Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [57]
¼ cup dry vermouth
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sour cream
1. Season the cutlets with pepper and salt and set them aside. Heat a medium skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, then add 1 tablespoon of the butter or the oil. Slip the cutlets into the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn and cook for about 3 more minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Transfer to two dinner plates and tent with foil to keep warm.
2. Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter or oil. Stir in the shallot and caraway seeds; cook for about 1 minute, or until the shallot has softened. Pour in the vermouth, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for just 20 seconds, until the vermouth is slightly reduced, then whisk in the mustard until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the sour cream. Set the pan aside for 30 seconds, to heat the sour cream, then divide this sauce between the cutlets and serve immediately.
SMOKED PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES makes 2 servings
This is an easy dinner, perfect for a chilly night. The apples mellow the sauerkraut considerably, giving the dish a sweet, light taste. Don’t use lip-puckering canned sauerkraut. Buy it fresh in small packages from your butcher, or in the deli case at your market. Or buy it directly from your neighborhood deli, in exactly the amount you need.
One 8-ounce package fresh sauerkraut, drained
2 medium apples (about 4 ounces each), preferably Jonathans or Northern Spys, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
6 tablespoons apple juice
2 large smoked pork chops, about 8 ounces each (see Note)
4 to 6 small red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed
1. Mix the sauerkraut, apples, mustard, and caraway seeds in a large skillet or sauté pan, preferably nonstick or cast-iron. Stir in the apple juice, then place the skillet over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.
2. Nestle the pork chops and potatoes in the pan. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 35 minutes, until the liquid has thickened, the chops are heated through, and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve immediately.
NOTE: Smoked pork chops are available at deli counters, or in gourmet markets. Pink smoked chops have been doped with nitrates to keep them that color. If you prefer nitrate-free chops, look for ones that are light brown, maybe somewhat gray. The latter are also probably available from your local barbecue restaurant or smokehouse.
Variations
Substitute a large pear (about 7 ounces) for the apple.
Substitute apple brandy for the apple juice.
Add 2 tablespoons golden raisins or currants to the sauerkraut mixture with the caraway seeds.
Substitute a medium turnip or rutabaga (about 6 ounces), cut into quarters, for the potatoes; nestle these into the sauerkraut mixture with the chops.
OVEN-BARBECUED RIBS makes 1 rack of baby back ribs
The trick to oven-barbecuing ribs is to roast them in a low-heat oven for a very long time. First, coat the ribs with the dry spice rub, then let them marinate in the refrigerator; you can even rub them the night before and fix them the next day. Once they’re in the oven, be patient—wait until the meat is falling off the bone but still juicy, not until it has dried out. Serve these ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce on the side.
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons mild paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried thyme (do not use fresh)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 2-pound rack of baby back pork ribs (12 to 14 bones; see Note)
1. Mix the brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, salt, dry mustard, cumin, thyme, and pepper in a small bowl until well combined. Pat this mixture onto the ribs, taking care to massage it gently into the meat. Wrap the ribs in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
2. Position the rack in