Ok, Annalena needs to say something right at the start. We're going to be making pork chops with this recipe. Now, if you do not eat red meat, or animal protein, for health reasons, for reasons of personal dislike, etc, Annalena is fine with that. BUT... if you are not eating meat because of cruelty issues, but eat fish, or eat food that has been picked or produced by migrant workers, she does. Annalena eats meat. She eats it frequently. And she does what her Nonna taught her, and says a prayer of thanks to the animal which gave its life so that she could eat. But beyond that, Annalena investigates the sources of all proteins that she buys: she wants to see pictures of the farms, how the animals are raised. She wants to know how many animals are harvested (and she uses that word in the sense of any other food), before she makes her decision. The result is a clearer conscience , and also better tasting food.
Do keep in mind, ragazzi, that if you are a vegetarian, the food you are eating was undoubtedly picked by an underpaid worker, living in bad conditions, who breathed in toxins from pesticides, etc. There are tradeoffs. None of us can say we are "clean" because of what we eat, or don't eat. Let us not throw stones.
This diatribe has been brought about because of criticism of some of Annalena's dishes, and the alleged "cruelty" they cause. Feeding your family bad food, is cruel. PERIOD.
Ok, end of that. Now, onto the mystery of marinades. We are, collectively, fascinated with them, be they brines, dry rubs, wet rubs, etc, which are all "marinades," because of the flavor they impart to food.
Truth is, ragazzi, most marinades don't put that much flavor into what they're used on. It is a plain old fact. Marinades, originally, were intended to permit acids to break down tough proteins. If you sit fish, or meat, in any kind of acid, it essentially tenderizes the meat. Sometimes, too much. Add salt, and you do get some flavor added to the protein, because the salt will diffuse into the meat tissue. Fact is, however, other molecules are too big. They sit on the surface of the protein, but don't really get into it much.
If you ever wanted to see this in action, put a chunk of tofu into a heavy soy marinade. Let it sit for a day. Cut the tofu. Check the penetration of the color. Put the stuff back, and soak another day. Look again. And so on and so forth. It's a good lesson.
Marinades, however, when used well, do add flavor, as well as the above mentioned tenderizing - even when the meat is tender to begin with. Most marinades can be used - as we will here - to make a glaze or reduction. This in turn compliments the protein, which has received just the "tinge" of flavor the marinade added.
Ok, so here we go. We're going to make pork chops. Get four nice sized ones, from a reputable place - like your farmers market. Expect to pay much for this, that's the way it is. Pork chops are expensive, artisanal pork is more expensive, and cruelty free, even more. It's worth it. They should weigh about 8 ounces each (half a pound), and have a bone in them. Put them aside, while you mix 3/4 cup of honey (probably you have it in the back of your cupboard. Dig around), the juice of an orange, together with the grated peel of that fruit, and 1/4 cup of white wine, champagne, or cider vinegar (incidentally, if you don't find that honey, use maple syrup). Put a handful of small rosemary stems in with this. Rub the needles between your fingers to release some of the oil. Add about a teaspoon of salt, and some pepper. Now stir this all together, put it in a bowl, and add the pork chops. Stir it together, and then put everything in a big, sturdy plastic bag, and put the bag in a bowl. Put this in your fridge, and let it sit overnight.
Now, in the original recipe, after you've done this, it says to let it sit "at least 2 hours or up to overnight." Now, Annalena asks: if you can let something sit for 2 hours, or 8, doesn't that tell you something about the effect?
The original recipe calls for putting these in the broiler; however, Annalena prefers to do this another way. Get out your grill pan, and oil it lightly. Turn it on, and also turn on your oven to 375. Meanwhile, drain the marinade from the pork, and pull out the rosemary. Toss it. Take the marinade, put it in a small pan, and let it reduce to half. Watch it: this stuff boils up, and if your pan is too small, you'll have a mess.
When your ridged grill pan is ready, pat the chops dry, and salt them again. Let them cook for about four - five minutes per side. Look at what happens: you will get very dark cooking. The reason for that is the sugars in the honey and the juice. They did stay on the surface, and you are getting carmelization. After the ten minutes, brush the reduced marinade on one side of the chops, and then get them in the oven for another ten minutes. After that, PROTECT YOUR HANDS, take out the pan, flip the chops and brush them with the reduction again.
Annalena also wants you to taste the marinade before it goes on the chops. What do you taste? Bet not a lot of rosemary. The heating transformed it into something else. It is now like the "bass notes" in music. You'd know if it weren't there, but you don't know it's rosemary. And also, remember the taste of the marinade when you eat your chops. It won't be the same, and if you like, you can pour some of the left over reduction on the chops, at table, or add it to whatever starch you're eating.
These are good. They are VERY good. They have a sweetness, and a complexity, that you will not find without the marinade, nor will you get it with just glazing the meat as you cook. You'll be happy you did this, but as you work with these recipes, you will begin to understand the limitations and the plusses of this whole family of ingredients.
Thursday is steak night at home, ragazzi, and we will be exploring "infusions." Stay tuned.
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