Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Apple Pecan Pork With Chicken "Porc Au Coq"

APPLE PECAN “PORC AU COQ”
Yield: Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients:



For the brine (optional)
2 tablespoons Himalayan salt
4 cups (scant 1 L) water
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1 pork loin, about 1¾ pounds (800 g)
3/4 pound (340 g) skinless, boneless chicken breast
3 tablespoons ghee, (store-bought or homemade), divided
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup raw pecans, finely chopped
1 red apple, sliced paper-thin
*
Directions:
The previous night, make the brine, if using*: Dissolve the salt in the water and place the pork loin and chicken breast in the solution.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Remove the meat from the brine and pat it real dry.

Slice the pork loin into a flat rectangle. To do that, lay it on your cutting board with the short end facing you. Hold your knife parallel to the work surface and begin cutting along the long side, about ½ inch (1.25 cm) above the underside of the roast. Continue slicing inward, pulling the meat back with your free hand, unrolling the loin as you go.

Now cover the butterflied pork loin with plastic wrap and, with the help of a meat mallet or small saucepan, pound the loin all over to flatten it into an evenly ½-inch (1.25-cm)-thick rectangle.

Spread 2 tablespoons of the ghee over the entire surface of the pork loin. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, fresh herbs and chopped pecans, then top with apple slices. I strongly recommend that you use a mandolin to get those slices really really thin as they need to be highly pliable. If you didn’t have a mandoline, you could also use a sharp chef's knife, but make sure you slice that apple as thinly as you possibly can.

Place the chicken breast right in the center of the pork loin and fold both ends of the roast up and over it as tight as you can.


Flip the roast over and tie it securely with butcher's twine in 1½-inch (4-cm) intervals, then run another piece of twine across the entire length of the roast. 

Transfer the roast to a baking dish, dab the remaining tablespoon of ghee over the top and sprinkle with the herbs and nuts that fell out at the time of rolling. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, basting from time to time with a basting brush

Remove the roast from the oven, tent loosely with aluminium foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes, then slice and serve . 

This dish will keep for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, simply slice it up and panfry it in a skillet over medium heat.

Photos and recipe from The Healthy Foodie

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