Grilled Pork Loin w/Apple-Cranberry Filling

UPDATE (9/29/08): I made this pork loin again a few days ago for a dinner party. However, this time I baked it in the oven instead of cooking it on the grill. I much preferred it in the oven, and it got rave reviews! The outside was more tender, and it was more moist overall. Just bake it at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours...or until instant read thermometer reads 145 - 150 degrees.

***Okay ladies and gentlemen, I've officially found my favorite way to prepare a pork loin. This dish was a.m.a.z.i.n.g....and it didn't just taste good, but it made my entire house smell of sweet apples, cranberries, cinnamon, fresh ginger and apple cider...oh my goodness. It was like Yankee Candle good...lol.

This would no doubt be the perfect holiday dish...or just the perfect way to welcome the fall season. I'm so happy that there are left-overs sitting in my fridge right now. The fact that its grilled makes this one even better.

This recipe made its way to me via iTunes of all places. I subscribe to the Cooks Illustrated Podcast, and this is the most recent video. HERE is a link to some very helpful notes for this recipe.

Did I mention that I loved this dish? LOL.***

From Cooks Illustrated:

"This recipe is best prepared with a loin that is 7 to 8 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide. To make cutting the pork easier, freeze it for 30 minutes. If mustard seeds are unavailable, stir an equal amount of whole-grain mustard into the filling after the apples have been processed. The pork loin can be stuffed and tied a day ahead of time, but don't season the exterior until you are ready to grill."

INGREDIENTS:
Filling
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 large shallot , halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups dried apples (packed), 4 ounces
1/2 cup dried cranberries (packed), 2 1/2 ounces
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds (see note above)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pork Loin
2 cups wood chips
2 1/2 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast (see note above)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for cooking grate

DIRECTIONS:

1. FOR THE FILLING: Bring all ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Push mixture through fine-mesh strainer to extract as much liquid as possible. Return liquid to saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes; reserve glaze. Meanwhile, pulse apple mixture in food processor until uniformly coarsely chopped, about fifteen 1-second pulses. Transfer filling to bowl and refrigerate while preparing pork.

2. FOR THE PORK: Soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut meat to even 1/2-inch thickness. Season inside liberally with salt and spread apple filling in even layer, leaving 1/2-inch border. Roll tightly and tie with twine at 1-inch intervals. Season exterior liberally with salt and pepper.

3.Drain chips and place in small disposable aluminum pan. About 20 minutes before grilling, place pan with chips on primary burner (burner that will remain on during cooking); position cooking grate over burners. Turn all burners to high and heat with lid down for 15 minutes. Scrape and oil grate. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s). Place roast, fat-side up, on side opposite primary burner.

4. Grill-roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast registers 130 to 135 degrees, 55 to 70 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking time. Brush roast with half of reserved glaze; flip and brush with remaining glaze. (You may need to reheat glaze briefly to make spreadable.) Continue to cook until glaze is glossy and sticky, about 5 minutes longer.

5. Transfer roast to cutting board, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. (Internal temperature should rise to about 145 degrees.) Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, removing twine as you cut. Serve immediately.

Source: www.cooksillustrated.com/podcast

Espresso-Blackberry Macarons - Gourmet Magazine

***I was flipping through the most recent issue of Gourmet (a special issue about Paris), admiring all the Parisian cuisine when I spotted these macarons. Macarons are one of those things that I've always avoided because I just thought they would be too complicated...but this recipe is actually pretty simple! After reading the article, I was inspired to give these a try. I made half of them with blackberry jam, and I made a chocolate filling (recipe below) for the other half. When we make it to Paris one day (it just might be sooner than later...hopefully!) I want to visit some of the famous French Patisseries...like Laduree, Pierre Herme, and Fauchon to name a few. And what trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to La Maison Du Chocolat? One day...

Now, these aren't the prettiest macarons that you'll ever see, but they were okay considering it was my first time making them. I am going to make them again very soon. I found THIS yummy looking recipe for Red Berry Macarons on Tartelette's blog that I just might tackle next. I want to perfect the macaron cookie...after reading some other blogs it seems like it might be a little difficult to make them rise perfectly...practice makes perfect, though!

Appréciez cette recette!!!

From Gourmet:

"These cookies should set for a while before serving. The fillings help soften the meringue—and your patience will be rewarded with a wonderfully chewy texture.

For more recipes inspired by the City of Light, visit our Paris City Guide."

For macarons:
3 oz almond flour (2/3 cup) or blanched sliced almonds (3/4 cup) or slivered almonds (2/3 cup)
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon instant-espresso powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large egg whites, at room temperature 30 minutes
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For filling
About 1/2 cup blackberry jelly

Equipment:
- a food processor with a sharp blade or an electric coffee/spice grinder

- a large pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch plain tip or a qt-size sealable bag with a corner snipped off

- an offset spatula

Make macaron batter:
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Grind almond flour or almonds with confectioners sugar in food processor until powdery, 30 seconds for almond flour, about 2 minutes for almonds. (If using grinder, grind in small batches.) Sift through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl (if not fine enough for almost all of nuts to go through sieve, regrind). Sift again into a large bowl.

Stir together espresso powder and vanilla in a cup until powder has dissolved. (I used regular instant coffee granules, and heated the vanilla a little to help the granules completely dissolve.)

Beat egg whites with salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Beat in granulated sugar, a little at a time. Increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks, about 1 minute. Add espresso mixture and mix at low speed until incorporated. Fold meringue into almond mixture with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. (Meringue will deflate and batter will be loose.)

Pipe and bake macarons:
Put small dabs of batter under corners of parchment to secure to baking sheets.
Spoon half of batter into pastry bag. Holding bag vertically just above baking sheet, pipe 1 1/2-inch-wide mounds of batter about 1 inch apart, stopping pressure and flicking tip sideways to avoid peaks (tamp down any peaks with a wet finger). Refill pastry bag and repeat. Let macarons stand, uncovered, at room temperature until a light crust forms, 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.

Bake macarons, switching position of sheets halfway through, until crisp and interior does not give easily when a macaron is gently pressed, 22 to 28 minutes total. Cool completely on baking sheets (for residual heat to harden bottoms) on racks, about 30 minutes. Loosen macarons from parchment with offset spatula (they will be fragile).

Assemble cookies:
Sandwich flat sides of macarons together with a thin layer of jelly.

Layer macarons between sheets of parchment in an airtight container and let stand at room temperature at least 2 hours to soften before eating.

Here's the recipe for the chocolate filling that I used:

Chocolate Filling:

Softened butter

Powdered sugar

Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I used the Starbucks Mocha Powder)

Directions: Mix about 1 cup powdered sugar and several tablespoons cocoa powder together thoroughly. Beat into softened butter (about 3/4 stick), taste. You might have to adjust the measurements slightly...adding a little at a time to get your desired consistency. The measurements above are a good starting point.

Cooks’ note: Filled macarons can be kept in an airtight container wrapped in plastic wrap, chilled 2 days or frozen 1 month. Bring to room temperature in wrapped container (to avoid condensation), about 1 hour if chilled or 2 hours if frozen.

NOTE: If you have trouble removing the macarons from the parchment paper, put a thin layer of water between the parchment paper and cookie sheet (be careful not to let the cookies get wet!). This will loosen the paper from the cookies. Don't let the cookies sit on the water for too long...they will get soggy.

Pasta with Prosciutto & Peas

***This dish was delicious! I don't cook with prosciutto as much as I'd like to. The grocery store down the street doesn't always have it in stock, so I usually have to go to Whole Foods or The Fresh Market to get it....if I want good quality prosciutto, anyway! Brad isn't crazy about peas, but he actually liked this dish okay. The sauce is really great...but then again heavy cream always makes sauces better...lol.***

Ingredients:
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces fettuccine
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
8 slices prosciutto (about 4 ounces total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise, about 1 cup
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

Directions:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

Meanwhile, make sauce: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat; add shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cream, peas, and prosciutto; bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer until peas are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in lemon zest and juice. Pour sauce over pasta; add Parmesan, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add enough reserved pasta water to thin sauce as desired. Serve immediately; top with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Source: "Everyday Food: Great Food Fast" by Martha Stewart Living

Chocolate Mocha Eclairs - Pierre Herme

***Recipes like this are why I love being a part of the Daring Bakers. This month our big challenge was Chocolate Eclairs from Pierre Herme's fabulous cookbook - Chocolate Desserts. This month's hosts were: Tony Tahhan and Meeta K. Be sure to check out their blogs too!

This is another recipe that I probably never would have tried if not for DB. I know that I say that every month, but hey...it's the truth! The recipe called for a classic chocolate pastry cream with a chocolate ganache on top. I decided to kick things up a notch and add a little instant coffee to the pastry cream. It was out-of-this-world delicious...definitely the best pastry cream I've ever tasted. So, I ended up with Mocha Eclairs...talk about good. I topped them off with pecan pieces.

