Polenta Triangles For Pancetta Wrapped Pork Roast Food

PANCETTA-WRAPPED PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Blend the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oil in a small food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the garlic is minced.
• Sprinkle the pork roast generously with salt and pepper. Arrange the pancetta slices on a work surface, overlapping slightly and forming a rectangle. Spread half of the garlic mixture over 1 side of the pork and between the 2 loins that meet in the center of the tied pork roast. Place the pork, garlic mixture side down, in the center of the pancetta rectangle. Spread the remaining garlic mixture over the remaining pork. Wrap the pancetta slices around the pork. Place the pork in a roasting pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pour 1/2 cup of broth and 1/2 cup of wine into the roasting pan. Add more broth and wine to the pan juices every 20 minutes. Roast the pork until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 145 degrees F for medium-rare, about 1 hour. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Pour the pan drippings into a glass measuring cup and spoon off any fat that rises to the top.
• Using a large sharp carving knife, cut the pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with the pan juices.

PANCETTA-WRAPPED PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Sear pork on all sides until browned, about 10 minutes total. Remove from heat.
• Rub pork with chopped rosemary. Wrap with pancetta, overlapping strips slightly. Use toothpicks to secure pancetta, if necessary. Place a rosemary sprig on top; tie pork with kitchen twine, and remove toothpicks. Return pork to skillet. Scatter onions and rosemary sprigs around pork. Roast in oven, basting occasionally with cooking juices, until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Transfer pork and onions to a platter; cover to keep warm.
• Make pan sauce: In a small bowl, combine butter and flour. Pour off fat from skillet; place over medium heat. Add stock, scraping bottom of skillet to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; reduce liquid slightly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in butter mixture; cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Slice pork, and drizzle with sauce. Serve with onions, polenta triangles and steamed spinach.

ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Trim the tenderloin, pat dry and place on a large plate.
• Rub the pork tenderloins with the olive oil then season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl mix together the thyme, mustard and brown sugar and rub the mixture evenly over the tenderloins. Let this sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Place an oven-safe skillet (like cast iron) over medium-high heat. When the skillet gets hot, add the olive oil and brown the tenderloins well on all sides. When they are nicely browned, add the warm stock and gently scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
• Transfer the skillet to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest portion of the tenderloin, and when it registers 155°F, it is ready. Remove the meat from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes (it will continue cooking while resting). When you are ready to serve, slice it on an angle and spoon some of its juices over it.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Bring 4½ cups water to a simmer in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and the salt and whisk until the butter is melted. Gradually stir in the polenta--do not add it all at once or you will end up with clumps. Whisk the mixture constantly until the polenta comes to a boil.
• Cover the pot with a lid, and transfer it to the lower rack in the oven. Bake until the polenta is tender, about 25-30 minutes. Remove the polenta from oven.
• Meanwhile, carefully uncover the saucepan and whisk the polenta vigorously, scraping bottom of pan to keep any from burning. At that point the polenta should be smooth. Slowly add the Parmesan cheese, whisking constantly until the cheese is melted and the polenta is smooth and thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover until ready to serve. If necessary, reheat over low heat when ready to serve.
• Divide the polenta among warmed bowls and top with more Parmesan. Serve at once.

POLENTA TRIANGLES FOR PANCETTA-WRAPPED PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add salt. Whisking constantly, add polenta in a slow steady stream. Continue to whisk until all of the lumps have disappeared. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in butter and pepper. Pour polenta into an 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Let cool on a rack until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Using an offset spatula, gently pull the polenta away from the sides of the dish, and invert onto a clean work surface. Trim the edges of the polenta, and cut into quarters. Cut each quarter in half, forming triangles.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add polenta triangles, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. You may keep the triangles warm in a 200 degrees oven for up to 30 minutes.

PROSCIUTTO OR PANCETTA-WRAPPED PORK ROAST WITH FENNEL AND GOLDEN RAISIN STUFFING

Steps:

