Buckets of Chicken, and Drunken Chicken

Let's talk about buckets of chicken. First of all, sometimes The Chef and I do get lazy and decide to just drive through someplace and get some chicken. A bucket of chicken goes a long way for us- fried chicken and all the fixins the first night, leftovers for lunch and maybe even a last couple pieces to cut up and toss in a salad or sandwich. Have you ever tried making chicken salad sandwiches with cut up FRIED chicken? OMG- you must. Now back on track......so we arrive at the unnamed chicken drive through and order our chicken. We get to the window and the employee tells us they are out of legs, would it be ok if they subbed additional thighs in their place? Of course! Thighs are, for me, the best part of the chicken, right? We get home........no chicken thighs. Those dirty rats shorted us on chicken!!! Ugh!!!

Speaking of buckets, have you ever heard of a guitarist who wears a chicken bucket on his head and conceals his identity? That would be Buckethead. He is a metal guitarist who has played with Guns and Roses and several others, and tours on his own with a unique show and playing style, most notably a white mask over his face and that chicken bucket on his head. I have no idea what this guy looks like underneath all that. Anyway, Buckethead has been on The Chef's bucket list for a very long time and since we got to see John5 a few weeks ago, hearing Buckethead was coming to town, The Chef just had to go. The show was unlike any he had ever seen before, both in volume and the performance. Buckethead plays with an accompanying soundtrack instead of a live band and uses an arsenal of effects to create some pretty unusual music. Definitly something a guitarist like The Chef would enjoy. 

The Chef often spends his time away from the restaurant playing at different jam sessions around town, and is working with his own band, perfecting their set and working on some new material. He is a very talented musician in his own right, and I can say that without being biased. He has well over 30 years of playing under his belt and it's just part of his DNA. Classic rock is his genre, and he will even sing on occasion if he has to. Of course, when it's my night to cook, that's when you'll definitely find him plugged in and shredding. I get a concert every night.

And with that, we are back to talking about chicken. With my new job and very long, but temporary, commute I get home a lot later than I did before and some days I just don't feel like standing in the kitchen cooking. Times like these are when I turn to simple braises to make a homey and delicious meal. Chicken is my favorite for braising and it doesn't take as much work as you think. A quick brown in hot oil in a big Dutch oven, some aromatics, and a braising liquid, popped in the oven for an hour or so and dinner is served, without the need for any special appliances or equipment. Braising is a very simple technique- you're simply roasting your meat in a liquid, to add flavor, and to bring on a tenderness that's nearly effortless. You can use almost any liquid to braise- stock or broth, wine, beer or vegetable juice all make delicious braises. Be sure to add aromatics like garlic, onion and herbs to really bring out the flavors. Fresh herbs are often too delicate for a braise, with a couple exceptions- thyme and rosemary work well, most others I prefer using the dried version.

The recipe calls for two cups of wine- basically it's a whole bottle with a swig for the cook *wink wink*, because honestly, we have to check the wine, right? I used a fairly inexpensive Riesling, a 2015 Rheinhessen, the kind in the cute cat bottle. It's not too sweet and it doesn't have that oaky taste I hate in Chardonnays. Riesling and Pinot Grigio are my preferred whites for cooking.

Quick note on the chicken- we bought chicken leg quarters- skin on and bone in. I cut the legs and thighs apart myself and removed the section of backbone that was attached. Not all leg quarters have that backbone attached. For a braised recipe like this you do not want to use boneless skinless chicken, and especially not breasts. You won't get enough flavor. The bones especially add a deeper chicken flavor to the sauce. Trust me on this. Learn to love chicken on the bone.

Monica's Drunken Chicken

4 chicken leg quarters

1 small onion, halved then sliced crosswise

10 cloves garlic, cut in half

2 carrots, sliced

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

salt and pepper

olive oil

2 cups Riesling

Use a sharp knife to cut the thigh and leg apart. If the thighs have the backbone attached, cut that off and discard (or save for stock). Season well with salt and pepper. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chicken, a few pieces at a time, to the pot and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside, repeat with all the chicken.

