Braised Pork With Apricots And Beer Food

BRAISED CORNISH HEN WITH APRICOTS AND DATES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Rehydrate the apricots by covering them with boiling water and steeping them for 10 minutes before draining and slicing into quarters. Pit and roughly chop the dates, mix them with the apricots, and set aside. Combine the sugar with all of the liquid ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes, then set aside.
• Season the Cornish Hens, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Place 1 bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme inside each bird and close the body cavity by tieing with twine or with a skewer or toothpicks so that the bird holds its shape.
• Brush the hens with olive oil, place them breast side down in a roasting pan, and roast for 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, pour off any excess fat from the pan turn the birds breast side up and roast 20 minutes more. At the end of this 20 minute roasting period, add the apricots, dates, and the liquid to the roasting pan, and braise the contents of the pan together for another 25 minutes. Check the oven every so often to see that the liquid has not all evaporated. If it has, add enough water to keep the bottom third of the hens moist.
• At the end of the cooking time, allow the hens to rest 10 minutes before serving. Place one hen on each dish and pour some of the apricot and date sauce over the top.

BRAISED PORK BELLY WITH JUNIPER AND GINGER BEER OVER STONE GROUND GRITS

Steps:

• For the pork belly: Combine the olive oil, juniper berries, rosemary, sage and thyme in a mixing bowl. Add the pork belly, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 6 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Remove the belly from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Coat the pan with the vegetable oil and carefully sear on both sides until well browned. Remove the belly and reserve.
• Add the celery, bay leaves, carrots, garlic, onions and reserved marinade into the pan and cook until the vegetables are lightly browned. Pour in the wine to deglaze, followed by the ginger beer, and then scrape the pan to release the browned bits. Add the stock and the belly, cover, and braise in the oven until fork tender, about 3 hours (time will vary depending on the size of the belly).
• For the grits: Combine the milk and stock in a pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and slowly whisk in the grits. Simmer, stirring often, until tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in the butter, and season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the pork belly from the braising liquid. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan. Skim all the fat from the surface, and then cook over medium-high heat until reduced by 40 percent.
• Before serving, gently reheat the pork belly in the jus. Serve over the grits and pour a little jus over. Toss the arugula with a little lemon juice and olive oil and place on top.
• This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and may have been scaled down from a bulk recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

BEEF IN BEER

Steps:

• Heat the beef drippings and oil together in a saute pan. Working in batches, brown the beef strips on all sides. Remove from the pan. In the same pan, fry the onions until soft, about 15 minutes, then add the garlic for 1 minute. Remove. (Check if there is fat in the pan. If not, add a good tablespoon of butter and let it melt.) Add the flour and sugar to the pan and cook for 1 minute to make a roux. Gradually whisk in the stock and bring to a boil. (At this point, turn the oven on to 325 degrees F/160 degrees C.) Add the beer and vinegar to the boiling stock, and bring back to a boil, cooking until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• In a large casserole dish, layer the onions alternately with the beef strips, seasoning each layer as you go with salt and pepper. Tuck in the bouquet garni and pour the sauce over. Cover and bake for 2 1/2 hours. If you can wait a day before eating, cool the dish completely when it's out of the oven and refrigerate overnight: the flavor will be even better when you reheat it.

BRAISED PORK (TENDERLOIN) WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Lightly grease 1 1/2-quart casserole.
• Cut pork into 2 x 1/2 inch strips, cutting at right angle to the grain of meat.
• Dredge meat in seasoned flour.
• Heat oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Add meat and cook until well browned.
• Remove meat to prepared casserole.
• Cook mushrooms in same frying pan, adding another tablespoon of oil if necessary.
• When browned, transfer to the casserole.
• Add chicken broth and wine to frying pan.
• Scrape up any remaining bits of meat.
• Add summer savory and onion.
• Simmer for about 2 minutes, then pour over meat and mushrooms.
• Cover and bake for about 45 minutes, or until meat is very tender.
• Serve with hot cooked rice or noodles.

BRAISED PORK WITH CUMIN (ROJõES)

Steps:

• Marinate your pork meat overnight, in the wine, garlic,salt, pepper, and crushed bayleaf, and the paparika. The next day in a skillet melt the lard over high heat, add the pork cubes (DRY well with a paper towel ) and brown.
• them stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, and also regulating the heat so that they color quickly and evenly without burning. Stir in the marinate that remained along with the cumin add a little more salt if needed, and 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic. Bring to a boil. then cover and reduce heat to low and let simmer for 25 minutes or till pork.
• is tender. Add in a little more wine if it looks to dry so that you'll have a nice thick sauce and cook for 5 minutes, stir in the fresh cilantro . Pour the pork into a heated platter, surrounded with boil potatoes or fried.
• Decorate with lemon slices and black olives.
• serve with a nice green salad on the side a bottle of red wine.
• Enjoy.

