Potato Salad and Braised Pork Chop

This is not a meal that you can whip in half an hour, more like 2 hours of almost non-stop peeling, cutting, chopping and cooking. However, the salad can be made days in advance and kept refrigerated. Sometimes I even break the salad preparation into two days, after all Czech version Potato Salad has quite a few ingredients that have to be peeled, chopped and cooked separately. What I found out by trial and error is that all vegetables can be steamed in microwave oven to save time. All you need is shallow microwave proof dish. It is almost impossible to give detailed recipe since every micro has different power output and every dish absorbs energy at different level. You just have to experiment. What I did was cut all veggies into uniform cubes and when I steamed them I under-cooked them since they will keep cooking after they are removed from the oven. Just spread them on a cooking sheet, one batch after another, and season them when still warm.

As for the pork chop, we went to Springwater Packers, our local butcher, and I was lucky to get whole butt from traditionally raised Amish farm pork. It was walking day before, now that’s fresh and local! I had butcher to cut me chops about 1-1/2” thick, something that you will never see in supermarket. It took about hour and half to braise and was it ever good! I let the chops to cool a bit and then sliced across the grain about 1/8” thin.

This salad is definitely worth the time and effort.

Oven Roasted Pork Ribs and Fries

Beside Dim Sum ribs I have never cooked ribs that were separated, I have always cooked whole slab, be it on BBQ or in oven. This time I have decided to separate all ribs, marinade them overnight and then cook them in aluminum foil covered baking pan. Also, since I didn’t want them to stick to the bottom of pan I have placed a sheet of baking parchment paper on bottom and sides creating sort of container that kept all the marinade inside. This way the ribs steamed at 375 °F for first 2 hours, covered, and another 30 minutes uncovered at 400 °F.

Potato chips went into oven 1 hour before ribs were uncovered, on a rack in one layer. Potatoes were cut and then soaked in cold water for 1 hour. Then they were drained, dried and tossed with olive oil and spice mix of 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. Hungarian Paprika and 1 tsp. coarse salt.

What a feast! The ribs came clean off the bone and chips had a nice crunch. This will be my favorite way to cook ribs. By the way, that parchment paper worked like a charm. None of the ribs stuck to bottom and the paper came out leaving fairly clean aluminum foil underneath. There was nothing to wash.

Ribs are placed on parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Potatochips are soaked, then dried and tossed with spices and oil.

Ready for plating.

No mess, no pots and pans to wash!

Kassler with Pineapple and Grapes

Kassler is a cured and smoked pork chop that originated in Germany and is traditionally cooked with sauerkraut and potatoes. Since my better half is not crazy about sauerkraut like I am, she asked me to cook it with pineapple instead. Few years ago, I came up with a meal that was made with pork cutlet rolled with cheese and smoked bacon slices and cooked in white wine and with pineapple and green grapes. It was a hit at my dinner parties because at the table I poured in some hot rum and flambé the sauce. Real retro, I have to say.
If you can’t get your hands on a real Kassler you can sub with a regular thick cut pork chops, brined for 4 hours in salted water with few drops of liquid hickory smoke. After 4 hours, drain, rinse under running cold water and pat dry with paper towel.

Ingredients:

2 Kassler chops

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbs. butter

1 Tbs. oil

14 oz. can of pineapple chunks, drained

1 cup green grapes, halved lengthwise

3/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder

White pepper to taste

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

Directions:

In medium hot frying pan heat oil and butter and sauté onions till light golden brown.

Add paprika and chilli powder, stir an push onions on side. Place pork chops in center of frying pan and brown on both sides, about 4 – 5 minutes each side.

Meanwhile, boil potatoes in salted water, drain when done, toss with chopped parsley and butter and keep warm.

Pour in wine and reduce to half. Add pineapple chunks and grapes, cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes, turning once halfway through and at the same time stir the pineapple and grapes. Add more wine if sauce is too thick.
To serve, pour half the sauce on each preheated plate, place pork chop on top of sauce and potatoes on side.

I bought these chops at local farmer's market. No cash register, the wrapper serves as cash register tape. Check top left corner on photo.

Kassler and onions are cooked and ready for wine.

Another 15 minutes and it will be ready for plating.

I get hungry just looking at it!