When chicken pieces are browned, remove and add the onion, garlic and carrot to the pot. Stir to coat with the oil and allow to cook for several minutes until just softened. Add the wine, scraping up the browned bits in the pan, and return the chicken to the pot, nestling down into the wine as much as possible. Place cover on the pot and place in oven. Cook for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Remove chicken pieces from the pot, cover and keep warm. Remove the vegetables with slotted spoon. Bring the juices to boil over high heat and cook until reduced. You can add a couple tablespoons of butter if you like. Serve the chicken and vegetables with roasted potatoes, drizzled with the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

So easy and delicious, it was almost like I did nothing and boom- dinner was on the table. We served the chicken with roasted potatoes for sopping up all that delicious jus in the pot.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Monsieur Bocuse, Bringing Me Back To The Kitchen

Guess who's back? Me! You might not even have noticed, but over the holidays I took an extended break from writing, and cooking. Many of you can relate, but the holiday season is often just TOO crazy for me to manage everything in our schedules and this year was no different. That's all in the rear view mirror now and it's time to get back at it. A number of things have come up since taking a break. I received an invitation to attend the 2018 Iowa Pork Taste of Elegance competition again. Restaurants have open and closed here in Des Moines. New chef friends have come into my life. One of the culinary world's great Master Chefs has passed away. I've added to my collection of Mouli food shredder/slicers. I've become obsessed with china tea sets. Numerous cookbooks have been added to my collection. Lots to talk about, and lots to cook. 

One of the most impactful events for me is the passing of Chef Paul Bocuse on January 20, 2018. I was so saddened to hear this news. Originally from Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, France, Chef Bocuse is widely known as the creator of nouvelle cuisine, and helped shape generations of new chefs, through his incredible Michelin star restaurants. Many of his students have gone on to earn Michelin stars of their own. Many organizations created awards in Chef Bocuse's honor, including the prestigious Bocuse d'Or, a biennial chef competition held in Lyon and is probably the most prestigious competition in the world. Bocuse received a number of honors and awards of his own over the years including the medal as Commander of the Legion d'honneur. 

His most regarded restaurant is L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges near Lyon in France. Bocuse's accomplishments and culinary triumphs are numerous indeed, and include preparing the meals for the maiden flight of the Concorde in 1969 and the world famous soupe aux truffles he served at a Presidential Dinner at the Elysee Palace in 1975. This soup, known as Soup VGE, remains a mainstay in his restaurant today. 

Once I'd heard Chef Bocuse had passed away I immediately hit the cookbook shelves, pulled out some classics, and began reading. I knew this was the kick in the pants I needed to get back to cooking and hit the laptop to share. The vast majority of my cookbooks are newer with contemporary chefs but I do have a few gems in the collection, especially vintage cookbooks and European chefs. This is where the real influence lies for me. Not the current television cooking personality, but in the old time chefs who didn't have time for celebrity instead focusing on classic preparations, the Mother sauces, the roots of cooking. I can lose myself for days in these kinds of cookbooks, almost like textbooks to me.

As soon as the cool weather in October hit, I became obsessed with autumn cooking, and got my heart set on osso buco, so Found myself again looking for this classic recipe in those old books. Authentic osso buco is made with veal shanks. I set off on my quest to track down some veal shanks locally. That's when the whole plan went awry. No luck. So the search went to online sources. What a kick in the reality check- the best price I could find for two, yes only two, pieces of the veal shank was $59.99. Now we love food, we love GOOD food and we will pay the money for something truly exceptional when we want it, but I really had trouble plunking down $30.00 each for a couple pieces of veal shank, so I started to research alternative cuts. The results were interesting. Other chefs were using everything from pork shanks, to venison cuts to pieces of beef chuck roast. Right away I knew I wasn't going to go with pork. That just didn't have the right flavor or consistency of tender veal. Venison? We love venison but for this dish, I had to pass. Beef chuck, however, is easy to come by and much much less expensive, so chuck it is. Once I had all my ingredients purchased, I set about making this slow-braised dish that fills the house with delicious aromas and is perfect for a cold and blustery autumn day. I chose a Cabernet Sauvignon for my red wine. You want a dry red that you would also drink, so don't go with a super cheap wine or "cooking wine"- might as well throw your money away.

Osso Buco

2-4 sections veal shank*

salt and pepper

2 carrots, chopped into 1/4 inch dice

1 large onion, chopped fine

1 stalks celery, chopped into 1/4 inch dice

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bottle dry red wine

4 cups beef broth

olive oil

* Unable to locate veal shanks locally, I used similar sized pieces of beef chuck roast.

Season the meat all over liberally with the salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat and add a couple swirls of olive oil. Sear the meat on both sides. Remove and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pot and add the carrot and celery. Cook, occasionally until starting to caramelize. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and saute a minute or two. Add the tomato paste, stirring to coat the vegetables.

Add the wine and broth to the pot. Bring to boil stirring to loosen any browned bits from the pot. Add the meat back to the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for one hour. Watch and add a little water if necessary. You want the sauce to cook to a rich and thick consistency.

While the osso buco is cooking, prepare the polenta for four servings. Mix Parmesan cheese to taste into the polenta. Serve the polenta in shallow bowls with the meat and sauce on top.

The Littles Come to Visit and Braised Saucy Pork Chops

It's Gramma Day at my house! Actually, it's Slumber Party at Gramma's House today and I'm pretty excited about it. When The Littles, Lucas and Hayla, my adorable youngest grandchildren, who are 6 and 8 respectively, come to visit we know we will be watching lots of kid friendly movies, coloring, and snacking. The kids brought a big stack of movies and I had planned some fun projects for coloring to keep the kids busy.

We made music videos, with the kids playing guitar and singing a song of their choice. Hayla performed a pretty fantastic rendition of Zombie by The Cranberries. I never knew she knew this song! Lucas, who announced "I'm horrible at making sounds" gave his heart and soul in a song that was written by him apparently, a hybrid mix of thrash metal and scratch DJ. Hayla also took a turn as a percussionist, utilizing a single cymbal and a variety of dishes and table surfaces as drums. We watched a movie about Barbie becoming a musketeer and Hocus Pocus, which seemed oddly out of place in February, but fun nonetheless, and munched on popcorn snacks.

While the kids were busy watching movies, I got dinner started. Pork is on the menu tonight and I just happened to get a great deal on boneless pork chops. Iowa is a top notch pork producing state and we always have great availability, awesome options for pork cuts and terrific prices. Unlike the pork of my childhood, which was usually cooked to death and dry, modern pork is tender and juicy and cooks like a dream. Standing at the meat counter yesterday the toughest decision I had to make was bone in or boneless. Now, every good cook will swear that bone in is the way to go. The bones contribute tons of flavor to whatever dish you're cooking. Bones look good on the plate too. Of course, on the other hand, boneless chops tend to cook a little quicker and are just are attractive looking in your finished dish.  It's really a preference- if I am cooking something that requires long slow cooking I always go with bone in, and something that cooks in less than an hour, boneless.

Since I was working with pork I opted to use another Sinful Food olive oil- this time, the Wild Sage. Sage is a natural partner for pork and this infused oil is so flavorful and aromatic. I used the oil to saute the vegetables and sear the chops, and added a teaspoon of crushed dried sage leaves as well for a full and warm sage flavor.

To get your Sinful Food oils and Signature Seasoning, click HERE.

Braised Saucy Pork Chops

6 pork chops

Sinful Food Signature Seasoning

Sinful Food Garlic olive oil

1 small onion

4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried sage leaves

8 oz package mushrooms

1 can golden mushroom condensed soup

1 packet pork gravy mix

1/2 cup dry white wine

fresh parsley

Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, trim stems and slice mushrooms; set aside.

Season the pork chops with the Signature Seasoning. Heat a couple tablespoons garlic olive oil over medium high heat in braiser or Dutch oven. Brown the chops on each side, in batches if necessary. Remove to plate. Add additional oil to pot if needed. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion; cook and stir until softened, sprinkling with Signature Seasoning. 

