Coffee Rubbed Pork Chops with Apricot Sauce

One of my favorite steak dishes is the coffee rubbed fillet at Capital Grille, and I'm not even a coffee drinker. But there is something about the smokey earth sweetness that pairs so nicely with the meaty texture, similar, I guess, to barbecue sauce. Well, I did not have any steak on hand, but I did have boneless pork chops in the freezer, so I set out to see if the pairing would work as well. After reviewing a few coffee rubs in cookbooks and online, I settled on adapting the recipe from this site. Plus, I liked the suggestion of the apricot topping. (And let me say that pork is the only meat entree that I will pair with fruit. Otherwise, I save it for dessert - see Medallions of Pork with Pear Sauce.)

The dish was a breeze to make. I marinated the pork for a few hours in the refrigerator and let it come close to room temperature before grilling. Slice up some apricots and soften them in a saucepan and voila! Coffee rubbed pork chops with apricot sauce. The tangy sweetness of the fruit was a nice contrast to the smokey spice of the rub (thanks to some chili powder).

Coffee Rubbed Pork Chops with Apricot Sauce

Serves 4

(printable recipe)

4 boneless pork chops

1 1/2 TBS French roast coffee (ground)

3/4 TBS smokey paprika

1/4 TBS chili powder

3/4 TBS coursely ground black pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3 apricots, pitted and sliced

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1/2 TBS sugar

dash of salt

Combine coffee, paprika, chili powder, black pepper and salt. Rub over pork, cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. Let pork come to room temperature before grilling 4-5 minutes on each side.

For the sauce, combine the apricots, lemon juice, sugar and salt in a small sauce pan. Heat on low for 4-5 minutes until apricots just begin to break down.

Top grilled pork with apricots.

Enjoy!

From the Market Part 2 - Salmon in Lemon Brodetto with Pea Puree

The Internet is truly an amazing thing. Scratch that, Google is truly an amazing thing. I had some freshly shelled peas from the farmer's market that were close to reaching their three day limit. My husband and I were in the mood for salmon. A quandary on how to combine the two + Google = one delicious meal.

Salmon in Lemon Brodetto with Pea Puree courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis and the foodnetwork.com. A modern take on a traditional fish stew, this was probably one of the prettier meals I've put together; I'm afraid the picture doesn't quite do it justice. It was a great mix of textures with the crisp lemon broth with sauteed shallots, smooth pea puree mixed with parmesan, and the golden crusted fillet. The tangy lemon, savory peas and sweet salmon lends flavor for any mood, too.

Enjoy!

Pesto

Tomato and basil are two ingredients that were likely made for each other. Tomato, mozzarella and basil; tomato, basil and a splash of balsamic vinegar; tomato basil soup; tomato basil sauce - the pairing can be found everywhere. So, what to do when you have a bunch of basil and a few tomatoes on hand, and are looking for something a little more interesting and complex? Make pesto!

Pesto

1 cup, packed, of basil leaves

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 TBS minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil, to preferred consistency

Roughly chop basil and pine nuts in a small food processor. Add parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper and chop to combine. Add olive oil in a steady stream while food processor is on, to desired consistency.

Combine with tomatoes, use as a pasta sauce, spread on bread as a base for sandwiches, mix with mashed potatoes. The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!

Marinade for London Broil

Another recipe from Julie. And in her own words, "This is a marinade I got from Sara Moulton of the Food Network. I'm pretty sure it could make a dishrag taste delicious!" Hey, anything professing that claim has to be good! I bet it would be tasty on a variety of meats!

Grilled Marinated London Broil

For marinade:

4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2/3 cup olive oil
1 (2 to 2 1/2 pound) London broil

• To make marinade: In a bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients until combined well. Put London broil in a large resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over it. Seal bag, pressing out excess air, and set in a shallow dish.


• Marinate meat, chilled, turning bag once or twice, for 8 hours.


• Remove meat from the marinade, discarded the marinade, and pat the meat dry.

Enjoy!