Monday, February 1, 2010

Coriander Pork with Black Bean Cakes

Wanting to make something from Derek's cookbook that he bought - apparently the "Chef's Bible" - I was immediately attracted to Black Bean Cakes as they are something that I have loved for quite some time. My Dad always made them with this Coriander Shrimp recipe, so respecting Derek's allergy to shrimp, we made Corainder Pork - fresh from the Marina Meat Market. Here's what we did...

Pork:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 pieces of pork (Derek used Korobuta Pork, apparently the "Kobe Beef" of pork - I opted for the cheaper free range pork)

In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil and seasonings. Marinate the pork while you make the coriander sauce.

Heat a half butter/half olive oil mixture in a pan. Brown pork on both sides and then place into the oven, heated to 350 degrees. Cook until the internal temperature of the pork is 145 degrees.

Coriander Sauce:
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
5 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Place the shallot, orange zest and juice, wine, vinegar, and coriander in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the liquid is reduced to 2 or 3 tablespoons. While it's still hot, whisk in softened butter by the spoonful until the sauce is emulsified (it will look thick and creamy). Stir in the chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

We wanted to use another "cheapie" to cook with so we picked up a $10 dollar Greg Norman Chardonnay from Cellar 360. In contrast to the Wente Chardonnay that I raved about in a previous post, this one was much lighter and fruity vs. rich and buttery. Not bad for a $10 bottle but I prefer the Wente, it's just fabulous for the price.

The finished product turned out just fine, though I prefer shrimp over pork, and a real black bean cake recipe vs. some screwed up one...but given that we know our way around the kitchen (at least well enough) - we managed!!

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