Kurobuta Pork with Apricot Jus, Lentils and Sugar Snap Peas

For this meal, my only contribution was prepping the sugar snap peas by trimming the ends and removing the tough string. Other than that, I was virtually absent from the kitchen while Derek prepared this delicious creation, much of which was his own recipe. This is a wonderful thing, however, makes recreation and regurgitating the recipe a difficult task. Instead, I'll try to describe the flavor profiles and see what I can remember. Maybe one day Derek will help contribute and put in his input...one day.

Kurobuta Pork
This was the first time I had a whole kurobuta piece of meat all to myself (I had previously just tried a bite of Derek's). With pork not being my all time favorite protein, I usually don't get too excited when it is on the menu. Kurobuta, however, is a totally different species. Also dubbed "berkshire pork" it is the creme de la creme of pork. It is juicy and flavorful and not a tough chewy (oftentimes) blob much like its cousin, the normal pork chop. The pork itself was done simply. Salt, pepper, flour...pan sear it until browned and stick it in the oven until it reaches the ideal temp (I don't remember what this was...maybe 170 or so??).

The pork is then topped with an apricot "jus" that is made from pureed apricots (skinned), some poblano-ish pepper, onion, garlic (maybe)? and the good eats stuck to the bottom of the pan that the pork cooked in. I believe the liquid was chicken stock that was used to make this an actual sauce. For looks and texture, Derek then strained the mixture so we were left with a quite delightfully silky sauce!

Lentils with Bacon and Dried Apricots
Derek didn't surprise me when he told me that "you don't really love the ingredients in this meal but I think they will all work really well together." He was talking about a) lentils...I like them but prefer when they are in soup rather than just on a plate, b) bacon, ok it's good and I do prefer it in dishes than plain, but still, it's bacon, and c) dried apricots - really not a fan...

Derek cooked the lentils, bacon, apricots, probably some onion...it was good. I was actually sifting through a bit to find the apricots because they added a perfect touch of sweetness to the hearty lentils and meaty/salty bacon. OK I approve.

Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
These were exactly what they say...sugar snap peas (DELCIOUSLY big, fat pods fresh from the farmers market - to die for) that were steamed, topped with a quasi-generous amount of salt and some pepper. We used our bamboo steamer which is always fun to use. Didn't want to steam them for too long - maybe 5 minutes? The crunch to these guys is the best part and was necessary with the heartiness of the other two dishes.

We had wine that night too...I think...don't we always when Derek cooks?