andy pucko
potato and asparagus gratin with a pork chop
Here we have another dish using asparagus, fresh and local from the co-op, and a pork chop- also fresh and local from the co-op.
There's nothing too hard here- gratins are pretty foolproof, and flexible too- broken into steps you'll see for yourself how any combination of sturdy vegetables can be built into one of your very own. For me, the hard part was the meat- I generally only have it once a week. Knowing the Pig died for me I try and do a proper job cooking it!
You can hop online and adapt a recipe, or just do what I did- either way plan on about 10-15 minutes of prep, an hour of cooking time, and a ten minute rest after to let the gratin cool a bit and the meat to reabsorb some of it's juices. Do plan on having your pork chop out and defrosted before you start- an hour spent at room temperature won't hurt it and in fact it will cook better- and try and get it cut about and inch to an inch and a half thick- it's actually a little less fussy to cook that way. This recipe will produce just enough potatoes for two friendly people (provided you cook two chops). Scale it up or down as you wish, again, don't be afraid to adapt any recipe you Google© up.
Béchamel:
Crush a couple cloves of garlic into a paste with a pinch of salt, add it to about a couple tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of flour and whisk until it's incorporated and let it cook (keep that whisk moving) a couple minutes and then start adding about a cup, cup and a half, of milk in small increments. When the flour/butter mixure absorbs the milk, add a little more. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper, black pepper, and nutmeg. The idea is to cook it until it's roughly the consistency of thin batter, so add more milk if you have to. Whisk in a tablespoon of ricotta and take it off the heat. This will be the cooking and binding agent for your vegetables.
Pre-heat that oven (400º), and lightly oil the inside of a 6 inch crock. Stick a little panko bread crumbs to the bottom and sides, holding a tablespoon of crumbs for later.
Veggies:
Get about 4-5 "b" sized red potatoes and slice them thin on a mandoline and set them aside. Get 5-6 trimmed spears of asparagus, and cut them thin on the mandolin as well, but save the last couple inches of the pointy ends because they will decorate the top of the assembly. Chop about a half cup of parsley (I like curly, use what you prefer) and add it to the disks of asparagus, and toss them with a pinch of salt.
Layer half the potato slices in the bottom of the crock, and spoon about a third of the béchamel over it. Add the asparagus/parsley mixture and spoon another third of the béchamel on that. Add the last of the potatoes and gently dab them down, and spread the last of the béchamel over that. Cut those asparagus ends in half (the long way) and arrange them on top in a pleasing pattern. Sprinkle the last of the crumbs in the interstices, and add a good grind of pepper and paprika, put it in the oven, and set your timer for one hour.
Chops:
When about 15-20 minutes are left, get ready to start your chop(s). Pat them dry and sprinkle salt, black pepper, and paprika all over them. Get a heavy pan (preferably cast iron) heating at no more than medium or a touch less, and when the oil you added is just shimmering, add the meat. Plan on about 5-7 minutes per side. When it's time to turn it, crisp the edges first, holding it with your tongs. Once it's on the other side, start practicing the finger test. You're going for medium or a touch more. You're shooting for a chop with white flesh and just a tinge of pink.
About this time you hour will be up- pull the Gratin out of the oven and lay your chop(s) on a plate and let them both rest for 10 minutes before service.
Any recipe or technique can be broken down into steps (and modified to suit your own tastes), so don't be afraid to mess around with it. The cooking and eating process was a lot quicker and easier than having to write all this down!
potato and asparagus gratin with a pork chop
Here we have another dish using asparagus, fresh and local from the co-op, and a pork chop- also fresh and local from the co-op.
There's nothing too hard here- gratins are pretty foolproof, and flexible too- broken into steps you'll see for yourself how any combination of sturdy vegetables can be built into one of your very own. For me, the hard part was the meat- I generally only have it once a week. Knowing the Pig died for me I try and do a proper job cooking it!
You can hop online and adapt a recipe, or just do what I did- either way plan on about 10-15 minutes of prep, an hour of cooking time, and a ten minute rest after to let the gratin cool a bit and the meat to reabsorb some of it's juices. Do plan on having your pork chop out and defrosted before you start- an hour spent at room temperature won't hurt it and in fact it will cook better- and try and get it cut about and inch to an inch and a half thick- it's actually a little less fussy to cook that way. This recipe will produce just enough potatoes for two friendly people (provided you cook two chops). Scale it up or down as you wish, again, don't be afraid to adapt any recipe you Google© up.
Béchamel:
Crush a couple cloves of garlic into a paste with a pinch of salt, add it to about a couple tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of flour and whisk until it's incorporated and let it cook (keep that whisk moving) a couple minutes and then start adding about a cup, cup and a half, of milk in small increments. When the flour/butter mixure absorbs the milk, add a little more. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper, black pepper, and nutmeg. The idea is to cook it until it's roughly the consistency of thin batter, so add more milk if you have to. Whisk in a tablespoon of ricotta and take it off the heat. This will be the cooking and binding agent for your vegetables.
Pre-heat that oven (400º), and lightly oil the inside of a 6 inch crock. Stick a little panko bread crumbs to the bottom and sides, holding a tablespoon of crumbs for later.
Veggies:
Get about 4-5 "b" sized red potatoes and slice them thin on a mandoline and set them aside. Get 5-6 trimmed spears of asparagus, and cut them thin on the mandolin as well, but save the last couple inches of the pointy ends because they will decorate the top of the assembly. Chop about a half cup of parsley (I like curly, use what you prefer) and add it to the disks of asparagus, and toss them with a pinch of salt.
Layer half the potato slices in the bottom of the crock, and spoon about a third of the béchamel over it. Add the asparagus/parsley mixture and spoon another third of the béchamel on that. Add the last of the potatoes and gently dab them down, and spread the last of the béchamel over that. Cut those asparagus ends in half (the long way) and arrange them on top in a pleasing pattern. Sprinkle the last of the crumbs in the interstices, and add a good grind of pepper and paprika, put it in the oven, and set your timer for one hour.
Chops:
When about 15-20 minutes are left, get ready to start your chop(s). Pat them dry and sprinkle salt, black pepper, and paprika all over them. Get a heavy pan (preferably cast iron) heating at no more than medium or a touch less, and when the oil you added is just shimmering, add the meat. Plan on about 5-7 minutes per side. When it's time to turn it, crisp the edges first, holding it with your tongs. Once it's on the other side, start practicing the finger test. You're going for medium or a touch more. You're shooting for a chop with white flesh and just a tinge of pink.
About this time you hour will be up- pull the Gratin out of the oven and lay your chop(s) on a plate and let them both rest for 10 minutes before service.
Any recipe or technique can be broken down into steps (and modified to suit your own tastes), so don't be afraid to mess around with it. The cooking and eating process was a lot quicker and easier than having to write all this down!