Pan-Fried Stuffed Pork Chops with Parmesan Curls and Marsala-Tomato Sauce

My poor little pork chop vicitms!


Bird's eye view of DC's plate (the lighting in our dining room really is awful, sorry about that.)


I finally had time last night to create my second dish for the Festa Italiana, my original recipe for Pan-Fried Stuffed Pork Chops with a Marsala-Tomato Sauce.
If you haven't heard about the wonderful Festa Italiana being hosted by Maryann of Finding la Dolce Vita and Marie of Proud Italian Cook, hurry over there quick! You can submit entries until the 9th.
I served the chops with braised fingerling potatoes (one of my favorite things about spring!), and Green Beans Bolognese, a recipe from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. It was the first time I had tried the green beans, and they were amazing. The guys really enjoyed the whole meal.

While looking for a cheese to stuff the pork chops with, I considered a variety of possibilities, fontina, asiago, taleggio, fresh mozzarella, chevre-- but ended up with a cheese I have never tried before, Raschera. The guy at the cheese counter suggested it. It is a WONDERFUL cheese. I highly recommend you try it. It was perfect for these chops and I had to beat DS away from eating it out-of-hand. It has a nice robust flavor and a semi-soft texture. I'd never heard of it, but it's an Italian raw cow's milk cheese from the Monregalese Alpine Valleys region. It gets its name from either the Alp Raschera near Mount Mongioie in the commune of Magliano Alp or the Lake Raschera, depending on which source you read! The confusion may be that there are two kinds of Raschera, plain Raschera and Alpine Raschera, which is made from herds that graze above a certain elevation. The label just said Raschera DOP, so I am not sure which I used. It is delcious! And it melted beautifully inside the chops without getting oily.

Here is what you will need to make my

Pan-Fried Stuffed Pork Chops with Parmesan Curls and Marsala-Tomato Sauce


Ingredients:
4 center-cut boneless loin pork chops (at least 1" thick)
8 sage leaves
extra-virgin olive oil for frying the sage leaves
1 1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
4 oz. Raschera cheese (or fontina)
1 1/3 c. dry breadcrumbs
2 eggs
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 T canola oil

For the sauce:
1 1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 c. minced onions
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 c. chicken stock
1/3 c. marsala
1 1/3 c. crushed tomatoes
1 T unsalted butter

OK, let's get started! I was so hungry while preparing this meal I forgot to take a few photos, so sorry about that. You'll just have to fill in with your imagination! And I KNOW that many of you have some AMAZING imaginations. And that's all I'm gonna say about that. :)

First, rinse off the porcini mushrooms to get the sand out of them. Then put them in a small bowl and pour hot water over them. Let them soak for 30 min., then drain and chop. Set them aside. (No photos of the mushrooms :( )

Next, fry the sage: Put enough olive oil in a small skillet to reach a depth of 1/4 in., and heat over medium heat. To test to see if the oil is hot enough, stick a wooden spoon in the oil. If small bubbles form around the spoon, you're good to go. Add the sage leaves and fry for 10-20 sec. on each side. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

My Fried Sage Leaves

Now, for the pork chops. I like to get my breading ingredients lined up first, so I put 1 1/3 c. plain dry breadcrumbs in a glass pie plate, and beat 2 eggs with salt and pepper in another pie plate, near the stove.
Get your skillet (preferably a large, non-stick one) heating; add the 3 T olive oil and 3 T canola oil and heat over medium heat.

Now it's time to stuff those babies! With a good sharp knife, cut a generous pocket in the side of each chop, extending the pocket to within about 1/4 in. of the edge of the chop. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Your pocket will be like so:

I think I ended up widening the opening a little, but you get the idea.

Now, cut the rind off the Raschera cheese and toss it. Up in the air, like a juggler. At the same time, whirl around and around, still tossing, chanting (a la Chaka Khan): Tyler Florence! Tyler Florence! Tyler Florence! Just kidding-- really, just toss it in the trash. But if Tyler materializes in your kitchen, LMK!

Slice the cheese into 1/4 in. thick slices of a suitable size to fit into the pockets you just made. You may end up with extra cheese, but better too much than not enough! (That is what ALL good Southern cooks believe :) )

Put 2 fried sage leaves in each pocket, then add some of the chopped mushrooms. I think I ended up using all of my 'shrooms. Oh, wait-- I should have told you to salt and pepper the inside of the pocket first. Yes, what a good idea that would have been.

