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Psst: Pork-Stuffed Baguettes; Pass 'Em On!
Photo by MICHELLE BAKER
Through some Cuban influences, this roast pork inside a baguette is adapted for Tampa tastes.
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Published: September 30, 2008
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Do you remember playing the game telephone as a kid? You know, Billy whispered something into Sally's ear, Sally told Ryan, Ryan told Beth, and so on and so on. By the time it got to you, it was the furthest thing removed from what Billy originally said.
"Peanut butter and jelly" could easily turn into "Mrs. Peterson smells funny." You would laugh hysterically and come close to wetting your tiny little OshKoshes, then do it all over again.
Making a recipe you found in some book or, say, in a newspaper, is no different. You laugh hysterically and pee your pants! OK, well not really, but the recipe does transform. You make it slightly different, and then serve it up to some good friends who love it so much they must have the recipe and, in turn, slightly alter it.
That's how the recipe below came to be.
Michelle was taking in her daily dose of drool at www.tastespotting.com when she came to a beautiful picture of a pork loin roasted inside a loaf of bread. The pork was inside the bread. AMAZING! She followed the link to a blog called Once Upon a Plate, whose author had discovered a Tuscan recipe from a woman named Joanne Weir.
Originally the recipe called for fresh Tuscan herbs, but we thought making it Tampa-style would be so fitting. Italian, Spanish and Cuban immigrants founded us, right? We took a Cuban turn and used Mojo Criollo to marinade the pork and added some caramelized sweet onions for good measure. The result? Possibly the simplest and greatest recipe ever.
Having a game-day party, dinner party, baby shower or picnic? Make this and pass it on!
Speaking of twisting themes, we met the reigning king. Go to www.culinary sherpas.com to watch our interview with Richard Blais of "Top Chef Season 3" and Carlos Fernandez of "Top Chef Season 2." Add a comment and be entered to win a Richard Blais and Carlos Fernandez autographed "Top Chef" cookbook. We LOVE our Tribune readers, so just mention Tribune in your comment and we'll enter you twice!
MOJO PORK TENDERLOIN ROASTED IN A BAGUETTE
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and sinewy tissue
1/4 bottle Mojo Criollo marinade (We used Iberia brand, simply because of the little caveman-looking guy on the label. Marketing genius.)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1/2 Vidalia onion, sliced thin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf of crusty baguette, large enough to fit tenderloin inside
1/2 cup Manchego cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a shallow dish, marinate cleaned pork tenderloin with 1/4 bottle of Mojo Criollo for 1 to 2 hours.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and season well with salt and pepper. Saute until the onions are just browned - about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Pat marinated pork loin with a paper towel to dry, let sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking (to minimize the shock to the meat when it hits the hot pan) and season with salt and pepper
In a pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place the pork in the pan and sear until each side is browned nicely, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Do not turn constantly. Let the pan do its job - if the meat isn't touching the pan, it can't cook. Once browned on all sides, remove from heat and set aside.
Next, make a slit along the top of the baguette. Scoop out most of the soft insides. Lightly brush the inside of the baguette with remaining olive oil. Fill with caramelized onions and then Manchego cheese. Nestle the pork on the inside of the baguette so that the pork is well-enclosed.
Trim off the excess ends of the bread. With kitchen twine tie the bread to secure the pork at 1- to 2-inch intervals, or use silicone heat-resistant cooking rubber bands to tightly secure the stuffed baguette. We use the rubber bands.
Place the pork-filled bread on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the pork reaches 150 degrees - about 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and allow to rest 10 minutes.
Remove the strings and cut into slices.
Makes 4 servings.
Source: adapted from Joanne Weir's "Pork the Way the Tuscans Do"
Greg Baker is a classically trained executive chef with more than 20 years of trendsetting restaurant experience. Greg and Michelle are co-owners of Cooks and Company Personal Chef and Catering. Go to www.cooksncompany.com or www.culinarysherpas.com.
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