Thursday 30 July 2009

Turmeric-Paprika Pork Chops w/Couscous and Veggies

This was just a dinner I made randomly and it turned out really well, so I wanted to share it. Didn't take pictures of the cooking, just the final result... it's fairly simple anyway.

Pork Chops:

I just seasoned them with turmeric (mostly for color, but it imparts some flavor too), smoked Spanish paprika (hot style) aka "pimenton", a bit of toasted cumin and coriander, garlic powder, and Kosher salt/pepper. Just pat the spices on, don't rub it (that goes for all spice "rubs" BTW). Cook the chops in a pan with some olive oil over med-high heat for approximately 4-5 minutes per side, until they're firm to the touch. If you're suspicious of doneness and can't tell by touch, cut a small slice in the middle to see if it's still pink. It's worth mentioning that nobody's gotten trichynosis from undercooked pork in nearly 100 years, so I don't mind a little bit of pink in my pork (makes it jucier). I also suggest using an oven-safe pan to cook the pork, as you might want to stick it in the oven to finish if you're thinking it's underdone and don't want to burn the outside... this is especially true of thick-cut pork chops, but I just used standard boneless.

Couscous w/Orange Bell Pepper and Onion Saute:

I used a boxed organic couscous (forget the brand) that essentially just requires that you mix the couscous into boiling broth/water (along with olive oil, butter, and/or salt, if desired), cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes. I used some leftover homemade chicken broth I had in the fridge, salt, and a bit of olive oil. When it's sat long enough, just fluff it with a fork. This isn't the traditional/bad-ass way of making couscous (it's traditionally steamed), but it comes out tasting fine and is a VERY easy whole-grain to prepare along with practically any dish.

Then I topped it with some sliced orange bell peppers and onions that were sauteed with some minced garlic and simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

Asparagus:

This is how I cook pretty much every piece of asparagus in my house. Blanch the asparagus in generously-salted boiling water after trimming off approximately 4" of stalk. Let it go for about 2 minutes or until you get to its desired doneness (I like mine crunchy still) -- remove it to an ice bath (ice + water + salt) and let it cool so it stops cooking. When you're ready to use it, either serve it cold or put it in a saute pan with some butter (and garlic if you like) to heat it up and give it some nice flavor.

Here's the final product (2nd picture also features a Dogfish Head 90-Minute Imperial IPA, which is an absolutely AMAZING beer)... note the nice yellow color the turmeric imparts:



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