We're in the process of stuffin' here. I probably should have trimmed off that fat, but didn't want the chops to get dry. (I need not have worried, they were plenty moist.)

OK, if your chops are anything like mine, they are probably gaping open from having been generously stuffed. If we cooked them like this, all the stuffing would fall out. So close up the pocket with 1, 2, or 3 wooden toothpicks.

Ooh, I see I went for 4 toothpicks here!

Now it's time to dip and bread! First, salt and pepper the chops and rub it all in good. Then, dip each porkchop first in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs. Don't worry, the toothpicks are actually quite easy to work around. Push the chops firmly into those crumbs. Put each breaded chop on a plate or a piece of parchment (just for a minute, till they all get breaded). Now, if you are not in a hurry, they will benefit greatly from some time in the fridge on a rack. So if you want, you can line a baking sheet with some parchment, then put a rack on it, and put the chops on that, and put the whole thing in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This makes the breading nice and crisp and it won't fall off. I, however, was in a hurry, so I skipped that step.

Here are my chops, all breaded. You can see my Green Beans Bolognese simmering in the background.

Now that all the chops are breaded, check and see if the oil is hot (wooden spoon again). If so, put the 4 choppies into the pan, and let them cook 5-6 minutes on each side, until they are nicely browned. (I do so like it when food is nicely browned, don't you?)

Side One-Ringy-Dingy!

And Side Two-Ringy-Dingies!
You can see there was a small bit of cheese oozage. (That's why I told you to use a non-stick skillet.)

While your chops are cooking, take your hunk of parmigiano-reggiano and a vegetable peeler, and shave off some thin, short, hopefully curly, slices. I forgot to take a photo of this, but you can see them in the final photo.

Set the chops aside to drain on paper towels, 'cause it's sauce making time! This sauce is so easy to make, and so delicious. You're gonna love it. It's based on one by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. The Marsala really adds a nice touch. You can substitute dry sherry if you don't have any Marsala.

Pour out the oil from the skillet and wipe it out with paper towel (be careful not to get burned, use a good wad of them). If any cheese is stuck on, scrape it off with a wooden spatula.

Put the skillet back on the heat and add 1 1/2 T. of olive oil, heating over medium heat.
When the oil is nice and hot, add the 1/3 c. minced onion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook until it's just starting to turn golden. Then add the 1/3 c. chicken stock.

Here's my chicken stock in the pan.

Cook, stirring, until the liquid is pretty much evaporated. Then add the 1/3 c. Marsala, stirring and cooking until it's mostly evaporated, too, leaving a thick, syrupy coating on the bottom of the pan.

The Marsala is not quite reduced down here, but we're getting there!

Now add the 1 1/3 c. crushed tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, stir in the 1 T unsalted butter. Unfortunately, so great was my excitement that it was pretty much time to eat, I forgot to take a photo of the finished sauce.

To serve, place each chop on a warm plate. Spoon some of the tomato sauce over it, and then top with some of the parmigiano-reggiano shavings.

DC's plate, up close and personal (the lighting in our dining room isn't very good.)



I didn't take any photos of the green bean prep, but this recipe is so delicious, I am going to share it here. The mortadella and cloves give the beans fantastic flavor. Even my guys (neither a big green bean fan) enjoyed them.


I had planned to make Lime-Rasperry "Oreo" Parfaits for dessert, but there just wasn't time for them to chill. So instead, I made these delicious little Butterscotch Finger cakes. They are sooo good, they just melt in your mouth.
I will write about them in another post, for now, you'll just have to drool!

Everything Old Is New Again and VINTAGE APRON Giveaways

My mom so loved the trifle I used to fix for Christmas when I was a teenager, she wrote the recipe down so I'd always remember how to make it!

My sweet friend Betty's prize winning Tomato and Onion Salad recipe. Don't believe me? Look at the back of the card:

ANNOUNCING THE 1ST ANNUAL EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN VINTAGE RECIPE CONTEST

Well, I never thought I would have so much to say (Ray: if you are reading this, I am not responsible for any CocaCola that may be coming out of your nose now), but I've been blogging for more than 2 months, and there are even a few people outside my family who read my blog! My big 3 month anniversary is coming up in just a couple of weeks, and I thought it would be fun to have a little contest, complete with prizes, to celebrate! It's a great way to get to know other bloggers. Everyone had been so kind, hospitable and generous in helping me get my blog off to a good start. In my culture, gift-giving is a way of showing appreciation to the Creator for all the beautiful blessings of this life. Thanks to each and every one of you for reading!

