As a part of the Easy and Elegant Party Package, Calphalon sent me a Unison Slide Nonstick Griddle and Sear Nonstick Grill Pan.  The pork was made using the Sear Grill Pan.  If you don’t have a grill pan in your repertoire, you need one.  I have a variety of shapes and sizes.  The bonus of the Calphalon Unison line is that unlike most nonsticks – these *are* dishwasher safe.  I love grill pans for meat, vegetables, breads, grilled sandwiches, anything really.  I think the Unison Grill Pan is perfect for a family.  I most often cook en masse as with the 9 pounds of pork tenderloin in the recipe below.  When cooking large quantities like this, I love my All-Clad Gourmet Double Burner Grill.  As for the 9lbs, if I’m serving 2 meats, I go with about a 3 oz serving of each meat per guest.  For this recipe, that yielded about 50 servings of pork tenderloin.

I have to admit, this is my first use of coriander seeds.  I’ve been avoiding recipes with them for years as the seeds are the dried fruit of the plant from which cilantro leaves are harvested.  Cilantro is another love it or hate it ingredient.  Some believe a person is genetically predisposed to love or hate the herb.  I think I was merely shattered by an article in the Austin Chronicle proclaiming that cilantro tastes like body odor smells.  After that description, I had a hard time ever wanting to ingest the stuff again.  Whatever the situation, the coriander seeds have a totally different flavor than cilantro.  Both are a fresh “herby” taste, but I’d call the leaves musky and the seeds light and citrus tinged.  In any case, I’m so glad to discover I love the seeds!   A whole new world of recipes to explore has just opened up to me.

Seared Pork with Lime, Coriander, and Cumin Marinade Recipe

adapted from Chef Michael Symon’s recipe – about 50 buffet servings

2 whole, trimmed pork tenderloins (approx 9 lbs)

4 tsps coriander seed

1 tsp cumin seed

zest of 9 limes

juice from 6 limes

2/3 c. olive oil

4 tsp kosher salt

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a white onion, minced

With a very sharp knife, cut tenderloins into 1 and 1/2 inch medallions.  In a small dry fry pan, toast the coriander and cumin seeds about 5 minutes on medium heat, swirling occasionally.  In a bowl, combine toasted seeds with zest, lime juice, olive oil, salt, garlic and onion.  Whisk until blended then pour over the pork medallions.  Use tongs to toss pork in marinade every 30 minutes, up to a total of two hours.

Preheat oven to 375.  Heat grill pan over medium high heat, use tongs to sear pork on each side for 3 minutes each, then place grill pan in the oven for 5 minutes to cook through.  Move to a platter and serve with herb sauce.

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Jerk Seasoning comes from Jamaica and principally includes allspice and hot peppers, in combo with garlic, salt, cinnamon, and other spices.  Add a little of the islands into your backyard and enjoy with a cool Red Stripe!

Grilled Jerk Pork Chops

Bone in Pork Chops

Caribbean Jerk Seasoning

2 oranges halved

2 lemons halved

Season Pork Chops surface with Caribbean Jerk Seasoning.  Preheat a gas grill on medium high heat with lid closed for 15 minutes.  Turn heat to lowest setting.  Grill Pork Chops over direct heat for 5 minutes with lid closed, then turn.  Grill lemons and oranges on upper rack.  Check temperature of pork chops after another 5 minutes.  Cook to an internal temp of 155, then let rest on the counter for 5 minutes before serving.  Squeeze half a roasted lemon and half a roasted orange just before eating.

To address the first issue, I decided to read recipes where ever I could find them.  On the corn husks package (which p.s. is frightening, what in the world would I do with 25-30 DOZEN tamales?), on the lard package, on the masa package, and from my all time favorite resource, Google.  All the recipes I came across seemed fairly similar.  I knew I wanted pork filled tamales, so I built my recipe using the techniques and methods from my chimichanga meat, enchilada sauce, and a hybrid of the things that are required to create a tamale: dough, husks, and a filling.   As for issue number two, I never remember lard in my kitchen growing up.  I think of it as some sort of frightening, old-fashioned, and quite unhealthy ingredient.  That said, I’m also scared of crisco and very skeptical of the Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening substitute one can find at the Whole Foods.  I’m going to give it a shot, but I figured I’d try the original on my first batch.  I’ll let you know my results.  As for the quantity used, it’s about a tablespoon per tamale, so I’m not going to sweat it too much.

Three, complicated -yes and time-consuming – yes.  This one is legit.  An assembly line, might make this more do-able, but unlikely tamales are ever going to appear on a 30 minute meals show.  As for issue Four, Williams-Sonoma had a crazy sale on the All-Clad Multi-pot I’ve been craving for ages.  So I’m now a proud owner of a very large steamer.  And a 12 quart soup pot.  Just imagine how happy that makes me.

