After tweeking and playing with the recipe some over the last week Ive settled on a finalized version to be shared. It should be pretty straight forward and easy to follow, any questions feel free to ask.
As with all Recipes I suggest reading through it fully first, to ensure you understand each section and direction.
Pork Medallions with “Empanada Deconstructed
2 Tomatoes Deseeded (Retain flesh, squeeze out all the juice and reserve) and small diced
1 Green Pepper Small Diced
1 Red Pepper Small Diced
1 Leek Cleaned and sliced thin
6 0z Ground Chorizo
1.5-2 # Pork Medallion Small Dice 1/2 of the loin, Slice the remainder into 1/4 inch slices and pound out thin
1 Fennel Bulb Cleaned, sliced paper thin
1 Red Onion Small Diced
1 Lemon Juiced
1 Lime Juiced
1# Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes Boiled, sliced into quarters
1 ea White Corn Cob Par boiled, sliced off cob
6 fl oz MonteVina Moscato
1 Bag Baby Mixed Greens Cleaned
1# Feta Cheese Crumbled
1 Tb salt
1 Tb Black Pepper
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Cumin
1 Tb Thyme
1 Tb Rosemary
1 tsp Allspice
Directions:
- Begin by cooking the Chorizo, remove from pan and drain off excess fat, retaining a very small amount. Coat the diced pork in about half of the spice mix. Add the diced pork to the pan and cook half way. When pork reaches half cooked add in 1/2 of the diced tomato, onion, and all of the peppers. When pork and veg is fully cooked, combine with chorizo and cool down in freezer.
- In a pot of warm water add potatoes, whole and unpeeled. Cover, bring to a boil until fork tender. Cool in ice water, slice into quarters and hold.
- Place leeks into a saute pan and carmlize. If your unsure how to do this, place a very small amount of oil in the pan and keep at a medium high to high heat. The leeks will begin to turn brown, this is what you want, but be carefully not to burn. They should smell and taste sweet, not burnt. If this is your first time carmelizing I suggest avoiding doing anything else while you do this, and keep all your attention on the leeks. Try to avoid moving the leeks around a lot, but be sure to stir them around for even browning. After they are done, hold them in your fridge.
-In a small pot of boiling water soak your fennel for a few seconds. Just enough to loosen it up, not lose its flavor. Chill in fridge.
-You should have reserved all the tomato juice you could get from the pulp of the tomato when you diced the flesh. Add this juice to a small pot or pan with the Moscato. Bring to JUST a smimmer and allow to reduce slowly. Reduce to about half of the original amount, or till the liquid has the consistency to coat the back of a spoon (this is called Nape’). Chill quickly and reserve.
-You should have the second 1/2 of your Pork Loin sliced into 1/4 inch slices and pounded thin. Season with the spice mix and toss in flour, be sure to remove all excess flour. You want them to look “Dusted” in flour, not covered in it.
- Now that your Mise en Place is set we can get to cooking!
-In a large saute pan reheat your diced pork and chorizo mixture (This will be your “Empanada Deconstructed”). Add in your corn and a small amount of diced tomato for color.
-In a seperate saute pan, heat a small amount of oil on a medium high heat. Add your pounded pork medallions and cook till done. Remove from pan when they are done, blot any excess oil and hold warm.
- In a bowl toss your fennel, the rest of your onion and tomato, and your baby mixed greens together with half of the Mascato Tomato reduction.
Plate up:
-Place some of the of the “Empanada” mixture down on the plate, about a heafty spoon full or two should do well. Place one medallion on top of that, Add a small amount of “Empanada” mix on top of that. Add another (a slightly smaller piece works best) medallion on that. Top with just a small amount of the “Empanada” mix.
-Place a nice pile of your dressed salad on the other side of the plate from the pork “tower”. Sprinkle Feta cheese around the salad. Drizzle a small amount of the remaining Moscato Tomato reduction around the salad.
There you have it folks. Simple easy, and all reviews thus far have said “Delicious”.
Here are a few pictures if you would like to reference the plate up style I have suggested. Try your own styles as well!
Enjoy!, This weeks recipe test will be VERY interesting I think.
-Steve
