Still not sure what to do for Christmas dinner? Tired of the same roast beef, chicken and ham? Try something a little different this year Braised Pork Ribs. Pork ribs make the most delicious pasta sauce, and succulent as it slides
off the bone tender, juicy and flavourful. They are delicious with or without the pasta,
as you wish.
Or, try mouth-watering
Oven-Braised Pork Chops with Red Onions and Pears, then finish the meal with a soothing fruit compote a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays with your family.
Oven-Braised Pork Chops
with Red Onions and Pears
2 cups balsamic vinegar
3 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled
4 centre-cut pork rib chops,
each about 12 ozs. and 1 1/4
inches thick
1 large red onion, cut into
8 wedges
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 ripe but firm Bosc pears,
peeled,
cored and each cut into
8 wedges
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsps. honey
METHOD
In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat to a gentle boil and boil until the vinegar is syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet with a flameproof handle over medium-high heat. Whack garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and scatter over oil. Cook, shaking the skillet, until brown, about 2 minutes. Lay the pork chops in and cook until the underside is browned, about 6 minutes. Remove and reserve the garlic cloves if they become more than deep golden brown before the chops are fully browned.
Turn the chops, tuck the onion wedges into the pan and continue cooking until the second side of the chops is browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. About halfway through browning the second side, tuck the pear wedges in between the chops.
Stir the red wine vinegar and honey together in a small bowl, until the honey is dissolved. Pour the mixture into the skillet and bring to a vigorous boil. Return the garlic cloves to the skillet if you have removed them. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until onions and pears are tender and the juices from the pork are a rich, syrupy dark brown, about 30 minutes. Once or twice during roasting, turn the chops and redistribute the onions and pears. Handle the skillet carefully -- it will be extremely hot.
Remove skillet from the oven. Place a chop in the centre of each warmed serving plate. Check the seasoning of the onion-pear mixture, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Spoon the pears, onion and pan juices around the chops. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar reduction around the edge of the plate.
Makes 4 servings.
The sugar in the honey used to braise this pork chop helps to caramelise the pork, onion and pears.
Braised Pork Ribs with Rigatoni
1 whole rack (about 4 lbs.) pork spare ribs
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, sliced (about 3 cups)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
6 whole pickles, quartered
2 (35-oz.) cans Italian plum tomatoes with
their liquid, seeded and crushed
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme
2 to 3 cups hot water, or as needed
1 lb. rigatoni (pasta that looks like
little tubes)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
(or use Parmesan)
METHOD
Cut the rack of spare ribs between the bones into single ribs (or ask your butcher to do this for you). Season the rib pieces with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy braising pan over medium heat. Add as many of the ribs as will fit without touching. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Remove the ribs, drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining ribs. Adjust the temperature throughout the browning so the fat in the pan is sizzling, but the pieces of pork that stick to the pan don't burn.
Pour off all but about 4 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the onions, garlic and whole pickles and cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted and caramelised, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil, scraping the pan to loosen the brown bits stuck to the bottom. Tuck the spare ribs into the tomato sauce, season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Adjust the heat to simmering and cook, turning the spare ribs in the sauce occasionally, until the ribs are fork-tender, about 2 hours.
Ladle some of the hot water into the casserole from time to time as necessary to keep the ribs covered with liquid.
To serve: If you wish to serve with pasta, when the ribs are almost tender, heat 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot. Stir the rigatoni into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 10 minutes.
Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and spoon in enough of the spare rib sauce to generously coat the pasta. Toss in the parsley and bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, tossing to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 2/3 cup grated cheese.
Transfer the pasta to a warm platter or individual plates and top with the spare ribs. Spoon a little of the remaining sauce over the pasta and serve immediately, passing additional sauce and, if you like, grated cheese separately.
Makes 6 servings.
Fruit Compote
6 cups water (divided use)
2 1/3 cups sugar (divided use)
1/2 vanilla bean
2 Granny Smith (or other tart) apples
2 cups white wine
Zest (in strips) of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 stick cinnamon
4 firm but ripe (American) pears, Bosc preferably
1 cup dried apricots, cut in slices
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup golden raisins
METHOD
Begin by poaching the apples: Make a syrup of 2 cups of the water, 1 cup of the sugar and vanilla bean in a non-corroding saucepan. Peel and quarter the apple and add it to the syrup. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook, barely simmering, for about 2 1/2 hours. If necessary, add a bit more water to the poaching liquid if it evaporates.
When cooked, chill the apple in its poaching liquid. After cool, core the quince and slice into smaller pieces.
Poach the pears: Make a syrup of the white wine, remaining 4 cups water and 1 1/3 cups sugar, lemon zest and juice, and cinnamon stick. Halve, peel and core the pears. Put them into the syrup and cook, barely simmering and covered, for 15 minutes.
Add the dried fruits and continue to cook until the pears are tender and translucent but not falling apart. Cool. Add the apple slices and enough of the apple liquid to make the syrup a light pink.
This compote can be served warm or cold with ice cream and cookies or a simple cake.
