Well, I have to say, I'd been waiting to try this beer-braised pork recipe for a few weeks now. My partner-in-crime and culinary guinea pig had been out of the country for a week and a half and I was itching to try this with him! I finally got my opportunity over a Valentine's Day dinner on Tuesday evening; overall, I'd say it was a success. The key was marinating the pork chops in beer for a couple of hours (and no more!) and braising the meat until it literally fell off the bone. Alcohol (amongst other things) is a natural meat tenderizer; when added to a marinade, it naturally penetrates and breaks down meat tissue. One must be careful with tenderizing meat in this fashion for too long, however, since it can actually make the meat slimy and mushy. And nobody wants mushy meat for dinner. Ew.
I wanted to make this a finger-lickin' good platter (!), so I decided to braise the meat in the oven with some sliced purple potatoes so the starchiness of the potato could absorb some of the juices from the meat. I thought maybe a lighter, sweeter dish would be an appropriate accompaniment to a hearty, gravy-filled pork entree so, inspired by the Homesick Texan (thank you for the recommendation, AP), I concocted a version of the chipotle sweet potato soup presented here. And, of course you can't go wrong with roasted potatoes of any kind, so both of these were served with a side of garlic-roasted purple potatoes.
If I had to evaluate the meal, I'd give the pork entree about an 7.7. I could have definitely made improvements to it. In particular, if I had to make this dish again, I would use Russet potatoes because they are much starchier than other types of potatoes and would therefore absorb more of the pork juiciness. Further, I would ACTUALLY braise the pork. That's right, folks, I fibbed right on my blog! I actually just baked the pork in a covered pot for 3 hours. If you recall, braising involves both high and low heat (slow) cooking. Typically it involves some sort of meat, which is first seared on the stove; after the surface of the meat is cooked, the dish is slow cooked on low, either in the oven or on the stove, often after additional liquid is added. The intention is for the added liquid to then mix with the fats released during the high heat cooking process to create a warm, hearty, comforting gravy sauce that perfectly complements your oh-so-tender-fall-off-the-bone meat. Anyway, in bypassing the initial high heat process, I may have failed to burn off some of the beer taste. Don't worry, it's not like this dish was swimming in alcohol, guys. The alcohol had long burned off. But I do wonder if the SLIGHT ale-y taste I got in the gravy was due to not cooking the meat uncovered on high heat first. Anyone have thoughts on that?
With that being said, I probably should have used less of the beer in the marinade to begin with. I used an entire bottle, but half a bottle probably would have been sufficient. That is not to say that this dish wasn't still good! The meat was certainly tender and fell off the bone. It was hearty and comforting. Each bite was filled with tender meat, seasoned with wintry rosemary, garlic, shallots, and gravy-saturated carrots and potatoes. So, with a few tweaks and adjustments, my final recommended recipe is below.
The spicy sweet potato soup deserves a rating of 9.3...no, 9.6. I have to say, this dish really made our night. Lighty and creamy, the sweetness of the potato seemed to be perfectly balanced with a hint of serrano pepper (sorry, folks -- didn't have any peppers on me, and besides, I hate following recipes to a "tee"...I usually just glance and go). I have to give a lot of credit to Lisa Fain, who just has some really amazing recipes on her blog which make me nostalgic for Texas and its unique, varied cuisine. This particular recipe really caught my eye, though, and I'm glad it turned out well. I also have to say that adding nutty parmesan cheese and fresh basil to the soup really brought out the sweetness of the potatoes and spicy kick from the peppers. It really brought the whole dish together, guys. Don't leave them out!!
