baked char siu bao (roasted pork buns).

My weekends are for tackling cooking projects.  Not all of them are labor intensive 48 hour adventures but on occasion I get that itch to tackle an over-the-top project that's been on my to-do list for some time.  

(Like croissants which 3 years later are still on my to-make list. )

Char Siu Bao are one of those weekend long projects.  They aren't particularly difficult (though the length of the recipe may lead you to believe I'm lying) but I find it best to draw the preparation of them out over a couple of days.   It makes the whole thing more relaxing and stressful.   

If you've never had char siu bao (otherwise known as a roasted pork bun) you're in for a real treat. Extremely tender (and very light and fluffy) dough encases shredded a sweet and spicy shredded pork that people find irresistible (I find it seriously irresistible).    I love them for their portability but also because the dough which utilizes a process called tangzhong is super soft which means you can reheat them in the microwave and they stay tender (it's kind of magic).   

So yes, making these is a project, but it's a project that's well worth it.     

Baked Char Siu Bao

Recipe from Crepes of Wrath and Serious Eats

These freeze brilliantly so don't worry if you can't eat them all!   

For the Char Siu Pork

3 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder, cut into large pieces

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon chili oil

1 tablespoon black bean paste

1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice

1 3-inch knob of ginger, grated on a microplane or finely minced

4 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane or finely minced

For the Char Siu Filling

1 pound of your roasted pork, diced into ¾-inch cubes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely diced

6 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon black bean paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 cup minced chives 

For the Tangzhong

3 tablespoons bread flour

1/2 cup water

For the Dough

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Roast your pork - Cut your boneless pork shoulder or butt into 5 or 6 pieces and place it in a sealable back or container. Whisk together all of your marinade ingredients, and pour it over the pork. Marinate for at least 3 hours, or as long as overnight. When ready, preheat your oven to 300 degrees F, place your pork in an oiled baking dish, cover with foil, and roast for 2½ to 3 hours, until the pork is very tender and shreds easily. Remove the pork from the oven, uncover, and let cool slightly. You will only need about ⅓ of your pork for the buns - the rest makes for great leftovers! Toss it with some roasted or stir-fried broccoli and you've got lunch for the rest of the week.

Make your char siu filling - Chop ⅓ of your roasted pork into small cubes and set it aside. Finely dice an onion, heat your vegetable oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Whisk together your water, cornstarch, vinegar, hoisin sauce, sugar, black bean paste, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Add your pork to the onion, and add your sauce to the pan. Stir to combine, and cook for 5-8 minutes, until the mixture has darkened and thickened - be careful not to burn the filling, as the sugar will quickly caramelize. When ready, remove the pork from the heat and set aside until ready to use.  Can be made 1 day ahead and stored in the fridge until ready to assemble.

For the Tangzhong - In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mix together the water and bread flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and lightly golden. Remove from heat and transfer the tangzhong to a small container. Cover with plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.

For the Dough - Warm 1/2 cup of milk and pour in the yeast. Let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes. Combine the yeast-milk mixture, the Tangzhong, and the remaining dough ingredients in a large bowl, and stir until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Remove from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured work surface until stretchy, about 10 minutes longer. Spray the dough all over with nonstick spray and return to the bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the dough to prevent it from drying out and set in a warm, draft free area until doubled in size, about 1 hour (or overnight in the fridge).

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into 16 even pieces. Roll the pieces into balls. Using the palm of your hand, press down each dough ball until flat. Place 2 tablespoons of filling on the center of each round. Pull up the edges and pinch together to seal. Transfer the filled buns, seam-side down, to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Re-cover with the coated plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly brush your bao with your beaten egg, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes, then brush lightly with honey and sprinkle with chopped chives. Serve warm. These will keep well for up to 5 days - just heat them up for 15-20 seconds in the microwave before serving. 

cornmeal fried pork chops with goat cheese smashed potatoes.

Friday night Tyler and I fly out to Tennessee to experience all that Nashville has to offer.  This will include but is not limited to consuming a lot of Hot Chicken, eating at Husk, exploring some plantations, and if I can get Tyler drunk enough, visiting a Honky-Tonk Bar.  

It's gonna be awesome.

