Friday, June 27, 2014

Pork following "Pollan's Second Recipe"

Ingredients:
  • A pound or so of thin boneless pork chops, patted dry
  • An onion, sliced thin
  • Four cloves of garlic, chopped small
  • Six ounces of shitake mushroom, chopped into bits no bigger than an inch square
  • Half a pound of raw green beans, cut in one inch slices on the diagonal
  • Grapeseed oil or another oil with a high smoke point (not olive oil or butter)
  • Tablespoon of chicken Better than Bouillon
  • Tablespoon of soy sauce
  • Tablespoon of corn starch
  • A cup of quinoa or rice or some other grain you like or have around
Steps:
  • Assemble the ingredients, including measuring and chopping
  • Put the grain onto cook as per its own directions and set a timer so you don't forget it.
  • Measure three-quarters of a cup of water and add the Better than Bouillon and the soy sauce.
  • Put half a cup or water in another cup near the stove.
  • Put some of the oil in the dutch oven, and heat on the stove until it shimmers--probably a bit below maximum heat, but pretty seriously hot.
  • Put one layer of pork chops in the pan and check after three or four minutes.  
  • Flip when they are no longer stuck to the bottom of the pan and nicely brown on one side.
  • Remove from pan when no longer stuck to the bottom and nicely brown on the other side.
  • Do another round if needed.
  • Add a bit more oil to the pan and heat for a few seconds
  • Add the onion and garlic and stir constantly until you smell them and then a bit longer until you notice that some of the garlic is brown
  • Add the green beans and stir constantly until you notice that most of them are a bit brighter green.
  • Add a bit more oil and then the mushrooms, and stir constantly until you notice that most of the mushrooms are a darker brown (bonus: the onions are likely to be brown and caramelized and lovely by this time)
  • Add the water and use it to deglaze the bottom (meaning scrape gently until the lovely tasty brown stuff mostly comes off the bottom and some of the water has evaporated
  • Add the water-Better than Bouillon-soy sauce, stir, and then put the pork chops back in
  • Lower heat and cover for maybe five minutes, and then check that you like the green beans (cook more if not, and cook more if Molly is worried about the chops being done.)
  • Mix the cornstarch with three tablespoons of water
  • Add that to the pot and stir until the sauce thickens nicely
  • Check to see if you like the level of soy flavor (add more if not)
  • Serve over the grain (you did remember to set the timer and get the grain off the heat, right?)

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