And now, the moment you have all been waiting for (or maybe just my parents and Joe, who MIGHT be the only people who read this on a regular basis...because they feel obligated to) -- the final products:
THE RECIPES (dun-dun-dun):
Beer-Braised Pork Atop Purple Potatoes and Carrots:
Ingredients:
-2-ish pounds of pork (I used mixed chops, but you can use whatever)
-2 shallots
-4-5 cloves of garlic
-1 cup cream
-1 cup of chicken broth (or you can just use the appropriate amount of bullion for 1 cup of broth)
-1/2 bottle of beer
-2 large sprigs of rosemary
-salt/pepper to taste
-2 Russet potatoes
-2 large carrots
-1 serrano pepper
Preparation:
-Marinate pork in a large plastic bag or bowl with beer, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic, shallots, rosemary, and serrano pepper(s) for 4-8 hours. Do NOT marinate for more than 8 hours to avoid slimy texture in the meat; the thinner your meat cut, the shorter your marinate time should be.
-Sear the pork on both sides (if you have chops, I'd say 3 minutes on each side?) in a large pot until mostly done.
-Cube the potatoes (into 2 inches x 2 inch blocks?) and add them, along with sliced carrots, 1 cup of cream and another cup of chicken broth (if you so desire, and if you feel you want more liquid in the gravy), to the pot and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours WITH THE COVER ON (this prevents the gravy liquid from escaping the pot so you don't end up roasting your pig).
-At this point, preparation should be relatively low maintenance. Pull that sucker out when you think it's ready (likely in 2-3 hours) and take a taste test. You'll know when it's good to go!
Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients:
-2 large sweet potatoes
-1 shallot
-2 cloves garlic
-ground cinnamon
-salt/pepper
-4 cups chicken broth
-1/2 cup milk
-1 (or more, depending on your heat tolerance) serrano (or other) pepper(s)
-1 tablespoon ghee/butter
-fresh basil leaves
-parmesan cheese
Preparation:
-Roughly chop the shallot, garlic, and sweet potatoes.
-Sautee the chopped shallot, garlic, and serrano pepper with ghee or butter until they begin to brown.
-Add the sweet potatoes and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
-Add chicken broth, milk, appropriate amounts of salt, pepper, and ground cinnamon in a covered pot on medium for about 20-30 minutes (or until the sweet potatoes are tender and done).
-Remove from stove to cool for about 10 minutes. (Note: It should start smelling delicious at this point!)
-Add soup mixture to blender and puree/pulse blend until it becomes incredibly creamy.
-Serve while hot and topped with parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil. It makes ALL the difference in the world, guys. Trust me.
Enjoy, y'all!
I wanted to make this a finger-lickin' good platter (!), so I decided to braise the meat in the oven with some sliced purple potatoes so the starchiness of the potato could absorb some of the juices from the meat. I thought maybe a lighter, sweeter dish would be an appropriate accompaniment to a hearty, gravy-filled pork entree so, inspired by the Homesick Texan (thank you for the recommendation, AP), I concocted a version of the chipotle sweet potato soup presented here. And, of course you can't go wrong with roasted potatoes of any kind, so both of these were served with a side of garlic-roasted purple potatoes.
If I had to evaluate the meal, I'd give the pork entree about an 7.7. I could have definitely made improvements to it. In particular, if I had to make this dish again, I would use Russet potatoes because they are much starchier than other types of potatoes and would therefore absorb more of the pork juiciness. Further, I would ACTUALLY braise the pork. That's right, folks, I fibbed right on my blog! I actually just baked the pork in a covered pot for 3 hours. If you recall, braising involves both high and low heat (slow) cooking. Typically it involves some sort of meat, which is first seared on the stove; after the surface of the meat is cooked, the dish is slow cooked on low, either in the oven or on the stove, often after additional liquid is added. The intention is for the added liquid to then mix with the fats released during the high heat cooking process to create a warm, hearty, comforting gravy sauce that perfectly complements your oh-so-tender-fall-off-the-bone meat. Anyway, in bypassing the initial high heat process, I may have failed to burn off some of the beer taste. Don't worry, it's not like this dish was swimming in alcohol, guys. The alcohol had long burned off. But I do wonder if the SLIGHT ale-y taste I got in the gravy was due to not cooking the meat uncovered on high heat first. Anyone have thoughts on that?