In honor of this trip, I decided to finally whip something up from the Heritage cookbook that my brother got my for Christmas.  This cookbook has been taunting me for sometime.  All of the recipes in the book are just beautiful, the kind of elegant food you can only make when you have a kitchen (just slightly) bigger then ours and a myriad of ingredients at your disposal.  This is not easy food to make, some of these recipes are so anally specific that I think even Thomas Keller would have a hard time convincing himself he should exert the effort.  It's all just slightly pretentious.

But then you come across a recipe for cornmeal crusted pork-chops with goat cheese smashed potatoes and your mouth waters and you finally think to yourself  "this, this I can make".

And so this past Sunday I did just that.  And the resulting dish is what I would describe as Southern comfort food.   A shatteringly crisp cornmeal crust gives way to the tenderest pork chops in all the land.  That pork chop is layered a top a pile of the dreamiest potatoes I have ever encountered. Seriously - I am not a potatoes person, give me pasta over potatoes any day but these potatoes, these potatoes could give pasta a run for their money.  The tender red potatoes are tossed in butter and milk and goat cheese to create pockets of utter creamy wonderfulness - potato perfection.

I think the South and I will get along swimmingly.  

Cornmeal-Fried Pork Chops and Goat Cheese-Smashed Potatoes
Adapted slightly from Heritage by Sean Brock

The only change I really made was to dial back the amount of butter.  Yes more butter is good, but less butter is still very good.   

Serves 6 – Easily halved

For the Pork Chops
6 boneless pork chops (about 3 ounces each)
About 3 cups buttermilk, whole milk if you can find it
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 cups (fine or medium-grind) yellow cornmeal
Cayenne pepper
Canola oil (or high heat safflower or sunflower, what I used) for shallow-frying

For the Potatoes

3 pounds small-to-medium red potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup half-and-half (or 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 cup heavy cream)
6 ounces soft goat cheese
6 - 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced and chilled
1/2 cup finely sliced fresh chives
Freshly ground black or white pepper

Marinate the pork chops: Pound each pork chop (using a meat pounder) between two pieces of plastic wrap to 1/8-inch thick. Place the chops in a container and cover them with the buttermilk. Cover and marinate at least four hours or overnight or in the refrigerator.

Prep the smashed potatoes: Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and add 1/4 cup salt. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook the potatoes until fork-tender, about 20 minutes for small potatoes or 30 minutes for medium ones; try not to let the water boil.

Cook the chops: Heat your oven to 200 degrees. Remove the chops from the buttermilk, discarding it and patting most of the buttermilk off the chops. Season the chops with salt and cracked pepper. Put the cornmeal in a shallow bowl and season it with salt and cayenne pepper. Dredge the chops in the cornmeal, gently shaking off the excess, and put on a large plate.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add a 1/4-inch of oil to each and heat for 1 minute. Carefully place 2 pork chops in each skillet; do not shake the skillets or touch the chops for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the chops until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Carefully turn the chops over and cook until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Discard the oil the skillet if it gets too murky and repeat with remaining chops.

Finish the potatoes: When the potatoes are almost cooked, bring the half-and-half to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon, carefully smash each potato without breaking it apart. Pour the hot half-and-half over the potatoes; crumble the goat cheese, butter and chives over them then fold it together. Season with salt, if needed, and white or black pepper.

Serve the potatoes and chops together. 

pork and chive potstickers.

If there is a way to enclose something in some kind of little bun, wrapper, bread filled pocket, you can pretty much guarantee I am going to be obsessed with it.

I'm looking at you calazones, empanadas, bao, and (now) gyoza aka potstickers.

Gyoza are pockets of porky goodness.  Or in this case pork and chive which is one of those quintessential Asian pairings that I can't seem to get enough of.

But of course we couldn't leave this to just include pork and chives!  We need a little flavor boost and that means lots of minced garlic and ginger and a generous pour of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and (hot) sesame oil.  And then that filling gets stuffed into gyoza wrappers to be boiled and pan fried where they come out hot. crispy, impossibly juicy, and rather addicting.

Pork and Chive Potstickers

1 cup minced chives
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon ginger minced
1/2 pound ground pork
1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/12 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
10 turns of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons water
24 gyoza wrappers
Additional oil for frying

In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients.

