Another recipie from LordOmar, this one is for a complete meal. I invented this one after watching an episode of
Iron Chef, as I often do, utilizing techniques I've seen on the show. Once again, exact amounts are omittied in many cases, but I'll to my best:
A portion of pork loin
(for two cutlets I used roughly a pound of pork loin, although they turned out a bit big, I'd probably use 3/4 to 1/2 pound for two servings)
Dried Porcini Mushrooms
Italian Tomato Sauce
A decent italian red wine (I prefer Chianti for this recipie)
Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
1 small yellow onion
Garlic
Olive Oil
Orange (or red or yellow, but not green!) bell pepper
rice
about 13/-1/2 pound of broccoli
one small-medium sized yellow squash
1 lemon
butter
Bread crumbs (I like japanese style bread crumbs but any will do)
romaine lettuce and additional bell pepper for garnish
Before you start understand that this is a meal which will tax your
cooking skills, it requires the use of 3-4 burners on the top of your stove, and possible use of the oven as well. One investment which will make your days a lot easier is an electric
rice cooker, this invention leaves you with one less thing to worry about as it takes care of the rice for you, and burnt rice is no fun for anyone. You will also need a
blender (or
food processor) and a steamer. This meal is divided into three peices:
The Rice:
First start your
rice. Use a standard rice-water
ratio (approx 2 parts water to one part rice), and add a bit of diced bell pepper and diced onion. Let the rice cook as normal (as you like it cooked, there are many ways to cook rice and I'm not going to get involved in that particular
holy-war right now). When the rice is finished stir in some parmesan cheese.
The Pork:
In the blender place your porcini mushrooms (these should have soaked over night!), a bit of the mushroom soak-water (just a touch), the
italian tomato sauce (about two or three tablespoons), a bit of garlic (to taste), a small amount of diced onion, some parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper. Puree until a smooth paste has formed (if this is too thick add more of the water from the mushrooms, but if it's too thin you're screwed).
Slice your pork loin in half (horizontally) into two thinner
peices. Now cut into one side of each half and form a
pocket (be careful not to slice all the way through). Place about
a
tablespoon (really this depends on how big your pork peices are, try to put enough to flavor but not enough so that it oozes out the sides too easily) of your
puree into this pocket you just made in each pork slice (yes you should have some left over!).
On a
plate combine your bread crumbs with some grated parmesan cheese and a little bit of salt and pepper. Coat each pork slice thuroughly. In a frying
pan heat up some olive oil, place your pork in the pan until each side is well browned, then remove from the
oil. Slice the motzerella thin and place the slices on top of the pork. Place in a 350 degree oven until the pork is cooked all the way through and the mozzarella is melted.
In a small
saucepan mix some (eh, about 1/2 a cup)
red wine and your remaining puree and reduce until thick, add some additional parmesan cheese to aid in thickening.
The Vegetables:
Get out your
pot and steamer rack. Dump your remaining
mushroom water into the water you use for steaming the vegetables. I also add a bit of red wine, lemon juice and some of the brocolli cut-offs for additional flavor. Cut up the squash into cubes and the
broccoli into flowerettes and steam them until tender. Toss with
butter, a little lemon juice and some
herbs (if you have them, I like fresh
basil and a little oregano), simple but yummy!
The Presentation:
Cover half the plate with a flat layer of rice. place the breaded pork on top of the rice and spoon a good line of
sauce across the top. Add a little shredded romaine lettuce and a strip of yellow, red or orange bell pepper for color. on the other half of the
plate pile on the veggies.
Share and enjoy!