October | 2013 | lamonsakusina

And the Canadian Thanksgiving is finally over, and I never had the chance to celebrate it. I was up in my neck preparing three Turkeys with all the fixings at work and by the time the celebration was upcoming, the day just went by so quickly that when I woke-up the following day, the week was nearly over. I felt the exhaustion two days later. I did everything in break-neck speed when I had not supposed to.

Anyway, I really didn’t bother, but I looked for something special at the grocery a week before to celebrate Thanksgiving by myself without really going to the Turkeys. I contemplated on doing a Turkey Breast, initially, but when I saw the thick veal chops on display again, I took two immediately and froze them until I was ready for my own celebration.

I’m still exhausted until today and I think this would go on until the holidays. I really don’t have any recollection of Thanksgiving with family and friends. Manila doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving in these modern, digital times; moreso when I was growing up. Here’s one thing though. When I last visited Manila between 2008 and 2010, a neighbour baked a whole Turkey as his main for Christmas Eve. It was definitely nouveau to Filipinos who has not had a Thanksgiving Turkey, and I’m sure it was an expensive bird. I was surprised it even existed there. I didn’t touch it. I went for the steamed rice and Pork BBQ. That was my Christmas dinner to match the wine that was served, of course. I’m sure they were staring at me for some reason. Didn’t care less. I was a happy man with the BBQ.

Ingredients:

Veal Chops
Olive Oil
Onions
Garlic, minced to paste
Tomatoes (as garnish)
Honey
White Wine
Beef Stock (Veal Stock or demi)
Oregano (Italian & Spanish)
Lemon juice
Evaporated Milk
Flour
Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper
Cornstarch Solution

Eggplant Marinade:

Olive Oil
Rosemary
Crushed Chili Peppers
Salt & Pepper

Marinate the veal chops in Olive oil, Lemon, Oregano and Salt & Pepper overnight. Coat the chops in seasoned flour and sear both sides until golden brown. Transfer in a baking pan and finish off in a pre-heated 350’C oven.

Saute the onions and garlic on the same pan and deglaze with white wine. Add the beef stock and boil to simmer. Strain in a sauce pan. Reduce to a third and add some honey. Adjust the sauce consistency with the cornstarch solution.

Slice the eggplant as thinly as possible. Marinade and grill in the seasoned grill pan. Set aside.

Set the eggplants on the plate before placing the veal chop. Drizzle the sauce before serving and sprinkle with diced tomatoes and oregano.

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It’s that time of the year again when Turkeys are flooding the supermarket shelves selling for cheap. I don’t have anything against Turkeys per se, but when I see them out for sale, I know the weekend ahead will be brutally painful and stressful. I’m already feeling the heat as early as last week and that, coupled with other factors affecting my already tattered lifestyle, I have no complaints at all. I enjoy having a busy and productive career (if you can even call it at that) and it makes me all the more challenged to improve myself in whatever targets I may have set by year’s end. I just wished I had more stamina and strength to do other things. Things that were dislodged between 2008- 2010 which I have lined-up several years before that. Surprisingly, 2013 is coming to a sudden, halting close, and another new year beckons, hopefully and probably into straight, constant and undisturbed 52 weeks ahead.

This recipe came out of scrimmaging whatever I could find in my fridge. It isn’t exactly my Thanksgiving Dinner, but I think it’s worth noting. It’s applicable to any kinds of cut, including a Turkey Breast. It has a French Bistro Style flair into it , which I myself, was immensely surprised after tasting it. The pork broth I used was from my ‘Sliced Cold Pork’ dish which I added for that extra interesting and intriguing flavour. I haven’t posted this dish after abruptly ending my Szechuan Series, but I would a little later. ‘Tis a season of celebration and the upcoming series would present such. The Soy Sauces made the flavour taste into something unusual.

The broth was a substitute for a demi, which many French Bistros use for their sauces. I didn’t bother. I wanted to clear-up my fridge and I was craving for some sort of gravy-looking sauce that would match my rice (ala Fried Chicken).

Ingredients:

Chicken Thigh
Olive Oil
Oregano
Maple Syrup
French Brandy
Honey Dijon Mustard
Lemon Juice
Evaporated Milk
Butter (Optional)
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Truffle Salt (Optional)
Green Onion
Garlic
Flour & Cornstarch (for Dredging)

Pork Broth (Sliced Cold Pork Dish):

Porkloin, coated & marinated in Sweet Bean Sauce
Star Anise
Szechuan Pepper
Black Peppercorns
Dark Soy Sauce
Light Soy Sauce
Shaoxing Cooking Wine

Season the Chicken thigh with olive oil, sea salt and oregano, and dredge in a cornstarch and flour combination.

Heat enough oil in a saute pan until smoking point and pan-fry the chicken until golden on both sides. Transfer into a baking pan and finish off in a pre-heated 350’C oven. Tent with a tin foil when done.

Remove the sauté pan from heat, deglaze with brandy, add the garlic, maple syrup, honey-Dijon mustard, sea salt and ground black. Sprinkle with flour and add the pork broth. Continue stirring until a smooth roux is formed. Adjust the consistency with more broth or water. Pour the evaporated milk and finish off with lemon juice to shine. When an appropriate consistency has been achieved, sprinkle with Truffle Salt.

Garnish with slivered green onions. Sprinkle with more oregano and pimenton (or paprika) before serving.

lamonsakusina

Monthly Archives: October 2013

Pan-Seared Veal Chop in Oregano and White Wine Sauce

Pan-Fried Chicken in Mustard Cream Sauce

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