)
1/2c seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. 

While oven preheats, put 1/2c olive oil in a shallow dish and bread crumbs in another dish.  Season both sides of pork chops with thyme, salt and pepper.  Dip pork chops in olive oil and then dredge in bread crumbs.  Repeat for remaining. 

Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in an oven proof saute pan on medium heat.  Saute pork chops for about 8-10 minutes per side.  After the second side is sauteed for the allotted time, put the saute pan in the oven and finish cooking the chops until they reach an internal temperature of 170 (approx 20 mins depending on thickness.)

Serve with applesauce.

Tip:  While you saute the chops, you can roast potatoes or brussel sprouts tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Make sure the racks in your oven are in thirds to have room for the chops. 

If you don’t have super-thick chops, sauteing them 10-12 minutes per side on the stove top will cook them thoroughly.

This is a great dish to make when you don’t have a lot of time on your hands or just don’t feel like cooking much.  All of these items should be in your pantry already.  The olives and capers give the sauce a nice tang and salty flavour.  Serve with your favorite pasta and a simple salad as a meal or as a side dish. 

Tip:  The trick to making your sauce stick to pasta is adding a little of the pasta water to your sauce.  Pasta water acts as a thickener and your sauce will bind to the noodles better. 

Puttanesca Sauce

2 TBSP Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup pitted Greek olives, chopped
2 TBSP capers
1 TBSP anchovy paste
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
28 oz tomato puree
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions on package. 

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan.  Saute garlic for 1 minute.  Add olives, capers, anchovy paste and  herbs, and saute for a minute more.  Add tomato puree and simmer for 10 minutes. 

When your pasta is al dente, drain reserving 1/2 of water from the pasta.  Toss pasta and the 1/2 c pasta water in the  sauce.  Stir until pasta is coated.

Serve with fresh parmesaean cheese.

If you’re not in a rush to eat dinner during the week, this is a very satisfying meal.  Don’t be intimidated by shredded beef, it is very easy to make.  It’s just time consuming as the meat needs to slowly cook to become tender. 

Venezuelan Shredded Beef

This is the second time I’ve made empanadas.  The first time I thought I’d make them healthier and bake them.  Even though the filling was delicious, the end product didn’t taste right.  So, as with anything I do in the kitchen, failure is not an option.  I dusted myself off and tried again.  Thanks to a recipe book that Goya puts out, I ended up with a fantastic beef filling and toyed around with the dough, which came out OK.  The empanadas cracked and I believe because my dough was too dry.

Dough
3 cups fine yellow corn meal
1 c hot beef stock
2 1/2 cups hot water
2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Mix corn meal, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Pour hot stock and water and stir to mix and moisten.  Let the dough sit while you make the beef filling.

Ground Beef Filling
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp adobo seasoning (recipe below)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 c pitted spanish olives with pimentos, chopped
1- 8oz can tomato sauce
1 packet sazon

Heat oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Brown ground beef and season with adobo.  Stir in onion, pepper, garlic, olives,  tomato sauce and sazon.  Cook, stirring often until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Cool slightly.

Dough should be very moist, but not stick to your fingers.  Grab a small fistful of dough (about 2-3 TBSP)  and roll it in your hand into a golf ball size.  Flaten it with your hand and place between two sheets of parchment paper.  With a rolling pin, roll into a 4-inch circle.  Spoon about a tablespoon of the beef filling on one half of the disk, then fold the other half over the mixture, using the parchment paper, making a half moon shape.  Seal the edge with your fingers.  Trim any excess dough with a knife.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with a moist towel to prevent the patties from drying out. 

Fill a sauté pan with corn oil, about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan.  Heat until oil reaches a temperature of 350ºF.  Fry empanadas about 2 minutes per side or until evenly browned.  Drain on paper towels to get rid of excess oil. 

Keep warm in a 200ºF oven on a cookie sheet.  Serve with aji sauce.

Aji Sauce
4 tomatillos, skins removed and washed
5 scallions, chopped
1/2 c cilantro
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 limes. juiced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Boil the tomatillos for 10 minutes.  Combine tomatillos, cilantro, scallions and jalapeno in a food processor and pulse until liquefied. 

Place liquid in a bow and stir in lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Serve hot or cold.

Adobo Seasoning
3 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. onion power
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

Mix all spices together and store in an air tight container.

*Beef filling recipe provided by Goya with slight alterations

So, I’ve decided to change the content I post to my blog.  I’m finding it difficult to keep this updated with tested recipes.  Instead, I’m going to do my best to post what I create — no matter what the outcome — on a daily basis.