As much as I don’t like to admit it, my approach to cooking probably reflects my personality and general approach to life, which has always been a bit…all or nothing. I’m either standing in a hot kitchen for 10 consecutive hours combining a bunch of ingredients I’ve never seen before into a science experiment until I push myself to the limits of my emotional and physical bandwidth, or I’m barely reheating old rice in a pan and eating it with a fried egg on top (i.e., I was too lazy to poach one). This past weekend, I found myself creating packets of Thai prawn curry in banana leaves and cooking them on a charcoal grill in 90 degree heat and then churning my own ice cream, thickened the old fashioned way with gum mastic and flavored with rosewater and cardamom. At 8pm on Sunday, as I watched the ice cream going around and around in my mixer, my roommate heard me whisper, “I think I overcommitted again.”
As you can imagine, this happens a lot. The outcome varies. Sometimes it’s really worth it (last weekend’s food was really incredible), and sometimes it is absolutely not. I’m also terrible at dealing with heat and humidity, which makes summertime cooking projects very tricky. So what I’m trying to work on is my ability to evaluate where I’m at, so to speak, before choosing my adventure in the kitchen, so I can make sure they line up. And when it’s 90 degrees and I don’t have 8 hours of free time, I’m trying to incorporate some recipes that are still delicious, but not over the top.
Like this pork, for example! It is a pretty quick meal, but still interesting and makes you feel accomplished. The pork is pounded thin and marinated in turmeric, yogurt and honey. Then it’s cooked in a pan until it gets crispy and a little charred (yum). And to brighten up the entire thing and make it appropriately summery, it’s topped with a raw salad (you’ll need a mandoline for this, raw beets are otherwise tricky and not delicious).
I’m not fully there yet on implementing these types of “in-between” recipes, but I’ve got a few in my back pocket. And as much as I like to look down sometimes on what I consider “dumbed down” or “inauthentic” recipes from cooking magazines, I do really love Food & Wine for dinners that are simpler than my usual projects. I’ve let my subscription to Bon Appetit expire because I wasn’t enjoying reading the issues anymore, but their recipes are generally even simpler and sometimes just the thing for a weeknight or a Sunday when you don’t have it in you. Because sometimes you just don’t!
It can be a challenge to cut the pork shoulder into "cutlets" but it helps if you freeze the meat partially first.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), fat trimmed to 1/4 inch, cut into 4 pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled turmeric or ½ ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice, divided
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 small beets, scrubbed, thinly sliced
- 3 small carrots, preferably with tops, tops reserved, carrots scrubbed, cut on a diagonal
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Pound pork between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to ¼" thick; season with kosher salt and pepper. Whisk garlic, turmeric, yogurt, honey, and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a small bowl; season with kosher salt and pepper. Place cutlets in a large resealable bag. Add yogurt mixture, seal bag, and toss to coat. Let sit at least 10 minutes.
- Remove cutlets from marinade, letting excess drip off. Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high; cook 2 cutlets until browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer pork to a platter. Wipe out skillet; repeat with remaining cutlets and 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil.
- Toss beets, carrots, carrot tops (if using), chives, olive oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with kosher salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve pork topped with salad and sprinkled with sea salt.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2018/08/09/honey-turmeric-pork-with-beet-and-carrot-salad/
