NEW RECIPE: Ginger-Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin (Pork Four Ways, Part 2)

© Constantine William Spyrou

I'm very excited for this weekend because I get some extra time with my family and my older sister is home! To celebrate, we are having a barbecue this Monday, and I'm making the menu. Since I have four pork tenderloin pieces to work with, I wanted to do something unique with each that I think the whole family will enjoy! =)

This recipe is an Asian spin on pork, with a heat-and-sweet combination from ginger and honey. Both of these cut into the richness of the pork and give it a new life. Check it out! =)

Recipe serves 4 people. 

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon white pepper

Cooking/Assembling:

1. Preheat the Oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Mix together the soy sauce, honey, ginger, and white pepper in a saucepan on medium-low heat until the honey dissolves. Pour half of it over the pork, then place in the oven for 15 minutes. 
3. Cover with the remaining glaze, then cook for another 15-20 minutes. 
4. Rest for 5-10 minutes, then carve and serve!

Again, this pork tenderloin recipe is simple, but the flavor contrasts really stand out and pop because of its simplicity. The ginger and honey really get a chance to counterbalance each other as a result, making an interesting taste experience!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =) 

NEW RECIPE: Pork Roulade (Pork Four Ways, Part 1)

© Constantine William Spyrou

I'm very excited for this weekend because I get some extra time with my family and my older sister is home! To celebrate, we are having a barbecue this Monday, and I'm making the menu. Since I have four pork tenderloin pieces to work with, I wanted to do something unique with each that I think the whole family will enjoy! =)

This first recipe is a traditional pork roulade, which is a rolled and stuffed tenderloin. With sauteed vegetables and strong Italian flavors, it will be aromatic and delicious! =) 

Recipe will serve four people.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, sliced into a single, flat, sheet about 1/4-1/2 inch thick
1 1/2 cups sauteed spinach
2 cloves minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, julienned and sauteed
1 tablespoon oregano
1 cup fresh basil leaves, whole
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Cooking/Assembling:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Season the pork tenderloin well and brush with half of the olive oil. Layer all of the ingredients across the tenderloin in the following order: Basil leaves on the bottom, followed by the sauteed spinach and garlic, the sauteed bell peppers, the dried herbs, and some more seasoning with the rest of the olive oil.
3. Carefully roll up the tenderloin like a sushi roll, then tie up with butcher's string. Don't squeeze too tightly to ensure that the stuffing doesn't come out of the pork.
4. Place the roasting tray on the stove, and turn the heat on high. Add some extra olive oil to the pan, and sear the pork on all four sides. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
5. Untie the butcher's string, slice, and serve!

This dish is simple to prepare and make, and has a lot of great herbaciousness to cut into the density of the pork. With the sweetness of the peppers also contrasting the dense pork meat, this creates a well-balanced dish!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =) 

NEW RECIPE: Asian Baked Tofu Roulade

© Constantine William Spyrou
Having just recently returned home for the summer has helped me return to the cooking flavors that I grew up with thanks to my mom. This predominately involves Asian-style flavors with some Middle Eastern thrown in here and there. One of the top dishes that my mom makes is a dish with teriyaki baked tofu and edamame (Japanese soybeans) sauteed together. It's a great protein-packed and healthy meal.

I decided to give my mom's recipe a spin on its head by taking the tofu and stuffing it with rice, edamame, and Asian flavors. By marinating the tofu and baking it with the stuffing inside, it creates a deep flavor that tofu normally can't achieve. 

Recipe will serve up to 4 people.

For the tofu and marinade:

1 package soft tofu
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 clove minced garlic
2 teaspoons white pepper
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg

For the stuffing:

2 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked edamame
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon chili paste

For the serving sauce:

1 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 pods star anise
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup roughly sliced ginger
2 cloves garlic
4 cups water

Cooking/Assembling:

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade together with the tofu until fully incorporated. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Do the same thing with the rice mixture.
2. Bring all of the ingredients for the sauce up to a boil together, then reduce for about 10 minutes. Let cool, then strain the sauce. When ready to serve, warm back up on the stove.
3. Flatten the tofu mix out into a flat sheet about 1/2 inch thick. Cover the tofu sheet with the rice mixture, leaving space at each end to ensure none of the rice mixture is forced out.
4. Carefully roll up the tofu mixture to surround the rice, creating a Swiss-roll like pattern in the finished product. Wrap up with tinfoil to help ensure the stability of the structure, and chill for 20 minutes to further stabilize.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, then cool and serve with the sauce.

With many similar flavors going through all components of the dish, its important to have elements that stand out, like the heat of the chili in the stuffing or the aromatic notes of the star anise in the sauce. The roulade itself should have strong Asian flavors and is very reminiscent of the mother-based dish it was inspired by.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =) 

NEW RECIPE: Pork Chops and Gnocchi in a Parsley-Sage Butter

© Constantine William Spyrou

I'm always looking for new culinary tactics and utilizing them in interesting new dishes. At the same time, I'm tasting different new ingredients and adding new ones that I enjoy to my repertoire. One such ingredient I've recently grown to love is Italian parsley. I originally just thought of it as a boring green garnish you'd find as a standard on many different dishes. However, I've begun to appreciate its flavor a lot more recently as an individual ingredient. Its sharp aromatic notes are great for cutting the richness or density of meats. 

I decided to test the power of parsley out in a compound butter. Since I was able to locate bone-in pork chops, I used those because of their deep flavor thanks to the bones, and pork is a dense meat that likes aromatics such as parsley and sage to balance it out. I made the compound butter and also used it as part of a flavoring for gnocchi. I used storebought fresh parmesean gnocchi, but any gnocchi you have will work for this dish. 

Recipe serves 3 people.

Ingredients:

1 package gnocchi
3 bone-in pork chops
Salt and pepper to season
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 stick of butter
2 tablespoons grated parmigiano reggiano
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 sage leaves, chopped into thin ribbons
1 clove garlic
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Cooking/Assembling:

1. Let the butter soften in a bowl before making the mix. Add in the chopped parsley and sage, then combine well. Then, grate the garlic and add the lemon zest, and thoroughly mix to get the liquid from the garlic mixed in as well. Season to taste, and mix once more. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors combine.

2. Slack out your pork chops to room temperature, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Ensure the seasoning sticks to the meat by lightly pushing down across the pork chops on each side to push the seasoning in.

3. Put your olive oil in a hot pan on medium high heat. Cook the pork chops for 2-3 minutes. Be sure to cook the back end by sliding each chop to the back and tilting the pan to get it cooked.

4. Turn the pork chops, and add in a tablespoon of your butter to the pan. Quickly spoon over the pork chops as it melts to ensure that the parsley and sage do not burn.

5. Cook the pork chops for 2-3 more minutes, then set aside to rest, pouring any butter in the pan over the top of the pork.

6. Bring a pot of water up to boil, season, and add some olive oil in. Cook you gnocchi to halfway to 3/4ths of the way done, then place them into a hot pan with olive oil. Turn each gnocchi over after a minute to ensure they crisp on each side.

7. Add in the compound butter, and stir to ensure all of the gnocchi are coated with the butter. Finish with lemon juice, and cook out for 30 seconds before taking the gnocchi off of the heat.

8. Grate the parmigiano reggiano over the gnocchi, and serve with your pork chops.

This dish is light and fragrant yet dense and hearty at the same time. It makes for a delicious meal with an intriguing balance of flavors that you have to check out sometime! This butter can also be used on vegetables, fish (especially salmon or trout), other pastas, and even to flavor your rice!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =)