Easy Vietnamese Caramelized Pork

Shea, Ed, Jamila and I all just finished a fantastic weekend camping in Deception Pass. We went on a gorgeous hike/ridge hike at Ebey's Landing, and relaxed on the beach of the Puget Sound. We also cooked some fantastic vegetarian camp-side food. From farro with leeks and eggs to a picnic of caprese sandwiches to bibimbap using the fire AND the camp stove, we ate well!

But when we got home, if you can believe it or not, we were hungry again! Thus, I invited Matt over for some caramelized pork. from Ruth Reichl's cookbook. This recipe is so easy but so delicious. I made it seem extra-fancy by serving it with lots of fresh herbs (mint, basil, green onions, cilantro, and lettuce). My one tip is to be sure to be patient and to cook the pork long enough so it actually caramalizes and turns into the deliciousness it really is!

Easy Vietnamese Caramelized Pork
Courtesy of Ruth Reichl in "My Kitchen Year"

Ingredients
2 cucumbers
3/4 pound pork tenderloin
 2 tablespoons fish sauce
mint
basil
peanuts
1 lime
siracha
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
salt ginger
vegetable oil
1 small onion (sliced thin)
1 clove garlic (smashed0
4 teaspoons sugar
pepper
rice

Directions
Pour the rice vinegar into a small bowl and add a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds, along with a small knob of ginger. Put them into the vinegar and allow the flavors to mingle while you prepare the pork.

Slice the pork tenderloin very thing (this is easiest if you pit the meat in the freezer for half an hour to get it very cold before slicing.)

Get a wok so hot that a drop of water dances on the surface and then disappears. Add a couple of tablespoons of neutral oil and then add the onion and the garlic immediately. As soon as it is fragrant, add the pork and 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir-fry, tossing every few minutes for 10-15 minutes until the pork has crisped into delicious little bits.

Take the wok off of the heat and stir in the fish sauce; it should become completely absorbed. Grind in a lot of black pepper.

Remove the ginger from the cucumber and mix the cucumbers with the pork. Whether you want to add the marinade is up to you depending on how much vinegar you like!

Serve with rice, along with mint, basil, peanuts, cilantro, and siracha.

Harvest Roast Chicken with Grapes, Olives, and Rosemary

Long time, no post! I haven't posted since Februrary, but at least I have a pretty good excuse for my absence. Over the past 5 months, a lot has changed in my life! I got married (and had the best wedding...EVER!), went on a fabulous honeymoon to South Africa and ZImbabwe, started a new job, and bought a new car! It has been a crazy and amazing couple of months, for sure, but things seem to be settling down and normalizing a little bit now with Shea and me. 

Speaking of normalizing, it only makes sense that my first recipe since a long hiatus is a Deb Perlman recipe. If you know anything about my cooking, you know that I consistently love any recipe that was created or posted by Deb Perlman. This recipe is no exception. 

When I saw this recipe, I immediately thought of Shea's mom's classic recipe for Chicken Marbella. Shea's mom makes Chicken Marbella for family parties and large groups in Chicago, and it is one of my favorite recipes to eat. It plays with sweet and salty flavors of olives and apricots and chicken by marinating the chicken overnight and then roasting it in the oven. 

This recipe from Deb Perlman plays with the same sweet and salty flavors with the chicken through the grapes and olives, but it takes only a fraction of the amount of time to prepare as Chicken Marbella. From soup to nuts, you will have a crunchy-skinned, juicey piece of chicken with a creamy and flavorful gravy in about an hour. Be sure to take your time crisping the chicken skin, and then you are basically home free with this recipe!

Before the recipe, here's pictoral proof of our wedding and honeymoon! 

Harvest Roast Chicken with Grapes, Olives, and Rosemary Recipe

Courtesy of Deb Perlman's Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

• 3 pounds (1 1/3 kg) chicken parts (thighs, drumsticks, and/or breasts), with skin and bones
• Table salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup (90 grams) seedless grapes
• 1 cup (130 grams) pitted Kalamata olives
• 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

1. 1.
   Preheat your oven to 450 degrees with a rack in middle. Pat chicken dry, and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat oil
   in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet (use a cast-iron skillet if you’ve got one) over medium- high heat until it shimmers. Working in two batches, brown the chicken, skin side down first and turning them over once, about 5 minutes per batch. I like to take a lot of care in this step, not moving the chicken until the skin releases itself and has a nice bronze on it.
2. 2.
   Return the pieces to the pan, skin side up, and surround the pieces with grapes, olives, and shallots. Roast the chicken in the oven until it has just cooked through and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken, grapes, and olives to a platter, then add wine and chicken broth to the pan juices in skillet. Bring liquid to a boil, scraping up any brown bits, until it has reduced by half, for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain sauce, if desired, then pour it over the chicken. Garnish with rosemary and see how long it takes guests to offer to slurp the sauce up with a spoon.
3.