Add the mushrooms; cook and stir until browned. Add garlic and crumbled sage leaves and cook for one minute.

Deglaze the pot with the wine. Stir in the soup and about 1/2 cup water and return the pork chops to the pot. Cover tightly and braise until the chops are tender, about 30-45 minutes, or pop the Dutch oven into a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

When the chops are done, remove from pot with vegetables.  In a small bowl, mix the gravy packet with a couple tablespoons of water. Stir into the sauce in the pot. Cook and stir until thickened. Return the chops and vegetables; heat through.

Serve over buttered noodles, mashed potatoes or polenta, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

Normally The Chef moans and groans when I force him to eat polenta. He has not yet embraced it the same way I have. This time, however, he really liked the polenta with the rich and mushroomy pork gravy. He even had seconds. I'll get him on board sooner or later!

Sunday we had a very exciting day! We got up early and had breakfast then made some very colorful Easter Eggs to hang in the windows at their house. When it got closer to lunch time we got a call from my daughter Laurie who invited us to brunch at Malo, our favorite Latin restaurant. Brunch with the kids was fun. They made good choices from the buffet and ate all their food. They also enjoyed some fruit and cookies dipped in the chocolate fountain. The Littles had chocolate beards and mustaches! We had a great weekend at Gramma's house. I can't wait to do it again.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." As a Brand Ambassador, the company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift or something of value. Regardless,  I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Kicked Up Home Cooking- Flat iron steak gets boozy

Sorry, more braising.  Actually, I am not really sorry. Since my recent reintroduction to braising I just cannot stop. Better not stand around my kitchen too long- you're going to end up in a pot with garlic, onions, mushrooms and a liquor of some sort!

I had quite a giggle over a recent post on Wini Moranville's blog Chez Bonne Femme. She prepared this recipe from Molly Stevens' cookbook All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking using flat iron steaks but mentioned the old standards of my childhood- top round steak and cubed steak. I remember my mother laboring over the cutting board, pounding the life out of round steak and then cooking it for hours. Sometimes it turned out tender, but most of the time it was just dry and chewy. I can't remember the last time I have seen one of those big platter-sized round steaks in the meat department. I don't really miss them. Flat iron steaks are the new kid in town and I'm going to give this recipe a try myself. The pictures on Wini's blog are mouth watering and the ingredients have everything I love- butter, onion, herbs, mushrooms and a splash of sherry. Boozy braising is right up my alley! Here is the recipe from Chez Bonne Femme-

Smothered Flat-iron Steaks with Mushrooms and Onions

Adapted from All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking

Serves 4

4 3/4 to 1 inch thick boneless flat-iron steaks (you might have to cut 2 large steaks into 4 portions)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound cremini or baby bella mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 large yellow onion (about 3/4 lb), sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

Using a meat mallet (or the bottom of a heavy saucepan), pound the steaks one at a time between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap until about 1/2 inch thick. Season both sides of each steak with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the steaks with flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat the olive oil in a braiser over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook the meat, turning as needed, until nicely browned on both sides, but not cooked through, about 8 minutes total. Remove the steaks from the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the braiser, and when it is melted, add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring as needed, until the liquid they release has mostly evaporated and they've started to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.

Return the braiser to the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter; when the butter has melted, add the onions, thyme, and paprika; lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onions are tender but not brown, about 8 minutes. Add the sherry; bring to a boil while stirring to loosen the browned bits clinging the the bottom of the pan.

Reduce the heat to simmering; return the mushrooms and their juices to the pan and stir to combine. Tuck the steaks and any juices into the mushroom-onion mixture, covering the steaks with some of the mushrooms and onions. Cover the pan and allow to simmer. After a few minutes, make sure that the liquid is at a gentle simmer and adjust the heat as needed. Simmer for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until the steaks are fork tender.

