Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes With Southern Charm Hardcover – July 5, 2011 (13 page)

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary-Cranberry Glaze

Cooking a whole pork tenderloin is an easy and inexpensive way to create an elegant meal. Wrapping the tenderloin in bacon not only imparts a rich, smoky flavor to the pork, but also keeps this lean cut of meat moist as it roasts in the oven. Pork pairs well with sweet fruit components. My rosemary-cranberry glaze not only adds sweetness but also an aromatic herbal component.

GLAZE

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 sprig rosemary

PORK

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and silver skin

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

17 slices bacon (about 3/4 pound)

To make the glaze: Combine the cranberries and sugar with 1¼ cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve back into the pan, pressing on the solids (discard the cranberry skins and seeds). Add the rosemary to the sauce. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat to infuse with rosemary flavor.

To prepare the pork: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Season the pork all over with the salt and pepper. Lay the bacon strips, slightly overlapping each other, on the baking sheet. Lay the pork tenderloin down the center of the bacon strips, perpendicular to them. Carefully wrap the bacon slices on one side of the pork around the tenderloin, tucking the bacon ends under the tenderloin to secure. Roll the tenderloin forward to finish the wrapping of the bacon. Secure bacon ends with toothpicks if loose.

Bake the tenderloin for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush a thick coating of glaze over the tenderloin. Bake until the glaze sets on the pork, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve the pork slices with any remaining rosemary-cranberry glaze.

Serves 4

Root Beer-Glazed Ham

Root beer is delicious on its own in a frosty cold mug or paired with scoops of vanilla ice cream in a float, but here I use it as a glaze in a savory, main-dish recipe. The dark rich flavor of the root beer paired with the tartness of apple, sweetness of brown sugar, and aromatic spices makes this ham a show-stopper! I like to serve it with a side of Cauliflower “Mac ‘n’ Cheese” (page
73
). You can get creative and use leftover ham in your Stuffed Muffuletta Po’ Boys (page
58
).

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 cans (12 ounces each) root beer

1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled and thinly sliced

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

2 allspice berries

10- to 11-pound bone-in half ham

Whisk 2 teaspoons of water into the cornstarch in a small bowl. Transfer to a small saucepan along with the root beer, apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced to about 1 cup, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Carefully remove and reserve the apples slices (discard the spices). Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture has thickened to a slight syrup consistency, about 1 minute. Pour the glaze into a small bowl to cool slightly. The glaze can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the ham in a deep roasting pan. Using a sharp knife, cut through the top layer of fat and into the meat in a pattern of 1-inch diamonds. Brush half of glaze onto the top of the ham. Pour ½ cup water into the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F and bake for 7 hours, checking periodically to remove pork drippings, as needed. Remove the ham from the oven. Brush the rest of the glaze on the ham. Place the reserved apple slices on top of the glaze. Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Remove the visible fat if desired and thinly slice the ham. Serve warm.

Serves 8 to 10

Mini Meat Loaves

Meat loaf is a classic comfort food. When I was growing up, my mother used to make meat loaf for family dinners, and today I love making these mini-loaves when I entertain. The Sun-Dried Tomato and Cranberry Ketchup adds a punch of bright flavor and color to the dish. I like to serve these mini-loaves with Cauliflower “Mac n Cheese” (page
73
) or Creamy Mashed Potatoes (page
75
).

½ cup reduced-sodium beef broth

Miracle Marinade (page
159
)

½ pound ground chuck

1½ pounds lean ground beef

3 tablespoons Italian-style breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 cup Sun-Dried Tomato and Cranberry Ketchup (page
161
)

Combine the broth and ¼ cup of the Miracle Marinade in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the ground chuck and lean beef in a large bowl. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the meat mixture. Pour the milk and reduced marinade mixture over the breadcrumbs to moisten. Beat the whole egg and egg white together in a small bowl. Add to the meat mixture along with the pepper. Stir to combine the mixture well but be careful not to overwork, or the meat loaf will be tough.

