Recipe: Orange-Glazed Pork Chops

Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two. Serves 2.

Ingredients 

2 pork chops, ¾-1–inch thick (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons table salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
 

Instructions

1. Cut 2 slits about 2 inches apart through the fat and connective tissue on the edge of the chops to prevent the meat from curling when it is cooked.
2. In a large container dissolve the salt and granulated sugar in 1½ quarts cold water, submerge the chops, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
3. In a small bowl combine the orange juice, brown sugar, marmalade, and vinegar.
4. Pat the chops dry and season with pepper.
5. Add oil to a heavy skillet, turn burner to medium, and heat until just smoking.
6. Cook the chops until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes.
7. Reduce the heat to low, add the sauce, and turn the chops over.
8. Simmer until the internal temperature of the meat is 145°, 4–8 minutes.
9. Move the chops to a serving platter.
10. Increase the heat to high, simmer to thicken the glaze,  pour it over the chops, and serve.

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Brine the pork chops for half an hour.

Mix together ingredients for the glaze: (clockwise from upper right) orange juice, brown sugar, orange marmalade, and vinegar.

Brown one side of the chops, flip them, and add the glaze.

Simmer until the pork chops reach 145°.

Remove the chops, increase heat, simmer until the glaze thickens, pour over the chops, and serve.

Recipe: Blueberry Muffins

Based on the recipe from the May 2009 Cook's Illustrated for "Best Blueberry Muffins with Frozen Blueberries". Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two. 

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients 

Lemon-Sugar Topping
⅓ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons zest from one lemon
Muffins
2 cups (1 pint) fresh blueberries
8 ounces (1⅛ cups) sugar
12½ ounces (2½ cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (or use buttermilk powder, mixing the powder with the dry ingredients and water with the wet, following the directions on the container)
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract 

Instructions

1. Topping: In a small bowl stir the lemon zest and sugar together.
2. Muffins: Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
3. Rinse the berries with water and dry well.
4. Heat the oven to 425° with a rack in the upper-middle position.
5. Spray a muffin tin with baking spray or line with muffin cups.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
7. In a medium bowl whisk the sugar and eggs until thick.
8. Slowly whisk in the melted butter and oil.
9. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla.
10. Toss the dried blueberries in the flour mixture until the berries are coated.
11. Gently fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until barely combined. There will be some small pockets of dry flour.
12. Transfer the batter to the prepared muffin tin (an ice cream scoop works well for this).
13. Bake until golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating the muffin tin after about 9 minutes.
14. Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
15. Serve warm.

Rinse fresh blueberries, drain and dry well.

Mix sugar and lemon zest for the topping.

Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.

Assemble the wet ingredients: sugar, vanilla extract, melted butter, oil, eggs, and buttermilk (water is shown here because I used a buttermilk powder.)

Whisk together the wet ingredients in the specified order.

Toss the dried blueberries in the flour mixture.

Gently fold the wet ingredients into the flour mixture.

Transfer batter to muffin cups, top with the lemon sugar, bake, cool, and serve.

Recipe: Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish

Based on a recipe from Cook's Illustrated September 2008. Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.  

Serves 2.

Ingredients 

2 large slices white sandwich bread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Table salt and ground black pepper
Fresh parsley to make 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 small shallot
⅛ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
1 large egg
1½ tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
½ pound skinless cod or haddock fillet, 1-1½-inches thick
Lemon wedges