• For the fennel and golden raisin stuffing: Place the golden raisins in a small dish, cover with boiling water and let stand to soften. Melt the butter with a turn of the pan of EVOO in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, fennel (reserving the fronds) and onions, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables soften, 12 to 15 minutes. Deglaze with the wine, transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. Drain and chop the raisins, and then combine with the fennel, onions, ground pork, pine nuts and thyme. For the prosciutto-wrapped pork roast: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butterfly the meat by thirds: Measure one-third from the bottom of the loin, and make a lengthwise cut along one longer side (not going all the way through to the opposite side). Continue to make long cuts to open up the meat. When you have reached almost to the opposite side of the roast with your lengthwise cuts, stop and roll the top two-thirds of the roast over. Measure the height of the rolled-over portion and make a lengthwise cut to butterfly this in half. Continue slicing and opening up the meat until the loin has been butterflied into a single slab. Pound the meat with a meat mallet to 3/4-inch thick, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll up the pork, cover with overlapping slices of the prosciutto, and tie in intervals with twine to secure. Heat 2 turns of the pan of EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown evenly all over. Toss the potatoes and onions in a roasting pan together with the rosemary, garlic, about 1/4 cup EVOO, and some salt and pepper. Set the browned roast on top and deglaze the Dutch oven with the wine, scraping up the bits from the bottom. Pour the liquid over the pork. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, up to 2 hours, then let rest 30 minutes under a foil tent. Before serving, place the roasting pan on a burner, deglaze with the stock and then stir in the fennel fronds and butter. Slice the roast, spoon the fennel butter jus over top and serve alongside the potatoes and onions.

PANCETTA-WRAPPED PORK WITH BREADCRUMB FILLING AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Pound cutlets between sheets of waxed paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Overlap 2 pancetta slices on work surface to form oval of same size as pork. Place 1 pork cutlet atop pancetta. Repeat with remaining pancetta and pork. Mix Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic in small bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide mixture among cutlets. Fold in short ends and roll up pork and pancetta, enclosing filling completely. Use toothpicks to secure rolls.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add rolls and cook until pancetta is crisp, turning frequently, about 2 minutes. Transfer rolls to plate. Remove toothpicks. Add onion and fennel seeds to drippings in skillet; sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes; sauté 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return rolls to skillet. Cover skillet and cook over low heat until pork is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

POLENTA TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Oil large baking sheet. Bring 2 cups water and salt to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to medium. Stir constantly with wooden spoon until mixture is very thick, about 6 minutes.
• Divide hot polenta into 2 equal mounds on prepared baking sheet. Using back of spoon, flatten each mound into 6-inch circle, about 1/2 inch thick. Let stand until cool. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic and refrigerate.)
• Cut each polenta circle into 6 wedges. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add polenta to skillet; cook until slightly crisp at edges and heated through, adding more oil to skillet as necessary, about 3 minutes per side. Serve warm.

CHEDDAR-POLENTA TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Line 13x9-inch pan with parchment paper, with ends of paper extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in polenta; cook 5 min. or until mixture thickens and pulls away from side of pan, stirring frequently. Stir in Parmesan; spoon into prepared pan. Smooth top. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate 30 min. or until firm.
• Heat broiler. Remove polenta from pan. Cut into 8 pieces; cut each piece diagonally in half. Place on parchment paper-covered baking sheet; top with cheddar.
• Broil 3 to 5 min. or until Cheddar is melted and polenta is heated through. Sprinkle with paprika.

POLENTA TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the wine and water; increase the heat to high and bring to a boil; gradually add the cornmeal, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
• Reduce the heat to low and cook, continuing to stir constantly, until the mixture is a smooth creamy paste, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt,and pepper; evenly spread the mixture in a lightly oiled 9-inch pie plate; Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours,(when polenta is cool, cover with plastic wrap.).
• When ready to serve, lightly brush the surface of the polenta with olive oil, halve the polenta and cut each halve into 3 triangles.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange the triangles in a single layer; lightly brush tops with olive oil, cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side.
• Note: If you prefer, the triangles can be cooked on a stove-top grill pan over medium heat or can be broiled on a baking sheet under the oven broiler; the time remains about 2 minutes per side.

POLENTA TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Combine grits and 1/2 cup broth; mix well and set aside.
• Pour remaining 1 cup broth into heavy, large saucepan; bring to a boil.
• Add garlic and moistened grits; mix well and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat; add feta cheese. Stir until cheese is completely melted.
• Add red pepper; mix well.
• Spray 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. Spoon grits mixture into prepared pan. Press grits evenly into pan with wet fingertips.
• Refrigerate until cold.
• Preheat broiler. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Turn polenta out onto cutting board and cut into 2-inch squares. Cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles.
• Place polenta triangles on prepared baking sheet and spray tops lightly with cooking spray. Place under broiler until lightly browned and crisp.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh oregano and chives if desired.
• Exchanges 1 starch/bread.