With that being said, I probably should have used less of the beer in the marinade to begin with. I used an entire bottle, but half a bottle probably would have been sufficient. That is not to say that this dish wasn't still good! The meat was certainly tender and fell off the bone. It was hearty and comforting. Each bite was filled with tender meat, seasoned with wintry rosemary, garlic, shallots, and gravy-saturated carrots and potatoes. So, with a few tweaks and adjustments, my final recommended recipe is below.
The spicy sweet potato soup deserves a rating of 9.3...no, 9.6. I have to say, this dish really made our night. Lighty and creamy, the sweetness of the potato seemed to be perfectly balanced with a hint of serrano pepper (sorry, folks -- didn't have any peppers on me, and besides, I hate following recipes to a "tee"...I usually just glance and go). I have to give a lot of credit to Lisa Fain, who just has some really amazing recipes on her blog which make me nostalgic for Texas and its unique, varied cuisine. This particular recipe really caught my eye, though, and I'm glad it turned out well. I also have to say that adding nutty parmesan cheese and fresh basil to the soup really brought out the sweetness of the potatoes and spicy kick from the peppers. It really brought the whole dish together, guys. Don't leave them out!!
And now, the moment you have all been waiting for (or maybe just my parents and Joe, who MIGHT be the only people who read this on a regular basis...because they feel obligated to) -- the final products:
 |
| Juicy, tender, deliciously 'braised' pork chops with carrots and potatoes. |
 |
| Spicy sweet potato soup, served with a side of roasted garlic purple potatoes. I forgot to take a picture of the soup with the chopped basil and parmesan cheese on top! I can't stress to you how essential these two "condiments" are to this soup! |
THE RECIPES (dun-dun-dun):
Beer-Braised Pork Atop Purple Potatoes and Carrots:
Ingredients:
-2-ish pounds of pork (I used mixed chops, but you can use whatever)
-2 shallots
-4-5 cloves of garlic
-1 cup cream
-1 cup of chicken broth (or you can just use the appropriate amount of bullion for 1 cup of broth)
-1/2 bottle of beer
-2 large sprigs of rosemary
-salt/pepper to taste
-2 Russet potatoes
-2 large carrots
-1 serrano pepper
Preparation:
-Marinate pork in a large plastic bag or bowl with beer, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic, shallots, rosemary, and serrano pepper(s) for 4-8 hours. Do NOT marinate for more than 8 hours to avoid slimy texture in the meat; the thinner your meat cut, the shorter your marinate time should be.
-Sear the pork on both sides (if you have chops, I'd say 3 minutes on each side?) in a large pot until mostly done.
-Cube the potatoes (into 2 inches x 2 inch blocks?) and add them, along with sliced carrots, 1 cup of cream and another cup of chicken broth (if you so desire, and if you feel you want more liquid in the gravy), to the pot and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours WITH THE COVER ON (this prevents the gravy liquid from escaping the pot so you don't end up roasting your pig).
-At this point, preparation should be relatively low maintenance. Pull that sucker out when you think it's ready (likely in 2-3 hours) and take a taste test. You'll know when it's good to go!
Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients:
-2 large sweet potatoes
-1 shallot
-2 cloves garlic
-ground cinnamon
-salt/pepper
-4 cups chicken broth
-1/2 cup milk
-1 (or more, depending on your heat tolerance) serrano (or other) pepper(s)
-1 tablespoon ghee/butter
-fresh basil leaves
-parmesan cheese
Preparation:
-Roughly chop the shallot, garlic, and sweet potatoes.
-Sautee the chopped shallot, garlic, and serrano pepper with ghee or butter until they begin to brown.
-Add the sweet potatoes and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
-Add chicken broth, milk, appropriate amounts of salt, pepper, and ground cinnamon in a covered pot on medium for about 20-30 minutes (or until the sweet potatoes are tender and done).
-Remove from stove to cool for about 10 minutes. (Note: It should start smelling delicious at this point!)
-Add soup mixture to blender and puree/pulse blend until it becomes incredibly creamy.
-Serve while hot and topped with parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil. It makes ALL the difference in the world, guys. Trust me.
Enjoy, y'all!
Yummy!! That soup especially sounds easy and amazing! Adding it to my list.
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