Instructions

1. With a rack in the middle position, heat oven to 350°.
2. Tear the bread into 1-inch pieces and add to a food processor.
3. Melt the butter and add to the bread along with ⅛ teaspoon table salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper.
4. Pulse until the bread is coarsely ground, about eight 1-second pulses.
5. Transfer the bread mixture to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and deep golden brown, about 15 minutes, stirring after 5 and 10 minutes.
6. Mince the shallot yielding about 1 tablespoon minced shallot. 
7. Mince the parsley yielding about 1 tablespoon minced parsley.
8. Cool the bread crumbs, transfer to a pie plate, and stir in the minced shallot and parsley.
9. Place ⅛ cup flour in a second pie plate.
10. In a third pie plate whisk together egg, mayonnaise, paprika, cayenne, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper then whisk in 2 tablespoons flour.
11. Cut the fish into two equal-sized portions.
12. Increase oven temperature to 425°.
13. Spray a wire rack with vegetable spray and place it in a rimmed baking sheet.
14. Dry fish thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
15. Dredge fish in flour and shake off the excess.
16. Coat the fish with the egg mixture.
17. Coat the fish with the bread crumbs, using your hands to get a thick layer of crumbs.
18. Transfer the fish to the wire rack and bake 18 to 25 minutes until the internal temperature is 140°
19. Serve with lemon wedges, tarter sauce, or ketchup.

In food processor, combine bread, melted butter, salt, and pepper.

Toast in the oven until dark golden brown.

Prepare coating for fish: flour, bread crumb mixture, egg mixture.

Dredge fish in flour, then egg mixture, then pack on bread crumbs and bake on wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.

Recipe: Steak Fries

Based on a recipe from Cook's Illustrated February 2005. Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two. Start this recipe about one hour before meal time.

Serves 2.

Ingredients 

1 large russet potato (about 10 ounces)
2 quarts peanut oil

Instructions

1. Scrub the potato to remove any dirt from the exterior, do not peel.
2. Cut the potato into 12 wedges each about ¾-inch across on the skin side. (Cut the potato in half lengthwise. Cut each half into thirds lengthwise. Cut each piece in half lengthwise.)
3. Place the potato wedges in a bowl, cover with water and ice, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Place the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat and heat to 325°. You should have about 3-inches between the oil and the top of the Dutch oven.
5. Remove the potatoes from the refrigerator, drain the ice water, and dry them in a clean kitchen towel.
6. Increase the heat to medium-high and carefully add the potato wedges.
7. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are limp and soft and gold, about 10 minutes.
8. Transfer the fries to a triple layer of paper towels and let rest for at least 10 minutes.
9. Heat the oil to 350° and return the fries to the hot oil.
10. Fry the potatoes, stirring frequently, until medium brown and puffy, about 8 minutes.
11. Transfer the fries to a triple layer of paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and serve while hot.

Wash the potato and cut into twelve wedges.

Refrigerate the potatoes for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Cook in hot oil for 10 minutes.

Rest for 10 minutes.

Fry again and brown and fluffy, drain on paper towels, season and serve.

Recipe: Glenn's Pepper Steak

Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.  This is my third attempt at this recipe and I am now satisfied with it. It is a family favorite known as "Goop", thus this is Goop 3.

Serves 6.

Ingredients 

1 pound top round steak or London Broil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces button mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 bell pepper
4 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
28-ounce can whole tomatoes
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Table salt and black pepper

Note: May 2020, I used diced instead of whole canned tomatoes, I now think this is a better choice.

Instructions

1. Cut the steak in half horizontally, for example converting a 1½-inch thick steak into two ¾-inch steaks.
2. Slice the steak across the grain into thin strips, ⅛- to ¼-inch thick.
3. Clean the mushrooms and cut them each into thin slices.
4. Remove the stem and ribs from the bell pepper and cut it into thin strips.
5. Clean the celery and cut it into ½-inch pieces.
6. Peel the onion, cut it in half pole-to-pole, and cut each half crosswise into ¼-inch slices
7. Season the beef with salt and pepper.
8. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.
9. Add half of the beef and cook, with stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes.
10. Remove the browned beef, add the uncooked beef, and cook, with stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. If necessary to prevent burning, add additional vegetable oil.
11. Reduce the heat to medium and add all of the browned beef, the mushrooms, onion, celery, and bell pepper.
12. Cook with  frequent stirring until the onion starts to soften, about 10 minutes.
13. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
14. Add the remaining ingredients, including the juice from the tomatoes.
15. (If you're serving this over steamed white rice, start the rice now.)
16. Simmer with occasional stirring, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until the vegetables are heated through, about 20 minutes.
17. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
18. Serve over steamed rice.