Place a couple of teaspoons of filling in the center of a gyoza wrapper.  Wet the edges of the wrapper with water and then fold over the wrapper to seal the edges.  Set aside on a baking sheet covered with a dish towel.  Repeat with the remaining wrappers.   

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium high heat. Next to it, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Boil dumplings for 4 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon (allowing excess water to drip off), and then transfer them to the frying pan (step back because this process could get spitty). Once the bottoms of the potstickers are browned, pat off any excess oil with a paper towel and then enjoy with soy sauce/sriracha.

coffee-crusted grilled pork chops.

If I were to try and describe my relationship with coffee it would involve a 3 hour long conversation in which I would try and explain how I love coffee (the darker the roast the better) but I only allow myself to drink it twice a week.  I realize this is not normal.  People do not fall into a category of occasional coffee drinker. Coffee is one of those all or nothing types of thing.  I am not normal.  

Since I can't consume coffee with any regularity, I constantly look for ways to incorporate it in my cooking (because coffee flavor is like nothing else).  When this recipe appeared in my inbox, I knew it was going to be my next weekend grilling project because what is better then PORK, SUMMER, AND COFFEE?! After making this, I realize nothing is better, nothing.  

This dish requires about 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking which means it couldn't be any easier. As the pork grills the coffee flavor gets toasted and more pronounced.  Coupled with the sugar and the cayenne ensures you get that awesome sweet, spicy, smoky flavor that I simply can't get enough of.  Serve it with grilled corn and you have the epitome of everything I love this time of year.  

Coffee-Crusted Grilled Pork Chops

Recipe adapted from Leite’s Culinaria

Despite the fact that I only cooked 2 pork chops (2 very LARGE pork chops), I still made the prescribed amount of spice mixture and just really crusted the pork.  If you decided to halve the recipe, I would keep the proportions the same.  You can never have too much spice. 

1 tablespoon ground coffee

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons turbinado sugar (such as Sugar In The Raw)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 bone-in pork chops (each about 3⁄4 inch thick)

In a small bowl, combine the coffee, salt, sugar, cayenne, smoked paprika, pepper, and cinnamon. Mix well.

Season the pork chops on both sides with the coffee and spice mixture, rubbing it into the chops. (Be sure to use all the spice rub.)  At this point the pork chops can be stored in the fridge until ready to use.  I think it’s best to keep in fridge for a couple of hours as it allows the flavors to permeate the meat. 

Prepare an outdoor grill to cook directly over medium heat.  Or heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. 

Place the chops on the grill or cast iron skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until well-browned. Flip the chops and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, until browned and cooked to an internal temperature of 150°F (65°C). Transfer the chops to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

chinese steamed buns.

I want to preface this post by saying these are better, way better then what you can get in your neighborhood Chinese restaurant. I've spent weeks thinking about them, analyzing recipes, buying the ingredients, only to be distracted and taken away from the kitchen (this wedding has really taken over). Finally, this three-day weekend allowed me the luxury to conquer the steamed pork buns that have eluded me for weeks now. 

These buns are insanely fluffy (I would happily rest my head on a pile of them) which makes them perfect for cradling a sweet and salty ground pork filling.  I love how perfectly portable they are.  How dainty they look from the outside and how surprisingly flavorful and spicy the inside is (especially when served with extra Sriracha on the side).  We are obsessed with them which is why Tyler and I polished off half a dozen during our awesomely lazy day-off.    

Chinese Steamed Buns

Recipe adapted from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads

Makes 12 Buns

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour

1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons) dry yeast

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup nonfat dry milk

1 cup hot water (120 – 130 degrees)

1 tablespoon shortening or butter

½ teaspoon baking powder

By Hand or Mixer: In a mixing or mixer bowl measure 2 cups flour and add the dry ingredients, except the baking powder.  Stir to blend, and fashion a well in the flour.  Pour the hot water into the well and drop in the shortening or butter.  Let stand for a moment to soften the shortening or butter.  With a wooden spoon or mixer flat beater, stir vigorously for 2 minutes.  Sprinkle in the baking powder.  Add flour, ¼ cup at a time, mixed into the body of the dough until it forms a rough but elastic mass that can be lifted from the bowl.  If using a mixer, attach the dough hook.  Be careful not to overload the dough with flour as it needs to be soft to stretch over the filling. 

