A Year of Weekly Recipes, Week 1

2012 has begun, and I started this project with two new recipes, both very good. If I had to do it again, I probably wouldn’t make both of them for one meal, because they were pretty labor intensive. In addition to the pork and squash, I served some steamed broccoli and plain quinoa. The picture is a bit fuzzy, unfortunately… will need to do better next time.

Here are the recipes:

Roasted Pork Loin with Caramel and Sour Cherry Sauce

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs. boneless pork
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
1 cup sugar
1 24-ounce jar sour cherries in light syrup
1/4 cup hot prepared mustard, such as Colman’s
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

1. Sear the roast: Heat oven to 450°F. Rub the entire surface of pork with the salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and place fat side up in a shallow roasting pan. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F, place the pan in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

2. Make the cherry sauce: Melt the sugar in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until dark amber. Reduce heat to medium, add the cherries and syrup, mustard, cinnamon, and remaining pepper. (The sugar will appear dark amber against a stainless steel spoon.) Cook, stirring constantly, until well-combined — about 5 minutes.

3. Finish the roast and the sauce: Pour the cherry sauce over the pork loin and continue to roast, basting twice, until the meat’s internal temperature reaches 155°F — 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes. Place the roasting pan on the stove top and bring the pan juices to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to 2 cups — 10 to 12 minutes. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve. To serve, slice the pork loin into 1/4 inch thick slices. Arrange on a serving platter and spoon the cherry sauce and some of the cherries over the pork. Serve immediately.

Notes

I couldn’t find sour cherries in light syrup, so used tart cherries in water and added some sugar to the cans before pouring them in.

Yes, sugar melts! Be patient and the sugar will eventually turn into an amber bubbling liquid. I had an impulse to stir the sugar… not sure if that was a good idea or not. Stirring it with a plastic spoon did not seem to be a great idea, as the sugar would cool quickly on contact and stick to the spoon. The high heat was also not that great for the spoon. (I think it started to melt.) A wooden spoon worked well, but I think it may not need stirring at all.

Because of Cathy’s allergies, I “made” the mustard out of mustard powder, white wine, and French’s yellow mustard.

I didn’t have a shallow roasting pan, so used a casserole dish and then transferred the juices at the end into a sauce pan.

This dish does take a lot of your attention while making it, so I would recommend relatively simple side dishes if you are making this on your own.

The result is very flavorful.

Servings: 12

Sweet and Sour Squash

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh mint or basil, chopped

Method

In a very large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until it ripples. Add a single layer of squash and cook until lightly browned and tender, about 10 minutes, turning slices over once halfway through cooking. Remove the cooked squash to a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat the process to cook the remaining batches.

Return the skillet to medium heat, add another tablespoon of olive oil if the pan looks dry, and add garlic, cooking and stirring constantly until fragrant but not browned, about 45 seconds. Add the vinegar and sugar, swirl the skillet to dissolve the sugar, bring to a simmer, and cook, swirling frequently, until the mixture is syrupy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

On a serving platter, arrange the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the squash, sprinkle with the mint or basil, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Very flavorful, but a bit of work. Don’t prepare with another dish that requires a lot of attention.

Servings: 6

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