The challenge: 1) I don’t like pork—especially loin or chops. It gets dry and tastes processed. I will eat ham-though semi-grudgingly, and I will eat sausage and bacon and other pork products. Why? I was hoping you would ask that.
Ten years ago, I traveled to Yolaina (Jolaina), Nicaragua for a mission trip with my church. Our group helped the families in this beautiful community build-up their homes. I got sweatier and dirtier than I ever thought I’d get, and I loved most of it-except the day of uselessness due to heat-exhaustion. I rested, and possibly learned more that day than the rest of the week. I learned why our style of trip was a hand-up instead of a hand-out. It showed me another side to life. I grew up watching people asking for hand-outs. These people were doing the work themselves; they would do the work with or without us. We gave them hope. We did so because its like a Hollywood Actor or even a Senator coming over for dinner. Someone who has little reason to think you exist has come to visit, and that is special. Now I should get back to the pork. (I can go on and on about Nicaragua-if only I knew how to blog then).
So, meat is usually more of a delicacy in the poorest parts of the world. They worked to make sure we had a little meat, and a balanced, healthy and cooked meal. The last day in Yolaina, they served us up pork with goat’s cheese and rice and beans. We ate a lot of rice and beans there. The pork was good and fresh and succulent. Better than anything I’d ever had in America, yet I left this country believing that our poor, stucco-sided house in the decrepit north side of Lansing was a palace. Later that day, I’d learned during our bus ride back to Managua, the capital that Andy lived in the house that provided the pig we ate for breakfast. (Andy had all the fun, I’m so glad I wasn’t him;-)). He said the Senor of the house he stayed him woke him at 5AM, Andy followed and was handed a tool, and helped butcher a pig. I was looking forward to fresh coffee around 8AM and possibly as late as 9AM. The pig tasted so darned good because they had literally killed it only a few hours ago.
I came back to America needing to adjust. My body liked the fresh food diet, fruit off the trees, messy eating that is; the beans and rice and lack of grease and fat, and the fried plantains that I have a hard time replicating, but they are quite yummy when you get them right. It took me a month to eat a hamburger, while others were begging for one on the bus ride back. When I tried American, processed, store-bought pork chops that my baby brother loved, I could taste graininess, stringiness, and dryness. And they were cooked well. I found other dinners when pork chops were served. I still generally do. But I have to make every recipe in this book at some point, or I don’t have a blog and a commitment.
Facing one of my “The rent is due so I’m broke” weeks, I looked for cheap food. Note to self: if the vegetable or meat is cheap, Emeril will find a way to make to it expensive. I think I’ve had 3 recipes under $10.00 to make. Granted, that’s my dinner for a week, but I’ve never been big on leftovers. I’m lucky its all gourmet.
So, what does Emeril do to make this expensive? After all, Farmer’s cheese is only $5.00 for eight ounces-I don’t’ even blink at this price any more. He adds walnut liqueur.
Challenge #2) Where in the world do I get walnut liqueur, and can I hope its like amaretto and cheap? I search out Meijer, and ask the clerks stocking wine that happened to be there. Then I call James, who has some liqueur expertise and the internet. I have him look it up to check brand names to be sure I’m not missing it. I’m not. I then have him look up the prices so I can decide if I wish to drive south of town to the specialty shops. Its $30 a bottle, he thinks it’s a fifth. I consider that a pint would cost me $15-$20, and I need a half cup total, but I’m sure I’ll use it again. But after a moment of looking closer, he realizes that’s per pint. I am in over my head on this one. So, I say to my phone, look up substitutions, please. You’ve probably already thought of some, but since I don’t use these liqueurs often, and it’s a Friday night, I haven’t. Hazelnut Liqueur (Frangelico), Amaretto, or coffee liqueurs are good substitutions. He asks for what’s in the recipe and I read off some ingredients and he thinks the coffee liqueur sounds good with it. I hope he’s right and buy the cheap $10.00 bottle and am reminded how much I like coffee liqueur in milk once I get home.
Challenge #3) Roasting a Pork Loin…and stuffing it. Since I have rarely eaten pork chops or loin once or twice in the ten years that I’ve been back from Nicaragua, you can honestly assume I’ve never stuffed and rolled a pork loin. I think I did once for a Halloween party. But the loin was smaller, maybe a shank or a smaller section and it ‘tasted like pork.’ It was edible, but dry and grainy and not very good. Back to the loin I’m roasting this week. FYI: I’m starting this at 7PM on a Tuesday night, some days I’m a glutton for punishment.
First I soak the golden raisins(sultanas) in the walnut liqueur while I get other things ready, like chopping the herbs and slicing the cheese so it’s easier to work with.
I get out my slicing knife and slice vertically, leaving the hinge. I prepare the stuffing, toast the walnuts, add the cheese, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Then I sauté the golden raisin and liqueur mix and ponder how much work it would take to make my own walnut liqueur in the future. .
I spread the stuffing in the pork loin, and tie it shut with kitchen twine. I then salt and pepper the pork loin and toast the bread crumbs in butter to make the topping. (I told you he’s gourmet). I add the bread crumbs and roast this loin at 350 for about 40 minutes. I thought my alarm was set, and at 45 minutes, I’m pulling it out of the oven, hoping I didn’t just kill the loin. I let it rest for ten minutes. Then I cut off a small portion to taste. Its dry, and not too grainy, but it could be much worse. I do notice that bottom layer has a hint of pink in the center, so I worry that I’ll have to cook it longer and dry out the top, but that’s tomorrow’s worry. The stuffing, however, may re-appear in my dreams that night. Since its around 10PM and I should be getting ready for bed, I bag it up in a simple food serving bag, twist the top, fold it under and pop the roast in the fridge for the night. Tomorrow night’s dinner is done aside from some warming up, which hopefully will take care of that hint of pink.
Wednesday night, I get home and pop the roast in the oven, then call James to come get the cat who insists on being under foot right now. She wants to be loved, I just want to eat. I warm up the stuffed pork loin, tented under aluminum foil to keep the top from drying out too much, at 250 for nearly 30 minutes. Its not completely warmed through, but James reminds me he eats over half of his meals like this. When he sees the ribbon of pink I was worried about he tells me its about perfect. Is it any wonder that I love this man? The second time around, the pork is juicier and better. Its not a food I will make on a monthly basis by any means, but I expect I will make it again for special occasions, since James fell in love with it. I sent the leftovers home with him. I can make the stuffing with the ingredients I still have on hand.
I will talk more about the pear-parsnip puree in the next blog, as it is a separate recipe in this book, and part of the reason the roast took me three hours instead of two-one for prep, and one for cooking.
Even though I do not care for American, processed store-bought, dried out pork, I will probably be talked into purchasing a loin from a butcher shop (or a half or quarter of a loin) and make this recipe again.
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