If by hand, lift the dough to a floured work surface and knead with a strong rhythm of push-turn-fold.  Add sprinkles of flour if the dough is sticky but keep it on the moist side rather than making a hard ball.  If under the dough hook, the dough will clean the sides of the bowl and form a ball around the hook.  If it sticks to the sides, add small portions of flour.  Knead for 10 minutes. 

By Processor: Attach the steel blade.  Measure 2 ¼ cups of flour into the work bowl and add the dry ingredient except the baking powder.  Blend.  With the processor running, pour the water through the tube; add shortening or butter.  Stop machine and sprinkle in the baking powder. 

Add flour, ¼ cup at a time with the processor on.  The amount of flour is sufficient when the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and rides on the blade.

Process with the machine running for 50 seconds.  The dough will be somewhat sticky when taken from the machine but a dusting of flour will make it possible to work.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and put aside at room temperature to double in volume, 45 minutes.  

To Prepare: Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces.  Form each into a ball and then flatten each into a 4” circle.  Place a spoonful of filling (recipe below) in the center of each circle; gather the dough over the filling, make small pleats, and twist the dough tightly closed. 

Place each ball on a circle or square of wax or parchment paper on the steamer rack.  Let the balls rest for

10 minutes but no longer.  Be precise about the timing. 

While the buns are resting, bring the water in the wok or conventional steamer to a boil.  Lower the rack into the steamer.  Cover and steam for 15 – 20 minutes.  Be certain the water does no boil away during the process. Lift the rack out of the steamer.  Let cook for a minute or two and take out the rolls.  Serve warm. 

To reheat the buns, cover with foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. 

Char Sui Pork

Recipe adapted from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads

1 teaspoon sesame oil

½ pound ground pork

¼ cup minced chives

2 ½ tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 tablespoon Sriracha

½ teaspoon Szechuan pepper (optional)

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

¼ cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, heat the oil and stir-fry the ground pork until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the chives, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, Sriracha, and Szechuan pepper.  Stir to combine.

Mix the flour and cornstarch with the water.  Stir into the pork mixture.  Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until the mixture thickens.  Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.  Put aside to cool.  

coconut-lime pork tacos with black beans.

Right now, New York is in the midst of a blizzard named Janus (really who names these things?) which is leaving commuters to battle against sideways snow, great gusts of wind, and slush filled sidewalks.  I made it home (my toes are still frozen but I have high hopes feeling will return to them by the time I finish catching up on Girls) but not before thinking a great deal about moving to the west coast (California I still love you).  I will not do such a thing the number one reason being that fall in New York steals my heart, but don't think I haven't thought a great deal about it.   

While I can't experience sunshine beating down on my face anytime soon (I think April will be the earliest that will happen and even still that's a far ways away), I can shove tacos into my face, sit it front of a portable heater, and drink tequila which is almost as good as actual sunshine (once you're drunk everything is great).  

These tacos are a great winter dish for when you find your insides aching for summer (or at least some warmth). Nothing screams the tropics like ground pork combined with coconut! lime! pineapple! avocado! (I've become an avocado addict).  The spices add the necessary heat and warmth which is something I crave immensely this time of year.  Serve it lots of hot sauce and some tequila and lime and you basically have the beginnings of a really awesome winter party.  

Coconut-Lime Pork Tacos with Black Beans 

Recipe adapted from Food 52

When I initially read this recipe I thought the dish would bring together the world of Thai food and Mexican food onto a flour tortilla and it kind of does that but in a much subtler way then how you would imagine.  The coconut milk provides the subtlest level of sweetness but more importantly keeps the pork moist which in my mind is the most important thing. Being the spice obsessed person that I am, I upped the amount of spices in this dish to cater to my own tastes and flavor preferences.  I think for an entire pound of pork you can use the extra punch of flavors but adjust according to your own tastes.  

