Jack asks Frederic to teach her how to make succulent, juicy pan roasted pork chops with a quick apple chutney on the side.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Vegetable peeler
Chef’s knife
Microwave-safe bowl
Microwave
Measuring spoons
Large oven-proof skillet
Tongs
Cutting board
Aluminum foil
Pepper mill
Flat spatula
Dry measuring cups
Instant-read thermometer
Tips:Cooking thin vs. thick pork chops:
Pan-frying, grilling, or broiling are best cooking methods for pork chops.
Look for chops cut 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Thinner chops are more prone to drying out.
Thin chops need some protection; breading is a good way of insulating the meat and keeping the juices inside. A thick spice rub or a marinade serves a similar purpose, and also adds some flavor.
Searing, tenting, and resting meat:
Searing is a very high-heat, fast cooking method used to brown the exterior of the meat and produce a nice crisp crust; searing adds flavor to meat and seals in the juices.
Tent meat to keep it warm while resting, but don’t let foil touch meat, as this affects crust and does not give it the room it needs to rest.
Meat needs to rest so that the juices redistribute throughout the piece of meat. If you cut into the meat immediately, you lose at least half of its juices.
Cooking with apples:
Macintosh, Fuji, Granny Smith, Rome Beauty, Empire, and Golden Delicious varieties are all good for cooking.
A high sugar content and a high acid content are both desired, as well as an apple that holds it shape when cooked.
Recipe Rescues:Dry Pork Chops – Briefly simmer in a little broth or cooking liquid to re-moisten the interior. Remember that carry-over cooking will raise the internal temperature of the chops several degrees, so next time remove from heat sooner.
Mushy Apples – Cooking them (like in the chutney) is the best way to use mushy apples. When selecting apples for cooking, choose ones that feel rock hard and do not have any brown spots or blemished areas.
Oil Begins Smoking – Take it off of the heat and let it cool down before adding pork chops. Make sure the chops are dry before adding them to the pan; any amount of water will make the oil spatter.
Pan Begins Burning – Transfer the chops to a new skillet, or remove them to a platter while you clean the pan. Add more oil, and then continue searing. If you have finished searing, finish cooking them in the oven in a new oven-safe pan or platter.
Pork Chops Curl/Cook Unevenly – Keep them flat while cooking by gently pressing down with a flat spatula. Look for chops with even thickness throughout.
With help from Frederic, Jack learns how to make the ultimate comfort food, Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Pepper mill
Large Dutch oven with lid
Measuring spoons
Tongs
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Can opener
Dry measuring cups
Liquid measuring cup
Sheet pan
Aluminum foil
Ladle
Vegetable peeler
Instant-read thermometer
Wooden spoon
Carving knife
Tips:Cuts of meat for a pot roast:
Pot-roasting is all about taking large cuts of cheap, tough meat and turning them tender, flavorful and succulent.
A moist, tender pot roast starts with choosing the proper cut of beef. You are looking for something that is well-marbled with fat and connective tissue. Cuts from the shoulder are ideally suited for the job.
Ideal cuts of meat for a pot roast include: beef chuck roast, 7-bone blade roast, beef bottom round rump roast, and beef chuck top blade boneless roast Boneless (also known as top chuck roast).
Searing:
Searing is a very high-heat, fast cooking method used to brown the exterior of the meat and produce a nice crisp crust.
Searing adds flavor to meat and seals in the juices.
Tenting and resting meat:
Tent meat to keep it warm while resting, but don’t let foil touch meat, as this affects crust and does not give it the room it needs to rest.
Meat needs to rest so that the juices redistribute throughout the piece of meat. If you cut into the meat immediately, you lose at least half of its juices.
Cooking with red wine:
Do not cook with any wine that you would not drink.
Choose a dry red wine, with some body and depth.
Zinfandels yield smooth, full-bodied sauces.
Cote du Rhones and Cabernet Sauvignons are also good choices for pot-roasting.
Recipe Rescues:If the roast sticks to the pan when searing - Use tongs to carefully lift meat and turn it. Next time, use a little more oil, and make sure heat is at least medium-high.If the sauce is not thick enough - Make a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water, add it to the sauce, and bring it to a boil.If your vegetables are mushy - They are overcooked. Mash or puree them and serve. Next time, make sure oven temperature is high (450 degrees F), and roast until just caramelized and tender.
Two guys, two grills, two barbecue recipes and a great big party, full of food. There's a whole lot of smokin' going on in this neighborhood battle of the barbeques. Blindfolds optional as the rest of the block judges these easy recipes for themselves.
Gameplan
Week before cookoff:
Make Mint Julep
Day before cookoff:
Prepare Espresso Barbeque Sauce
1 hour before cookoff:
Season ribs to go with Espresso Barbeque sauce
Stack ribs and ‘oven braise’ for 2 hours
1/2 hour before cookoff:
Light coals for barbeque or heat gas grill
Make spice rub for Beer Barbeque ribs
Season Beer Barbeque ribs with spice rub
Poach Beer Barbeque ribs in beer and stock for 15 minutes
Cookoff:
Put Beer Barbeque ribs on grill to smoke for 2 hours
Prepare Beer Barbeque sauce
1/2 hour before dinner:
Put Espresso Barbeque ribs on grill and baste with sauce repeatedly
Baste Beer Barbeque ribs with sauce repeatedly
Cut and grill avocados
Assemble ‘Grilled Avocado and Tomato Salad’
Wine Recommendation
Garguilo Vineyard Pinot Grigio