At the end of the day, these tamales were insanely delicious.  For a first time out of the box creation, Cory and I were ecstatic with the results.  I encourage you to try them if you’re feeling ambitious.  And if you’re not, arrange a tamale making party with friends so you can all take some home at the end of assembly.  Or come to my house for my upcoming spring tamale event.  However you get them, do.  They are so worth the work and the calories.  Yum.

Tamale Dough – (makes about 6 dinner size tamales, serves 3)

1 c. maseca instant masa

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 c. chicken broth, lukewarm

1/3 c. lard

In a bowl, combine masa, baking powder and salt.  Add in chicken broth, then stir with a spatula to combine.  In a stand mixer, beat lard until creamy, then add masa mixture.  Continue to beat dough until surface bounces back like a sponge, without sticking to your fingers. Refrigerate dough for one hour before assembly.

Pork Tamale Filling (makes a ton, probably enough to make 30 dinner size tamales – but freezable I’ve never seen a smaller pork roast, I guess you could cut it in half before hand, I’ve not tried that yet)

2.5 lb pork loin roast

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

paprika

1 tbsp olive oil

Rinse pork loin and pat dry.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika on all sides.  Heat a heavy stock pot with olive oil on medium high, then brown pork loin on all sides.  Cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 hours.  Check with a fork to see if pork shreds easily.  If not, continue cooking and test again in half an hour.  When able to very easily shred, remove pork to a bowl and shred using two forks.  Reserve broth for sauce use.

Tamale Sauce (also makes a ton – enough for ~30 tamales, also freezable)

4 c. water

5-6 large ancho chiles

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 ladles pork broth

10 oz can tomato puree

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Bring water to a boil.  Add chiles and remove from heat, soaking for an hour.  Cut off stems and rinse chiles under water to remove seeds.  Place chilies in a food processor, then add 1 and 1/2 cups of the soaking water.  Turn on and run until you have a fine puree.

In a skillet on medium heat, warm olive oil.  Add onion and saute 8 minutes.  Add garlic,  oregano, and salt, saute another minute.  Add 3 ladles of broth from cooking the pork.  Cook 1 minute, then pour into a blender to puree.

Return the pureed garlic and onion mixture to skillet.  Add ancho puree, tomato puree and sprinkle surface liberally with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  Simmer for 5 minutes then check seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste.  Reserve one and a half cups of sauce for serving and dipping.  Then add shredded pork to remainder.  Stir, then cook another 10 minutes.

Tamale Assembly and Preparation

6 corn husks

water

Soak corn husks in warm water for about 2 hours.  Rinse.  Spread 75% of the husk surface with a thin layer of tamale dough.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of tamale filling in a vertical line.  You want this to be centered in the tamale with just the edges free of filling.  Roll long edges in to center.  Use right side to squish tamale dough around filling creating a tube with left side of dough, then fold both edges of husk over to form a packet.  Fold bottom edge up, then top.  Place seam side down in a steamer basket.  Repeat.

Cover tamales with a wet dishtowel.  Steam over 2 inches of boiling water, with a tightly fitting lid for an hour and 10 minutes.  Check after 45 minutes to make sure you still have enough water, then check again at one hour.  To check tamales, remove one and gently unfold.  Dough should not stick to husk and should be a very moist, but not wet,  cornbread-like consistency.  Serve two per person, with additional sauce for dipping if desired.  Enjoy!

This method of cooking pork chops yields such a tender wonderful result. Braising takes awhile to reach the perfect point, but really after the browning process, they’re simmering on the stove, not actually requiring attention just time.

Smoked paprika is everywhere in the culinary world right now. It seems to be featured on every food show, in every month’s food magazines and all over the internet. We’ve always made this recipe with regular paprika, but I decided to try it in a dish I knew well to taste the difference first. I don’t really think I’d repeat it for this recipe, but the smell straight from the jar is fantastic. I’d definitely be willing to try it on deviled eggs or broiled chicken. I think maybe the slow braising process might not have been a good match for the smokiness to present itself. It’s not that it tasted bad, it just didn’t add anything and if you smell the two spices side by side, there is a definite difference. It also would probably be delicious as a topping on hummus.

3 thick or 6 thin-cut pork loin chops, bone-in (we prefer thin)
2 tbsps butter
paprika
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
water

Generously season pork chops with paprika, salt, and pepper. In a large saute pan, melt two tbsps butter on medium heat. Turn heat to high and brown pork chops on both sides. If using thin chops, brown in two batches. Cover with water so that just the tops are showing and simmer at least an hour on low heat. Longer the better. Serve with a side of the broth for dipping.