Serves 4 to 6

1 pound ground pork

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

1 ½ teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika

Cayenne pepper, to taste

2/3 cups coconut milk, stirred (full-fat recommended)

3 tablespoons pineapple juice

2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, from about 1 lime

2 cups or one 15 ounce can cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

Corn or flour tortillas, for serving

1 large avocado, diced or sliced

Other recommended toppings: corn salsa, chopped cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese or cotija cheese, hot sauce 

In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and a large pinch of salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 3 to 5 minutes. Push the onion and garlic to one side of the pan, and add the cumin, chili powder, paprika(s), oregano, and cayenne. Let sizzle in the pan until they’re toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute, then stir well until the onions and garlic are evenly coated with the spices.

Add the ground pork to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up any large chunks of pork and stirring occasionally, until the pork is just cooked through. Season with salt to taste. Remove any excess fat from the pan.

Add the coconut milk; simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened, then stir in the black beans, pineapple juice and 1 tablespoon lime juice and cook for an additional minute or two. Taste and add more lime juice if needed. Adjust the seasoning to taste. You can serve right away, or cover the pan and let the pork gently simmer over low heat.

Using a slotted spoon, divide the ground pork equally among lightly warmed flour tortillas. Serve with lots of avocado and other toppings of your choice.

momofuku pork buns.

Everyone in New York who is remotely aware of the New York dinning scene has heard of Momofuku group of restaurants.  It’s one of those places that most everyone I know has visited at least once or want to visit.  It also elicits a lot of opinions in people, there are some people who firmly fall in the camp of hating Momofuku - they don’t like the food and think its too popular and too expensive for what it is.  Then there are people like me who fall head over heels for all things Momofuku.  I’ve been known to spend a glorious afternoon at Momofuku Ssam indulging in their rotisserie duck over rice served with chive pancakes and a generous pour of ssam sauce.  It its one of my favorite meals best eaten on a lazy weekday afternoon when you have nothing better to do then read a magazine and devour good food. (Ssam is also conveniently located across from Momofuku Milk Bar where you can indulge in one of their cookies for dessert.  My personal favorites include the confetti cookie and the corn cookie.)   I had yet to tackle recreating any of the Momofuku dishes for home consumption, but I knew there would be no better time to do it then for a fancy New Year’s Eve dinner where I could test my hands at the famous pork buns.  I have a slight love (bordering on obsession) with pork buns since they are the cutest looking sandwiches I’ve ever come across and making my own seemed most logical.  These really are delicious – salty and sweet with the perfect crunch from the cucumber.  We managed to eat about 10 of them on New Years Eve and then devoured the rest on New Years Day.  Not a bad way to start a new year. 

Momofuku Pork Buns

Makes 15 Buns

So I did a lot of tweaking to this recipe not because I imagined the original was bad in anyway but more so because I figured the tweaking would make it possible for more novice cooks to make this at home (I’ll include both the original and my changes below).  I also halved the original recipe since the idea of having 30 pork buns in the house and only 2 of us to eat them seemed rather dangerous.  On the plus side the buns do reheat beautifully (wrapped in tin foil and cooked at 350 for 15 minutes keep them on there parchment paper).  Also! I purchased hoisin sauce, which I regret now since I found a killer recipe for it online that is beyond easy. (Can be found here!)  I figured I would provide it to you so you don’t have to purchase it if you don’t want to!  I imagine its about 1000 times better then the store bought stuff (I am still upset I didn’t think to look this up sooner.) 

Buns

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

¾ cups warm water (110 – 115 degrees)

1 ¼ tablespoons grapeseed oil (or pork fat/lard which is what the recipe suggests)

2 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 2 cups bread flour and ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour which is what the recipe suggests)

¾ teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

Grapeseed oil

Pork

Recipe adapted from Gourmet

¼ cup kosher salt

¼ cup sugar

2 ¼ cups water, divided

1 ¼ pounds skinless boneless pork belly, cut into quarters

¼ cup reduced sodium chicken broth or water

Accompaniments: Hoisin sauce, thinly sliced cucumber, chopped scallions

Brine Pork: Stir together kosher salt, sugar, and 2 cups of water until sugar and salt have dissolved.  Put pork belly in a large sealable bag, then pour in brine.  Carefully press out air and seal the bag.  Lay in a shallow dish and let brined, chilled at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. 

Make dough: In a glass measuring cup, mix together yeast, water, and oil/pork fat until yeast is dissolved.  Set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix together flour (or flours), salt, and sugar until well combined.  Add the yeast mixture and mix until the dough comes together.  Once it comes together, knead for 8 minutes. 