Cut the steak in half horizontally.

Then cut across the grain creating long, thin slices.

Prepare vegetables: bell pepper, celery, onion, garlic, and mushrooms.

Measure the seasonings.

In two batches, brown seasoned beef strips in vegetable oil.

Add the vegetables, stir, and cook until the onion starts to soften.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the vegetables are heated through, about 20 minutes.

Recipe: Peach Pie

Based on a recipe from the July 1995 Cook's Illustrated. Serves 8.

Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.  

Ingredients 

Pie Dough

11¼ ounces (2¼ cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons sugar

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled

7 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled

⅓ cup ice water

Peach Filling

3½ pounds peaches (about 6 cups)

½ cup sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 small lemon

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon crystallized ginger (optional)

¼ teaspoon table salt

3-4 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, and sugar until mixed.
2. Cut the butter into ¼-inch cubes and scatter them over the flour mixture.
3. Cut the butter into the flour, about five 1-second pulses. 
4. Cut the shortening into pieces (it is softer than the butter so harder to make into uniform pieces, but that's OK) and scatter them over the flour mixture.
5. Cut the shortening into the flour with 1-second pulses until it is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal. The butter pieces should be no larger than the size of a pea.
6. Turn the mixture into a small bowl.
7. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the ice water and sprinkle the rest on the dough.
8. Press the dough together with a rubber spatula, adding up to 1 tablespoon of ice water if the dough does not come together.
9. Divide the dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other, and dust each lightly with flour. 
10. Wrap each portion of dough in plastic wrap, pressing it into a 4-inch disk, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
11. Peel, pit, and slice the peaches.
12. Zest the lemon yielding 1 teaspoon zest.
13. Juice the lemon yielding 2 teaspoons juice.
14. If using, mince the crystallized ginger. Feel free to use less than a full tablespoon if you want less ginger flavor in the finished pie.
15. Toss the peaches with the sugars, lemon juice, zest, tapioca, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger (if using). Let stand for 15 minutes.
16. Heat oven to 400° with a rack in the lower-middle position.
17. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
18. Cut 2 tablespoons unsalted butter into small pieces.
19. Roll out the larger dough disk into a 12-inch circle about ⅛-inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
20. Fit dough into a 9-inch Pyrex pie plate leaving the excess hanging over the edge.
21. Add the peach mixture to the pie and distribute the butter pieces on top of the peaches.
22. Roll the smaller dough disk into a 10-inch circle and place on top of the peaches. 
23. Trim the edges leaving ½-inch of dough overhanging the pie plate and tuck this dough underneath itself so it is flush with the edge of the pie pan.
24. Using a fork, press the two pieces of dough together around the circumference of the pie.
25. Cut four slits at right angles to each other in the top crust.
26. Place pie in freezer for 10 minutes.
27. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake until the top crust is golden, about 20 minutes.
28. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue baking until the top crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 35 minutes.
29. Cool on a wire rack until juices have thickened, 1-2 hours, and serve. 

Pulse flour, salt, and sugar to mix, add cubes of cold butter, and cut butter into flour.

Cut chilled shortening into the flour mixture.

Add ice water and press with rubber spatula to bring the dough together.

Press the dough into two 4-inch disks, wrap, and cool in refrigerator.

Gather ingredients for filling: sugars, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, tapioca, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.

Peel, pit, and slice peaches, add other filling ingredients, and let stand for 15 minutes.

Roll out dough for bottom crust and fit to pie dish, add filling, and dot with butter.

Roll out top crust, add to pie, trim and fold under edges, press with fork, and cut slits for steam to escape.

Bake, cool on a wire rack, and serve.