I was a little worried about the eclairs coming out right...from reading other DB's stories, I realized that I might have a problem getting the eclairs to be hollow on the inside. I anxiously waited while they puffed up in the oven...which was pretty fun to watch, by the way...and excitedly took them out to let them cool. To my delight, they were perfectly hollow. They looked like mini baguettes, which I thought was adorable.

The recipe says to open the oven door slightly with a wooden spoon during the baking process. I did not do this! I also changed the cooking time slightly. I put them in for about 15 - 20 minutes and THEN rotated them as the recipe calls for...baking them for an additional 15 - 20 minutes. Then, remove eclairs from oven, immediately prick the side of each eclair with a sharp knife. Now, turn the oven off and put the eclairs back in the oven, with the oven door open about 6 inches...let them cool inside the oven. This allows the eclairs to dry out. I think I ended up baking them a little longer than it says to...maybe 30 minutes compared with 20 minutes. I just kept an eye on them until they looked right.

I ended up slicing most of them in half like the recipe calls for, and I piped the pastry cream directly into the rest (without cutting). Both ways tasted great, but the ones that were cut in half looked a little prettier in my opinion.

Another technique that really helped me was holding the tops of the eclairs upside down and then dipping the entire eclair into the chocolate ganache...instead of using a metal icing spatula. This allowed for a prettier, more uniform look.

The recipe makes a good bit of chocolate sauce, so you'll probably have some left over. It goes perfectly with ice cream and makes wonderful chocolate milk!

Daring Bakers - Thanks for another great challenge!!!***

Piped and ready for the oven...

Looks like little baguettes...Aren't they cute?

Uh oh...topless eclairs...haha...

The pastry cream was my favorite part...
Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs

Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• Cream Puff Dough (see below for recipe), fresh and still warm
1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds by positioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with waxed or parchment paper.
2) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough. Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers. Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff. The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.
3) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking time should be approximately 20 minutes.
***Please see my notes above...I baked the dough a little differently than listed here.***

Notes:
1) The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling.

Assembling the éclairs:
• Chocolate glaze (see below for recipe)
• Chocolate pastry cream (see below for recipe)

1) Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.
2) The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F or 35 – 40 degrees C, as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops of the éclairs using a metal icing spatula. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill the bottoms with the pastry cream.
3) Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottomswith enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream and wriggle gently to settle them.

Notes:
1) If you have chilled your chocolate glaze, reheat by placing it in a bowl over simmering water, stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. Do not stir too vigorously as you do not want to create bubbles.
2) The éclairs should be served as soon as they have been filled.

Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough - Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)
• ½ cup (125g) whole milk
• ½ cup (125g) water
• 1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

1) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to theboil.
2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough will be very soft and smooth.
3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your handmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.
4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Notes:
1) Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately.
2) You can pipe the dough and the freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the piped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Chocolate Pastry Cream Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
• 2 cups (500g) whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 6 tbsp (75g) sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
• 7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Velrhona Guanaja, melted
• 2½ tbsp (1¼ oz: 40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1) In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy‐bottomed saucepan.
***I added 2 tbsp. of instant coffee granules to the boiling milk in this stage of the recipe.***
2) Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.
3) Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat). Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat.
4) Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice‐water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth.
5) Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice‐water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice‐water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.

Notes:
1) The pastry cream can be made 2‐3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
2) In order to avoid a skin forming on the pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the cream.
3) Tempering the eggs raises the temperature of the eggs slowly so that they do not scramble.

Chocolate Glaze Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1 cup or 300g)
• 1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream
• 3½ oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 7 tbsp (110 g) Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature


1)In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.
2) Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Notes:
1) If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly
in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water.
2) It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104 F) when ready to glaze.

Chocolate SauceRecipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1½ cups or 525 g)
• 4½ oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250 g) water
• ½ cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

1) Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.
2) It may take 10‐15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Notes:
1) You can make this sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for two weeks. Reheat the sauce in a microwave oven or a double boiler before using.
2) This sauce is also great for cakes, ice-cream and tarts.

Crash Hot Potatoes

***Here's another great recipe from Pioneer Woman. You just have to check out her post about this recipe HERE. She's got some fabulously detailed photos. Next time I make this, I'm definitely going to use smaller potatoes. When I went grocery shopping, the only red potatoes available were really large. So, I had trouble mashing these down all the way. They still tasted great...just not quite as flat as they should be.***

Ingredients:

New Potatoes (or other small, round potatoes)

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Rosemary (or desired herbs)...I used freshly chopped parsley

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you would like to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet, leaving plenty of room between each one.

With a potato masher, gently press down on each potato until it slightly mashes. Rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle each potato with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available).

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.