Coat a large bowl with grapeseed oil; add dough and turn to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size in a warm spot, about 2 hours. 

Roast pork while dough rises: Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Discard brine and put pork fat side up in a foil lined 8 to 9 inch square baking pan.  Pour in broth (or water) and remaining ¼ cup water.  Cover tightly with foil and roast until pork is very tender, about 2 ½ hours.  Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees, then roast until fat is golden, about 20 minutes more.  Cool 30 minutes.  Cut cooled pork across the grain into 2 inch slices.  Cover slices with foil.

Make buns: Punch dough down.  Roll dough into a log about 15 inches long.  Cut dough into 15 golf sized pieces. Transfer to a parchment paper-liner baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap; let rise 40 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cut out 15 square pieces of parchment paper (4 inches each). 

Working with one piece of dough at a time, press dough flat and, using a rolling pin, roll dough toward you into a 6-by-3 inch oval.  Brush each piece of dough lightly with grapeseed oil and fold in half using a chopstick.  Place each piece of dough on an individual piece of parchment paper. Repeat process with remaining dough.  Cover loosely with a towel and let rise slightly, about 30 – 45 minutes. 

Set a large steamer in a large skillet or pot with water about ½ inch up the sides of the steamer; bring to a boil. Working with about 5 buns at a time, place buns on their parchment paper in the steamer; cover and steam over high heat until puffed and cooked through about 3 minutes.  Transfer buns to a plate with tongs, then discard parchment paper and wrap buns in kitchen towels to keep warm. 

To serve: Brush bottom half of each bun with hoisin sauce, then sandwich with a slice of pork and some cucumber and scallions. 

cider brined pork chops with apples.

I spent most of this past week talking about pork chops and apples (I am pretty sure after day 2 everyone stopped listening to me).  I don’t know what’s happening to me but I feel as if I am begging for full blown fall to arrive.  I have been craving oversized cashmere sweaters and afternoons spent reading under blankets with mugs of hot tea and warm cookies beside me.  But what I am craving most are the foods that remind me of fall – pumpkin and apples and slow roasted meats and soup.  I have a laundry list of dishes I want to make but the one that tops the list was the aforementioned pork chops and apples.  I love the combination of salty tender meat with soft and sweet apples – it’s rustic and warm and just delicious.  To get the most apple flavor possible into my dish I decided to brine my pork chops the night before.  Brineing if you are unfamiliar with it is a way to keep meat super moist and it involves very little effort. I love to brine with making fried chicken or cooking pork chops!  The apple sauce that is poured over the chops is a lovely combination of sweet with just a little bit of tang from the mustard and vinegar.  I recommend serving these chops with roasted carrots and some gnoochi for that warm and comforting food everyone craves in the fall. 

Cider Brined Pork Chops with Apples

Serves 2

Apple Cider Brine

Recipe from NPR

I prepare the brine the night before and then I add the meat to the brine (refrigerate the brine) before I leave for work so when I come home all I need to do is cook the meat!  I divided the original recipe since I was only serving 2 of us but this can be doubled.

1 cup cold water, divided

¼ cup kosher salt

¼ cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

¼ teaspoon whole cloves or ground cloves

1 cup apple cider

2 bone in pork chops

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring ½ cup water water, salt, sugar, thyme, peppercorns and cloves to a boil.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sugar and salt dissolve.  Remove from the heat, add the apple cider and other ½ cup cold water, and stir well. 

Put the meat in a non reactive pan or a large resealable bag and cove with the cooled brine.  Cover or tightly close the bag and refrigerate for 6 – 12 hours.  If you are using a resalable bag, rotate the pork a few times to make sure all the meat gets brined.  Before cooking, remove the pork and pat dry with paper towels. 

Pork Chops with Apples

2 bone in pork chops, brined

3 apples, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch slices

½ cup apple cider

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 generous teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  While the skillet is heating up, liberally salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops.  When the skillet is hot and smoking, add the pork chops to the pan and cook about 3 minutes.  Flip the chops and cook on the other side for 3 minutes as well.  Remove the pork chops from the pan, and put them on a baking sheet and cook until the interior temperature reads 150 degrees about 20 – 25 minutes. 