Transfer the steaks to a serving platter, but leave the mushrooms and onions in the pan. Increase the heat to a boil and allow the liquid to reduce to a sauce-like consistency. Season to taste, then spoon the sauce over the steaks. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Doesn't this sound absolutely delicious? So I am going to make it. Of course, that means a Foodie Field Trip to the city to get flat iron steaks and cremini mushrooms. I have cooked with so many different cuts of meat over the years but honestly don't think flat iron steaks have ever been in my kitchen. First time for everything, right? So let's go shopping.......

Back in the kitchen- let's do this! I'm going to start out by prepping my vegetables and have them ready to go. No time for slicing and dicing later when a hot pan is waiting on you, so slicing the onion......

pounding the steaks, seasoning, dredging and all that good stuff.......

and now we are ready to heat our pan. I will be using a Dutch oven because I don't have a braiser pan yet but it will work great in this recipe. The first step is heating the oil and browning the steaks. A nice sear is all you need, you don't want to cook them completely at this stage. Remove to a plate and set aside. I use the upside down lid of my Dutch oven- saves a dish to wash later.

Onions come next and smell oh so good when they're cooking. Look at all that delicious fond building up on the bottom of the pot.

Mushrooms- out here in the country the only thing available was plain old white button mushrooms, but they work just fine. Slice them thickly for a heartier bite. Add the sherry to the pot and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom- those are the tastiest bits in the world and make the best sauce.

Make a cozy little spot in the onions to nestle the steaks for braising. I added 2 cups of beef stock to the pot so we would have lots of leftover pan juices. Cover and let the magic happen.

In just about an hour, you have a pot full of amazing.

I roasted some parsnips and carrots since I had the oven on (warming the house on this cold day) and even managed to slip a dessert in there to bake. The Chef was suitably impressed with this French-style dinner. We had plenty of the delicious beefy juices left over, I chopped up the remaining roasted veggies and tomorrow we'll be recycling that delicious pot into some lovely vegetable soup.

Remember, to get your own copy of Wini's wonderful cookbooks, click HERE. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A chill is in the air, time to heat up the oven

Someone has created a monster. Like me. A braising monster. Frankenbraise? Count Braiseula? I cannot stop myself. I now look at everything in the cupboard, grocery store, freezer, and try to figure out how to include it in a braising recipe. I'm not kidding! Of course, this means that I have to drive back to the city for some really special ingredients to make a really special dish. 

Some days the grocery store is like Disneyland!

I managed to get a great deal on some boneless beef ribs (marked boneless beef short ribs) from our local market, but like I said, the produce section is often sorely lacking variety, and I had some ideas already going in my brain. A road trip to the city is in order. So that's exactly what I did. Braising beef in wine is always the right thing to do so Merlot went in the basket (good deal on a bottle). I wanted something other than the plain old white mushroom too, so grabbed a couple varieties and kept wandering. Ohhhhhhh great deal on a ceramic skillet, which is something I have been wanting for a white, so I pick up one in a cool platinum color. Some baby bok choy, Peruvian purple potatoes, shishito peppers, a trip to the olive bar (of course....) artisan bread, some other things for other recipes this week and off I go.

Ready to go in the oven

Now mind you, all of these things are not for this recipe today. I have a few things to work on this week so I figured it's the best time to get just what I needed while I was at the BIG store. Mascarpone and orecchiette will make a magical pasta dish. Shishito peppers, beautiful olives and white Vermont cheddar with Hatch chilies will make great nibbles and with the cooler temps, and I have another lush soup to put together this week. Those Peruvian purple potatoes are going to make a simple fish dish a little more special.

Any day I get to use the Le Creuset is of course, a good day! If you don't have a Dutch oven, you seriously need to get one. You don't have to plunk down a ton of cash either. Lodge brand makes a great cast iron Dutch oven that's under fifty dollars and as cast iron, will last a lifetime if you season and care for it properly. While I wish I had an actual braiser pan, a Dutch oven subs nicely, and is perfect for lots of great dishes.