Besides, aside from coloring the river in Chicago green, not much exciting happens in March.
(... we interrupt this broadcast to inform you that our blogger was attacked by an angry mob of SCC fans..... film at 11)

Hopin' for this:

SO Got THAT:

In spite of my picture, it's" just-spring", the first flowers are starting to poke their way out of the ground and "the world is puddle-wonderful." Food, like fashion, comes and goes. Sometimes we wish it had stayed (bring on the shoofly pie and apple pandowdy!); other times we are glad to see it go ( Sayonara, Rumaki, you hackneyed, bacon-wrapped chicken livers, and RIP).

In recognition of this cycle of renewal, our contest theme is Everything Old Is New Again. To participate in this contest, prepare and submit a recipe for a "vintage" dish that you would like to see come back into vogue again. You can think about what you may have eaten at your grandmother's table (old skool). Put a new spin on Aunt Toonta's Beet and Jello salad. Or go for something retro-cool. Maybe the hottest dinner party entree from the mod mod 70's. I'm gonna give you pretty much a whole month to get your entries together, they will be due on April 1 (no joke!). You can submit them in 3 categories: Desserts (let's get the most important out of the way first ;), Main Courses, and Everything Else (salads, soups, appetizers, etc.) And yes, you can update your recipe to add your own special touch.

I'm hoping this will be a lot of fun! Did I mention there are fabulous prizes? I adore all things vintage.

(In fact, here is a photo to prove it.This photo was taken for
a hat contest at a retirement party at work.)

I'm hoping hats will come back in style! I'm wearing a style called "the swirl" and it's made with vintage materials. It's a signed original hat made by New Orleans designer Nicole LeBlanc.

My love for vintage things includes VINTAGE APRONS. And what better prizes to have for a vintage recipe contest than vintage-style aprons? Also, one lucky winner will receive his or her very own copy of Gloria Chadwick's brand new cookbook, Foods and Flavors of San Antonio!

I am SERIOUSLY ANNOYED, Seriously, I have been planning this contest for weeks and suddenly apron giveaways are everywhere??

THESE aprons, are hand-made one by one, and when they're gone, they're gone. They are also hand selected par moi.

These 3 FABULOUS VINTAGE-STYLE APRONS
will be given to the lucky winner in each of our 3 categories.

Gents, don't despair: there's something here for you too!

SO LET'S DRAG OUT THOSE OLD RECIPE CARDS AND GET COOKIN'!

CONFECTIONS & CUPCAKES
from Handmaiden's Cottage

CHERRY PICKED AND LABELED
from Handmaiden's Cottage

Now for you spicy ladies, check out:

THE VIXEN
From Carolyn's Kitchen

SO, HERE'S HOW TO ENTER

The Everything Old Is New Again Vintage Recipe Contest

Submit a comment to this post stating which apron best suits your personality and why. Prepare a "vintage" recipe, post it to your blog (new posts only, please??), and link to this post.
By vintage, I mean a recipe popular earlier than 1990 (or a recipe published prior to 1990).
In addition, send me an email with subject line EONA to DomestickMuse at gmail dot com. In the email, please give me your name, the name of your blog, the name of your dish, the category you are entering (Desserts, Main Courses, or Everything Else), a link to your post, and a photo of your recipe. In addition, a short paragraph about this history of your dish would be great! This contest ends on April 1. Winners will be selected randomly in each category

In fact, I have a 4th prize, the Mr./Ms. Congeniality Award. This will go to the person exhibiting the greatest sense of fun and panache in their contest entry! And what is this award, you may ask? It's a copy of Gloria Chadwick's wonderful new cookbook,

Foods and Flavors of San Antonio!!

Happy cooking, All!

Love those aprons? Want to see more apron action? Then just click on the photos below.

Lynn at Handmaiden'sCottage will be glad to help you!


And Carolyn's Kitchen (Hot-Cha-Cha)

Royal Foodie Feb. Joust

I was reading Nuria's uber-cool Spanish food blog and read about the Foodie BlogRoll's "Monthly Joust" contest. Nuria's recipe looks fantastic: fideo with clams, dried mushrooms, and cauliflower. The magic ingredients for Feb.'s joust are noodles, mushrooms, and cauliflower.

