YumSugar

Show True Love: Make Chocolate-Covered Chicharrones

Susannah Chen — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:42:37 PST

Of all the crazy chocolates I've seen - among them, wasabi pea chocolate and soy-sauce-flavored Kit Kat - the most intriguing I tried was Xocolatl de David's Chicharrón Chocolate Bar. I loved the concept of crunchy mixed into smooth, savory blended with sweet, and yet I found myself wishing for more pork rind.

That's when I dreamt up my perfect chocolate snack: Chicharrónes, or deep-fried pig skins, halfway hand-dipped into semisweet chocolate. The result is simple perfection. Smoky, porky, cheese puff-like awesomeness commingled with just the right amount of smooth chocolate. Any omnivorous man (or woman) would be crazy not to love this. Get the recipe now.

Fast and Easy Dinner: Breaded Pork Cutlets With Mustard Sauce

Susannah Chen — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:01:44 PST

With the demands of the holidays, these days when I make a weeknight dinner at home, it's got to be fast. An hour won't cut it - I want something on the table within minutes.

My first rule of thumb? Choosing a protein that cooks virtually instantly. Shrimp and thin fillets of fish always do the trick, but last night, I was in the mood for something heartier, like pork. The easiest way to make pork in a flash is to pound down some center-cut pork chops - it helps them cook quickly and evenly.

For a little textural contrast, I recommend breading them with panko or Italian bread crumbs, then making a quick mustardy pan sauce. Add a salad or sautéed greens, and dinner is served. See the recipe when you read ahead.

Savory Porchetta Is an Ideal Holiday Roast

Katie Sweeney — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:03:15 PST

For the longest time, I considered porchetta, the slow-roasted Italian pork dish, an order-at-a-restaurant-only entrée; it seemed too hard to make at home. For a recent holiday dinner party, however, I wanted to serve roast pork, so I threw caution to the wind and wound up making a delicious variation of the flavorful dish.

Porchetta takes a couple of hours to roast, but it's guaranteed to fill the house with a wonderful porky rosemary fragrance. To ensure that you get the correct cut, ask your butcher if he carries it a week before you plan on cooking the pork. With its succulent and well-seasoned meat, the resulting pork is a real crowd-pleaser. Read ahead for the highly-recommended porchetta recipe.

Know Your Ingredients: Porchetta

Susannah Chen — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:15:17 PST

If there's one ingredient that may be able to oust bacon as the prized protein of the moment, it's porchetta. It's been appearing everywhere in farmers markets, Italian restaurants, and sandwich shops around San Francisco.

Pronounced "por-ketta," porchetta is an Italian specialty of slow-roasted suckling pig. A young, milk-fed piglet is gutted, deboned, stuffed with a mixture of garlic, herbs, and seasonings, then roasted whole in a wood-burning oven.

Porchetta originated in Lazio, a region of west central Italy, where it was probably a mountain food eaten during wintertime feasts. The specialty has since become entrenched in much of the country's culinary tradition. In Umbria, porchetta is flavored with fennel in garlic; in Rome, rosemary and garlic; in the Marches, wild herbs; and in Sardinia, myrtle leaves.

Sometimes referred to as "Italian pulled pork," porchetta is succulent, extremely fatty, and savory. In Rome, it's popular for street vendors to serve it sliced and sandwiched between a roll. Have you ever tried porchetta?

Source: Flickr User Pedro Angelini

Not Just Pork: 6 Other Foods to Eat Less Than Well Done

Susannah Chen — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:34:00 PDT

Home cooks, rejoice! The USDA's lowered pork's cooking temperature down from 160ºF to 145ºF. As longtime lovers of pink pork, we're thrilled that the government's espousing the benefits of lesser-done protein. But, in my humble opinion, the swine's not the only thing that tastes better when it's not well done; click through for more.

Grilled Meats Galore!

YumSugar — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 01:32:19 PDT

Calling all carnivores! Have I got a treat for you: here are our best grilled meat recipes. Since the time is right for you to put some beef (or pork, or lamb) on the barbie, make the most of these dishes now. Nothing goes better with grilled meat than a glass of red wine, so don't forget to pick up a bottle while you're at the grocery store!

Tri-tip with chimichurri	Pork and mango skewers	Leg of lamb with rosemary and mustard
Cachaça-marinated hanger steak	Pork tenderloin with red pepper sauce	Lamb chops with blackberry relish

Grill This! Cuban Pork

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:24:25 PDT

When it comes to weeknight cooking, nothing beats pork tenderloin. The affordable cut usually comes two to a pack meaning it easily feeds a crowd. It also cooks incredibly quickly, faster than a whole chicken, in about 20 minutes. The best thing about pork tenderloin, however, is its versatile adaptability. It can be seasoned with everything from fresh herbs to spicy pastes. This recipe looks to Cuba for inspiration and marinates the pork in a generous mixture of fresh citrus, fragrant cumin and oregano, and lots of minced garlic. Thick slashes are made on the meat before it's dunked in the marinade; the result is juicy, tender pork packed with flavor. If you've got time, marinate overnight, but otherwise, give it a flash marinade for at least 30 minutes. For the uncomplicated recipe, read on.

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 03:04:31 PDT

At the Grand Cochon in Aspen last weekend, I walked away with a party favor. It was a small jar of the classic French dish that's pictured below. Do you know what it's called?

A Glimpse at Aspen's Grand Cochon

Katie Sweeney — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 01:05:00 PDT

The final event of the Food and Wine Classic is a pork showdown known as the Grand Cochon. Cochon 555 is a roaming culinary competition that takes place in 10 cities across the nation. In each of the cities, five chefs are given five heritage pigs; they have to make the most creative and delicious pork dishes. The winner from each city heads to Aspen to fight it out for the Prince of Porc title. After an entire weekend of eating and drinking, it was hard to stomach all 10 dishes, but I did manage to taste a lot of them. Here's an inside look at the porky party.

Pork Is OK Pink

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 24 May 2011 09:28:23 PDT

This morning, the United States Department of Agriculture announced a new guideline when it comes to cooking pork. Tenderloin, chops, and roasts are safe to be consumed when they reach a temperature of 145°F. The pork should be allowed to rest for three minutes before eating. It will still be pink, but it will also be succulent and delicious.

The lower pork cooking temp is one that has been practiced by chefs for years. Of the news, Tom Colicchio tweeted, "USDA confirms what chefs have been saying for years Pink Pork is Safe. Temperature 145 down from 160," while chef Michael Symon said, "wish they dropped it 10 more degrees!!" I've always enjoyed pork medium rare, so the news won't really affect my cooking style.

How about you? Are you OK with pink pork?

Source: Flickr User tvol