Getting ready to braise- the beef snuggled down in the herby
wine with bacon, smothered with leeks and mushrooms

Alright, so let's talk about our ingredients. I will be using-

• boneless beef ribs (also called country style ribs) 6 to 8 pieces
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 lb assorted fresh mushrooms
• 3 leeks
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• butter
• flour
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups Merlot 
• 2 tbs chopped sun dried tomato or tomato paste
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried, crumbled
• 2 lay leaves
• 2 tsp chopped fresh marjoram or 1 tsp dried, crumbled

Wipe the mushrooms clean. Trim off the dried stem end and discard. Remove stems if desired (reserve for soup or sauce). Slice the mushrooms thickly. Set aside.

I used a mix of button, baby bella and cremini mushrooms

Peel the outer tough leaves of the leeks. We will need the white part with just a small bit if the green part, so cut that off and discard. Trim the roots of the leeks but leave them intact. Slice the leeks lengthwise and rinse thoroughly to make sure there is no sand (leeks can be pretty gritty). If your leeks are big giant leeks like I had  you can cut them into quarters lengthwise.

Leaving the root intact holds the leek together while cooking

In a small dish place about 1/2 cup or so of flour. Season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides.

Save yourself a dish to wash- use the meat wrapping to hold
the flour- then just throw away when you're finished.

Cut the bacon into pieces- a little larger than "lardons" but not quite an inch wide- about the width of your finger. 

Cook the bacon in the Dutch oven until crispy and brown- no soggy flabby bacon allowed! Remove to paper towel to drain.

It doesn't look like much but a little bacon goes a long way

In the same pot with the bacon fat we are going to brown the beef. Dredge the beef in the flour and brown in the hot pan. Sear the meat quickly without cooking through. Remove to a plate as you get them browned. Don't crowd them in the pot- they won't brown, they will just steam and become mushy and not brown and seared.

After meat is browned, add a tablespoon each of oil and butter if needed. Place the leeks in the pot cut side down and cook until slightly browned. Flip them over and cook another minute or two. Remove to plate with the meat. 

Turn the leeks with tongs for easy handling.

Again, add another tablespoon each of butter and oil to pot. Add half the mushrooms; cook and stir until mushrooms are browned and any liquid has evaporated. Remove to bowl and repeat with other half of mushrooms. Remove to bowl.

Add garlic and herbs to pot, cook and stir for just a minute. You don't want the garlic to brown. 

Look at all the delicious fond in the bottom of the pot. A
quick deglaze and it's part of the sauce.

Add the wine to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring to lift up the crusty browned bits. Boil for a couple minutes to reduce slightly. Return the beef and bacon to the pot, followed by the vegetables. 

Deglazing a pot is probably the most important step in making
a beautifully flavored dish. So much deliciousness clinging to
the bottom of the pot. Use it!

Cover and place in 300 degree oven. Slowly braise for 2-3 hours until the meat is tender. Check once or twice and add a splash of beef broth if needed. 

Remove meat and vegetables from pot and place in serving bowl. 

Once you carefully remove the leeks, beef and mushrooms you will have the most beautiful, flavorful jus on the planet. It doesn't look anything like the wine it was to begin with. The vegetables and meat have added their own juices to the wine and now you have a ready made sauce. Bring cooking liquid to boil and reduce by half. 

Look at all those little bits of garlic, herbs, bacon, sun dried
tomatoes and all the cooking juices.

Serve meat and vegetables with mashed potatoes with sauce and lots of crusty bread for dipping.

Very easy. Very delicious. Very French. Bon appetit!

Grilling up some delicious !!

Chances are, when you think about Iowa the first thing you think about is pigs or corn. That's ok, Iowan's have a proud heritage rooted in agriculture and feeding the world. We are the home of the World Food Prize.  Iowa averages around forty million hogs a year, which amounts to about one-third of the nation's total hog production. That is A LOT of bacon! But we're not cooking bacon today, we are cooking up some pork chops!

This summer a very exciting opportunity came my way- a chance at a partnership with the Iowa Pork Producers. My assignment? Pick one of over 2,000 pork recipes from the website, prepare it, and then tell everyone about it. Included in the deal were some great gifts and coupons to pay for the pork. How's that for a great opportunity?