Form into 8 loaves (a heaping ½ cup each) and place in 13 X 9-inch glass baking dish. Spoon the remaining ¼ cup Miracle Marinade evenly over the mini meatloaves.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon the cooking juices in the bottom of the baking dish over the loaves. Cover the top of each loaf with 1 tablespoon Sun-Dried Tomato and Cranberry Ketchup. Return to the oven and bake until the ketchup is glazed, 8 to 10 minutes.

Serves 8

Crispy Onion-Crusted Steak with Mushroom Cream Sauce

This recipe is inspired by a steak dish my mom used to make, as well as the flavors of an old-fashioned green bean casserole. The combination of crispy onions, tender steak, and creamy sauce give this dish a delicious texture, and the aroma of the mushrooms, garlic, and onions simmering on your stove is sure to get your family excited about dinner.

MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup half-and-half

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups chopped baby bella mushrooms (about 6 large)

STEAK

2 cups canned French-fried onions

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup buttermilk

4 cube steaks (about ¼ pound each)

¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

To make the mushroom cream sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the half-and-half and heavy cream. Stir in the salt, pepper, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes to meld the flavors. Add the mushrooms, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce and meld the flavors. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

To make the steak: Combine the fried onions, panko, and 1 tablespoon of the flour in a resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to lightly pound the onions until they are crushed. Pour the onion crumbs onto a sheet of wax paper or a plate. Place the remaining ½ cup flour, ¼ of the teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper on a second sheet of wax paper or plate. Pour the buttermilk in a shallow bowl.

Season both sides of cube steaks with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Dredge the steaks in the seasoned flour, then the buttermilk, and then the onion crumbs, pressing them onto the steaks.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Test the oil to make sure it is hot enough by sprinkling in flour to see if it sizzles. When it sizzles, gently place 2 steaks at a time into the hot oil. Cook on each side for about 2½ minutes. Transfer the steaks to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Serve the steaks topped with warm mushroom cream sauce.

Serves 4

Bacon-Wrapped Sirloin Steak

Filet mignon is my mom’s favorite cut of steak, but it’s expensive to serve when you’re entertaining for a crowd. Sirloin is a much more affordable alternative. Here I have mimicked the filet mignon presentation by wrapping individual sirloin steak rounds in bacon. Soaking the steak in marinade before cooking helps to make the meat even more tender.

2 pounds sirloin steak

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Double recipe Miracle Marinade (page
159
)

4 slices bacon

Season the steak on both sides with ½ teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Place in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the steak. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board. Cut steak into 4 rounds. Wrap a slice of bacon around each round. Secure with a toothpick.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. Place the steaks on the grill pan and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the steaks to a baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes for a medium doneness. Transfer to a serving plate to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4

Grandma’s Sunday Roast

“Low and slow” is the only way to go, according to my great-grandmother. Her secret method is to cook the roast at a low temperature for 1 hour per pound of meat. One of my secrets for creating a delicious roast is to use an untrimmed bottom round roast; simply ask your butcher if you’re unable to find one in the meat case. The fat layer on the roast is key to its succulent flavor. The recipe will feed a large crowd, and leftovers can be used throughout the week for sandwiches like my Mississippi Cheesesteak (page
56
).

7- to 8-pound bottom round roast, untrimmed

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 large yellow onions, thickly sliced

2 cups water

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the roast fat-side down in a roasting pan. Combine the garlic salt, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub the seasoning over the roast. Top the roast with onion slices.

Pour the water into the bottom of the pan. Cover the roast with foil and bake for 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F. Bake until tender, 6½ to 7 hours.

Remove the roast from oven. Let stand for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the cooking juices out of the roasting pan and skim off the liquid fat. Pour the cooking juices through a strainer into a gravy bowl.

Remove the fat layer from the roast and discard. Place the roast on a serving platter. Pull roast apart or cut into thin slices with an electric knife. Serve the roast with the cooking juices.

Serves 10 to 12