BRAISED PORK WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a flame-proof casserole pan and cook the pork, turning occasionally, until it is golden brown all over, about 10 mins. You need plenty of space in the pan, so cook in 2 batches if the meat starts to steam. Remove from the pan to a plate. Tip out any burnt bits, then add the butter and cook the onion for 3-5 mins until softened.
• Stir in the flour, then return the pork and juices to the pan. Pour over the wine and enough stock to cover the meat. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, put the lid on and cook for 45 mins, stirring occasionally. Tip in the prunes, top up with stock or water if the meat isn't covered, and cook 45 mins more, uncovered, until really tender. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

BRAISED PORK WITH PLUMS

Steps:

• Cut the pork into big pieces about the length of your thumb and twice as wide. Put into a bowl or food bag, and add the wine, soy sauces, half the ginger, half the garlic and half the chilli. Marinate for at least 1 hr or up to 24 hrs.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3, then heat the oil in a large casserole. Tip in half the spring onions, remaining ginger and garlic, the star anise, five-spice powder and cinnamon. Fry gently until fragrant and soft. Stir in the sugar, turn up the heat, then lift the pork from the marinade and turn in the oniony mix for about 3 mins until the meat is just sealed but not browned. Tip in the marinade, tomato purée and stock, give it a stir, cover, then braise in the oven for 2 hrs.
• After the first hr is up, add the plums to the pan. Take the lid off and carry on the cooking, uncovered. The meat should be completely tender, turning golden brown where it breaks the surface of the sauce. Spoon off any excess fat from the surface, then scoop the meat and plums carefully from the pan with a slotted spoon. Turn up the heat and boil the sauce for 5-10 mins until reduced and slightly syrupy. Return everything to the pan, gently warm through, then scatter the rest of the spring onions over the top to serve.

BEER-BRAISED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°. Using a very sharp knife, score pork in a tight crosshatch pattern to form 1/2" diamonds, cutting through fat but stopping at flesh. Season with salt and pepper, massaging into cuts.
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high (if belly doesn't fit, cut in half crosswise). Cook pork, skin side down, turning once, until browned all over, 5-8 minutes per side (be careful, fat will splatter). Transfer to a plate.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoon drippings from pot, add star anise, cloves, and coriander and fennel seeds, and cook over low heat, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beer and apple juice, scraping up browned bits. Add pork along with onion and carrots, adding water if needed to cover. Bring to a simmer, cover pot, and transfer to oven. Braise pork 3 hours. Add apricots and braise until pork is very tender but not falling apart, 1-2 hours.
• Transfer pork, skin side up, to a rimmed baking sheet. Place vegetables and apricots in a large bowl; keep warm. Increase oven temperature to 475°; roast pork until skin is brown and very crisp, 25-35 minutes (the crispier, the better).
• Meanwhile, pour braising liquid into a large saucepan and skim off fat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced by two-thirds, 25-35 minutes.
• Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium-low, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, about 5 minutes. Add brown butter and shallot to braising sauce; season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• Cut pork into 8 pieces; serve with sauce, vegetables, and some horseradish.

PORK BRAISED IN RIESLING WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Trim fat from roast, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Coat a large nonaluminum sacuepan with cooking spray, and place over medium high heat until hot.
• Cook roast on all sides until browned.
• Remove roast from pan, set aside.
• Wipe drippings from pan with paper towel.
• Insert meat thermoneter into thickest portion of roast.
• Return to pan, add riesling.
• Cover, reduce heat, and cook 1 hour.
• Add apricots, cook, covered, 30 minutes or until thermonmeter registers 160 degrees.
• Remove roast and apricots to a serving platter, keep warm.
• Bring cooking liquid to a boil, cook 10 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup.
• Serve sauce with roast and apricots.

BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or pot that will fit the pork loin over medium heat; add the pork, onions, and garlic and brown meat well on all sides for about 15 minutes.
• Add milk, juniper berries, and sage; increase heat and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until pork is tender 1 to 1 1/2 hours, turning several times to self-baste.
• Transfer pork to a serving dish and keep warm.
• Increase heat, if desired and cook liquid until it is a light brownish color (it will look curdled at this point).
• To serve, slice pork in thick slices and season with salt and pepper, strain liquid then season with a little salt and pepper; drizzle a little of the strained sauce over pork, garnish with fresh sage leaves and serve additional sauce on the side.