Cooking is such a passion of mine. It's an art form, a way to express myself in a way that is unique to me. It's a science. Recipes are formulas. Some work, some don't. It's a hobby. Canning, baking and recipe development are things I enjoy working on. And for some, it's a career. It was so hard for me to pick just one recipe. Just think how many different cuts of pork are available. Roasting, broiling, grilling, smoking- it took me three days to decide.

One recipe beckoned to me. It spoke to me. It said "Hey Monica........I have Riesling in my ingredients."  How can I say no to that? Riesling is my favorite wine of all wines. Maybe it's my German heritage. Whatever the case, I knew this recipe was the one. So off to collect the ingredients I went. Beautiful boneless pork loin chops, a little on the thick cut side, fit the bill perfectly. Fresh lemon, some beautiful organic vegetables to serve alongside, and a great bottle of German Riesling and I was ready to cook! 

A quick note about cooking with wine- always, always, always choose a wine you would drink, maybe even with the same meal. Don't go cheap because it's "just for cooking" and never EVER choose cooking wine. If you are taking the time to prepare a wonderful meal, don't ruin it with junky wine. I chose Barefoot Riesling because it's less sweet than others, great for cooking, and I actually enjoy drinking it- it's a good sipping wine.

So let's talk about the recipe. I chose Carolina Riesling Pork Chops

The ingredients are:

• 8 top loin pork chops, about 1/2 inch thick
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper, coarsely ground
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 12 cloves garlic, minced (2 tablespoons)
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups dry Riesling
• 3 TB fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

The method:

Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add half the chops. Brown chops quickly for 1-2 minutes. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Add remaining oil and brown the remaining chops. Remove from skillet. 

Reduce heat to medium low, add garlic to skillet. Cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until tender and moist. 

Remove skillet from heat. Add Riesling and lemon juice to mushrooms, return skillet to heat. Return chops to pan, bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover, gently simmer on low heat for 30 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Stir in cream. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.

I served the pork chops with roasted potatoes and steamed fresh green beans. I also used some chopped fresh parsley when finishing the sauce. I found it easier to remove the chops when I added the cream- it was easier to stir the sauce. And of course, I served the remaining Riesling with dinner- it was perfect!

The pork chops were so tender and delicious. I'm so glad I chose a thicker cut, they didn't dry out during cooking and stayed juicy. The sauce was creamy and mushroomy and the Riesling added the perfect acidic element to tone down the richness of the cream. The garlic added the perfect touch and I chose baby portobello mushrooms because they have a bit of an earthy flavor, a little more depth than white mushrooms. The chopped fresh parsley was the bright herbal touch I wanted to achieve.

These days pork is a whole different meat than a generation ago. The old cooked-to-death dried up pork chops are a thing of the past. Leaner and healthier, today's pork should be cooked to 145 degrees and rested for 3 minutes before serving. This keeps the pork juicy and delicious. In this particular recipe the chops were so tender and so flavorful with the Riesling adding a nice fruity flavor to the sauce- not in a sweet way, but in a "winey" way. Pork goes perfect with mushrooms too. The mushrooms add an earthy note to the dish, and garlic- you can never go wrong with garlic!    

Now.......for the FUN part- the giveaway!!! The Iowa Pork Producers Association has put together a fun giveaway pack for me to send to one lucky reader. So fire up your grills, and get ready to cook something amazing.

The prize package includes:

• $50 in pork coupons
• A 3-piece grilling tool set
• A bottle of Iowa-made barbeque sauce
• "Pork. Be Inspired" grilling apron
• Meat Thermometer (to help you grill that pork to 145 degrees)

I'd like to give a BIG thank you to the Iowa Pork Producers for this wonderful partnership opportunity and for providing the pork for this recipe. I will be making many, many more recipes from the website.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*****NOTE: Contest limited to US residents, please.

Original recipe can be found on the Iowa Pork Producers' Website by clicking here-  http://www.porkbeinspired.com/RecipeDetail/1563/Carolina_Riesling_Pork_Chops.aspx