I thought it would be fun to develop a recipe for the joust, which has to be posted by Feb. 1. (Nothing like a challenge!)

Here is my recipe:

Pasta Morocc-&-Roll (with Cauliflower, Mushrooms, and Tiny Meatballs)


Spiced with orange, bay laurel, and cumin, the pasta sauce tastes vaguely Moroccan to me, though of course, the ham for the meatballs is not an authentic ingredient! I had some leftover ham in the freezer from Christmas dinner, and half a jar of spaghetti sauce in the fridge, and wanted to use them up. The inspiration for this recipe was a beef stew with olives and cumin that I used to make years ago, as well as a delicious guatemalan-style cauliflower & tomato dish.

Ingredients:

1 lb. orecchiette pasta
2 T kosher salt
1/2 lb. cauliflower florets, 1 1/2 in. long
2 eggs, separated
1 T. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 t. kosher salt
Vegetable oil for frying, about 3-4 T.


For the sauce:
2T extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (set aside 2 T for the meatballs)
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red or orange pepper, finely chopped
1 t. Kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed in a garlic press
1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1 T ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 t. fresh ground black pepper
2 c. your favorite prepared Italian tomato sauce in a jar (e.g., Prego, Newman's Own, etc.)
1 T. tomato paste
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. cup water
1 c. green olives with pimientos, sliced
zest of 1 orange
2 T chopped Italian parsley

For the meatballs:
12 oz. cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
4 oz. smoked ham, diced
2 eggs
1/4 c. cracker crumbs or dried bread crumbs (more if needed)
2 T finely chopped onion (from above)
2 T Italian parsley, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed in a garlic press
1 t. freshly ground black pepper


I. Cook the Pasta and Cauliflower
1. Bring a large pot of salted water (6-8 qt.) to a boil over high heat. Add 2 T kosher salt. Add the orecchiette and cook for 6 minutes.
2. After 6 minutes, add the cauliflower florets to the pasta water and cook for 3 minutes, until tender, but not mushy
3. Working quickly, scoop out the cauliflower with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water. (Don't worry if you scoop up a small amount of pasta also, you can remove it when the cauliflower is drained.)
4. Drain the pasta, and set aside. Cover when cooled.
5. Drain the cauliflower and place on a plate covered with several layers of paper towel to dry.
6. Heat 2 T vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet.
7. Prepare the batter: Combine the egg whites, 1/4 t. of salt, and 1 t. of water in the bowl of an electric mixer.
8. Beat until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted.
9 Add the egg yolks and flour, and mix briefly, just until combined.
10. The oil should be hot but not smoking. To see if the oil is hot enough: place a wooden spoon into the oil. If the oil is ready, little bubbles should form around the spoon.
11. Dip the cauliflower florets into the batter and shake off the excess.
12. Add small batches of cauliflower to the hot oil and cook, turning, until browned on all sides. Add more oil as needed.
13. Drain the fried cauliflower on paper towels, and set aside.

II. Make the Sauce & Meatballs

1. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in the same large deep pan where the cauliflower was fried.
2. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion, and cook until translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the chopped bell peppers and 1/2 t. of the salt. Sautee until fragrant and tender, about 5 minutes.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, place all the meatball ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until a thick paste is formed. If the mixture seems too loose, add some more cracker or bread crumbs to form a workable paste. Too thick, add some water.
5. With moistened hands, form meatballs about the size of large marbles. Place on a plate and set aside.
6. Add the crushed garlic to the vegetable pan and sautee about 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic does not burn.
7. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they begin to release their moisture. Keep cooking, stiring constantly, until all the mushroom liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
8. Add the cumin, black pepper, bay leaf, and the other 1/2 t. of salt to the saute pan. Saute 2 minutes, until the flavors begin to meld.
9. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. After 10 min., the sauce should be a little soupy, thinner than traditional pasta sauce. Add more water if too thick.
10. After the sauce has simmered for 10 minutes, add the meatballs to the pan. Increase the heat slightly, and cook the meatballs for 5-7 minutes, until solid enough not to fall apart.
11. Lower the heat and add the orange zest and the olives. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
12. Add the fried cauliflower and stir gently until the cauliflower is heated through, about 5 minutes.
13. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 T of chopped parsley.

Serve the cauliflower and meatballs over the cooked orecchiette.