Archive for the 'Main Dish' Category
Oven-Roasted Pull Pork Sandwiches
Tyler Florence
Dry rub:
3 T Paprika
1 T Garlic Powder
1 T Brown Sugar
1 T dry Mustard
3 T coarse Salt
1 (5 to 7 pound) Pork Roast, shoulder or Boston butt
Mix paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, dry mustard and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork roast and marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours. Basically, roast the pork until it’s falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 170 degrees F.
Remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks and “pull” the meat to form shreds. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other.
If everyone wants BBQ pork, put the shredded pork in a bowl and add a bottled BBQ sauce like Sweet Baby Ray’s to coat. There is a BBQ sauce recipe with this recipe on the Food Network site if you’d like to make it from scratch (follow the link above). If your family is like mine, some will want BBQ, some mustard and others will want ketchup. If that’s the case, leave the pork plain and serve the condiments on the side.
To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto buns. Serve with pickle spears and chips. A good slaw would go well with these too.
I had never cooked a beef tenderloin before but I really like this cut of meat. It’s straightforward to prepare and easy to portion and carve since it’s boneless. Your dinner guests will love it because it’s tender and delicious.
I purchased a 4 lb beef tenderloin at the butcher shop. It cost me about $11 per pound. That’s kind of pricey (tenderloin is the cut filet mignon comes from), so you probably won’t be making this every week but it’s a great special occasion treat.
If you buy an untrimmed tenderloin, you’ll need to trim off any excess fat and remove the silverskin. You’ll also want to trim off the very thin tail pieces. Save those tail pieces and the meat from the fat-covered “chain” that runs along the cut for stir-fries and stews. If you buy a trimmed tenderloin, you’ll still want to check it over and remove any excess fat or silverskin that may remain.
Since the size of the tenderloin depends on the size of the cow it came from you may have a very large tenderloin. If so, you can cut it into 2 roasts and freeze one for later.
Tie the roast at two-inch intervals with kitchen string. Tying the roast is important because once the silverskin has been removed, the meat tends to flatten and lose its shape. Also, as meat cooks, it tends to twist and curl. Tying results in a more uniformly shaped roast, which will cook more evenly. Tie the string so that it presses firmly but not tightly against the meat.
Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 450°F.
Pat the meat dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Then, sear the meat on all sides in a heavy skillet on the stove. When searing, give each side of the roast —since it’s round, there are three to four “sides”—a few minutes of undisturbed cooking.
Place the seared roast in a 9×13-inch roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Lightly cover with foil - the foil should be kind of like a tent so that steam can escape.
Roast the beef until an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F to 125°F for rare, about 25 minutes; 125°F to 130°F for medium rare, about 30 minutes. The temperature of the beef will rise 5°F as it rests. Do Not overcook!
Wrap the beef in the foil that lines the pan and let rest on a carving board for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice into portions and serve.
Fresh Wild Mushrooms & Cream on Linguine
FineDinings.com
1 (16-oz) package uncooked linguine pasta
1 lb fresh wild mushrooms (chanterelles, shiitake, oyster, etc)
4 T Butter
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white Wine
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup Heavy Cream
Nutmeg, freshly grated to taste
1/3 cup thinly sliced Green Onion (optional)
2 tsp fresh Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tsp fresh Thyme leaves
White Truffle Oil
Cook linguine pasta according to package directions to al dente; drain and return to pan to keep warm.
Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut into 1/4-inch slices. In a large frying pan, saute mushrooms in butter for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and shallots; saute an additional 2 minutes. Add white wine and simmer until wine is reduced by half. Add chicken broth, cream and nutmeg; simmer until sauce thickens.
Remove from heat. Add green onions, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Add drained pasta to sauce; tossing gently to coat the pasta. Add more chicken broth or pasta water if sauce seems too thick.
Place pasta in serving bowl or on individual plates by using a long-tined fork (twisting each portion onto plate so that it stands up as high as possible). Spoon any mushrooms left in the pan over the top and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. Drizzle white truffle oil over the top.
Baked Cod with Lemon Butter Sauce
Cooks.com
1 lb Cod fillets (you could also use Northern, Pollock or similar fish)
1/4 c melted Butter
2 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Lime Juice
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp crushed Red Pepper
Place fish fillets in a small baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over fish. Cover dish with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Baste fish once or twice while baking.
I’m not a big fan of fish sticks. Mainly because the ones you get from the freezer section at the grocery store have way too much breading and of course, the fact that I don’t like fish. I thought I’d try to make some from scratch. I got this recipe on a cooking message board but I don’t remember which one. I’m using Cod fillets but any firm white fish will work. I’ll be serving these with my homemade coleslaw.
Homemade Fishsticks
Pam Cooking Spray
1/2 cup Plain Bread Crumbs
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 egg, beaten
1 lb thick white fish fillets (cod, scrod, or halibut), cut into 3/4″ x 2″ pieces
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil; spray with Pam.
In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, salt, paprika and garlic powder. Place flour in a second bowl and egg in a third.
Coat fish pieces 1 at a time. Dip first into flour, then into egg, then into crumb mixture. Gently press crumbs onto fish. Arrange on prepared baking sheets.
Lightly spray fish with Pam. Bake 5 minutes; carefully turn pieces with a spatula. Bake 5 minutes longer, until cooked through. Carefully remove from baking sheet; cool slightly on wire rack (pieces will firm up as they cool).