Pour the apple cider into the cast iron skillet, it will begin to bubble and boil.  Add the sliced apples to the cider as well as the apple cider vinegar, and lower the heat to medium, stirring occasionally.  The apple slices should begin to soften and break down, about 5-7 minutes depending on the type of apples you use.  Add the Dijon mustard and stir to evenly distribute.  Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.  Add the heavy cream and stir to combine.  When the pork chops are done pour the apple sauce over the chops.  Garnish with chives if desired.  

cuban sandwich.

A few years ago, when my better half and I were in Florida for spring break (spring break is now such a foreign concept which saddens me) we found a lovely hole-in-the wall Cuban restaurant/rest stop/shack.  It was painted a wide variety of obscenely bright/pastel colors that can only be considered normal paint colors in Florida.  I fell in love.  (Let’s just say I have a soft spot for bright garish colors that others find tacky.  I also have quite the appreciation for hole-in-the walls (thanks Dad!)).  We stopped short, turned the car around and pulled in.  There was a line of people waiting for their orders and picnic tables with mismatched chairs all around the parking lot. The menu was short and sweet – Cuban sandwiches, fried plantains, and a variety of sodas.  We ordered our meal and sat in the bright Florida sun sipping orange soda.  It is one of my happiest memories. 

The sandwiches we got were perfect in their execution (as were the plantains!).  The bread was crispy and as you ate, you encountered moist roast pork, tangy pickles, salty ham, and gooey cheese.  It was the best Cuban sandwich I had ever had.  I don’t know if it was so good because we were 21 and sitting on the side of the road in Florida or if its because it was that incredible, but whatever the reason I will always compare all other Cuban sandwiches to that one.

The Cuban sandwiches we made last night were stellar.  Maybe they were stellar because I was craving them that badly or because all the components just worked together (I like to think they were amazing because most of it was homemade!) but whatever the reason, I was a happy girl after dinner was over.   

Cuban Sandwiches

Makes 4 Sandwiches

I made my own homemade Cuban bread, pork and pickles.  I urge you to make at least one of the components yourself – it will taste that much better if you do.  Also try and have all ingredients at room temperature, makes it much easier to melt the cheese without burning the bread if you do that!

Also do not season your grill pan with olive oil as my sous chef learned yesterday.  Olive oil has a very low smoke point – terrible to use for grilling!

1 Loaf Cuban Bread (recipe below)

16 bread and butter pickles (or more if you like lots of pickles)

6 thin slices of ham (I used the rosemary ham I find at Whole Foods, not traditional but very good!)

½ to ¾ pound pork sliced thin

Swiss cheese

Yellow mustard, if you choose (Not super traditional but I love it)

Butter

Slice your loaf of Cuban bread into 4 pieces.  Spread mustard on the bottom layer of bread.  Top with the thin slices of roast pork,1 ½ slices of ham, 4 pickles (or more), and swiss cheese.  Add more mustard to the bread if you desire.  Heat a cast iron skillet and put butter in the pan.  When the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add the sandwich.  Cook for 3 minutes (being careful to make sure it doesn’t burn) and then flip the sandwich and cook for another 2 minutes until the cheese is melted.  Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.    

Cuban Bread

Recipe From Bernard Clayton’sComplete Book of Breads

I halved the recipe because I didn’t need 2 loaves – halving worked perfectly so below is my version for one loaf!  Also this is one of the easiest breads to make, so if you are a beginner I suggest trying it.

3 cups all purpose flour

1 package dry yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup hot water (120 – 130F)

Place 2 cups of flour in the bowl of your mixer and add the yeast, salt, and sugar.  Mix to combine.  Pour in the water and mix for 1 minute on high speed.  Gradually work in the remaining cup of flour until the dough looses stickiness and/or starts to form a ball.  Once this happens continue to mix for 8 minutes in the mixer.

When you are done mixing, place the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise for 20 minutes until double in size.

When its risen, punch the dough down.  Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal.  Shape the loaf into a long log on the baking sheet. 

Place the baking sheet in the middle of a cold oven.  Put a pan of water on the shelf below.  Turn the oven on to 400 and bake for about 45 minutes or until the loaves are deep golden brown.  Thump the bottom of the loaves to test them – if they sound hollow, they’re done.