Effortless Elegance: Savory Pork Delight

Savor the simplicity of Fig and sage Pork Chops. Tender pork loin chops, seared and served alongside a flavorful sauce crafted from brandy-infused shallots, black mission figs, and fresh sage. This simple and quick dish offers a harmonious blend of sweet and savory, creating a great addition to any meal or menu.

Serves 6

Ingredients 

• 4 Pork Loin Chops (8 oz each)
• 4 Shallots, finely minced
• 12 Traina Black Mission Figs, cut in half
• 4 tsp Fresh Sage, chopped
• 1/4 cup Brandy
• 1 cup Chicken Stock
• 12 Tbsp Butter, softened
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Hard sear chop on both sides until internal temperature reaches
   135°F. Remove and let rest.
2. Add shallot, fig, and sage. Quickly saute and deglaze with Brandy.
3. Add chicken stock and cook until reduced by half and figs are softened.
4. Pull from heat and slowly whisk in butter to thicken the pan sauce.
5. Slice and plate chop, spoon sauce over and garnish with Sage.

Empanada dough rounds offer a neutral flavored starting point that is suitable for sweet or savory applications. This recipe is inspiration for the later; something to get you thinking about the potential savory uses for empanada dough. And because empanada dough works very well with almost anything you can stuff into it–don’t stick to my recipe, get as creative as you want with your fillings! Goya empanada dough is special order item #26715. For a more traditional empanada preparation, click here.

Customers today crave flavorful treats and look for unique flavor combinations. This recipe for Brazilian pastel with sausage makes it easy to exceed expectations by combining the flavors of smoked sausage, onion, garlic, peppers, and a delicious blend of spices. Pastel de carne can be found on Brazilian menus as a savory dish beside the sweet pastries that are most similar to an empanada. The delicious meat and vegetable filling is wrapped inside of a buttery, flakey crust, is and sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Perfect for parties, holidays and other special occasions. Or, serve as a shareable appetizer with a side of chimichurri on your menu.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Dough:

• 13 oz. plain flour, sifted
• pinch of salt
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. cachaça or vodka
• 5 fl. oz. milk

Filling:

• 2 fl. oz. olive oil
• 1 lb. Smoked Sausage, casing removed and crumbled
• 4 oz. red onion, ¼” dice
• 1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 red pepper, ¼” dice
• 1 poblano pepper, ¼” dice
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted & crushed
• 1⁄4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
• 3 oz. butter
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced ¹⁄8″ thick
• 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 2 oz. chopped green olives

Chimichurri:

• 1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1⁄2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. oregano, chopped
• 2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 fl. oz. extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. 1. For Dough, pour flour and salt in bowl. Make well in center and pour in oil, cachaça and milk. Mix ingredients well.
   2. On floured surface, knead dough vigorously for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer to bowl, cover with towel, and let rest for 30 minutes.
   3. Using pasta machine or rolling pin, flatten dough to 0.3 cm thick. Cover with plastic wrap.
   4. For Filling, cook sausage in olive oil for 3 minutes. Add onions, garlic, peppers and cook until tender. Add cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and butter. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add remainder of ingredients. Let cool.
   5. Spoon Filling on dough sheet and place another dough sheet on top. Cut into rectangles.
   6. For chimichurri, combine parsley, cilantro, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper in food processor. Pulse until almost smooth and season with salt and pepper. Transfer sauce to bowl and pour olive oil over mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes.
   7. Fry pastels in 350°F oil until golden brown and crispy. Garnish pastels with paprika, scallions and herbs.

There are countless variations of croquettes; including fillings featuring mashed potatoes, cheese, seafood, pork, ground beef and in this case diced chicken thighs. Hormel has taken the labor and yield loss out of the equation with their Fire Braised Chicken Thighs, which we use in this recipe.

Serve 3 or 4 croquettes per order

INGREDIENTS

For the Croquette:

• 6 oz Hormel Fire Braised Chicken Thighs, chopped (Item #7777)
• 1 cup Queso Blanco, shredded (mild cheddar is a good substitute)
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1/2 cup red onion, fine dice
• 1/2 cup celery, fine dice
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, rough chop
• 1 oz white balsamic Vinegar
• 2 oz Franks Red Hot sauce
• 1 ea whole egg
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Panko to tighten mix
• For breading, flour, egg wash & panko

For the Sour Cream Dip:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 ea scallions, thin slice
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 lime zest & juice of
• Salt & Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In mixing bowl, incorporate all croquette ingredients except for panko, mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. Add Panko to the croquette mix to desired tightness of mix. Keep in mind that by adding too much Panko to your mix the finished product may be a bit dense and on the dry side.When using Panko to tighten I normally add in small quantities (for this recipe start with 1/2 cup) and allow to rest/absorb for 10 minutes before deciding weather or not to add more. Mix should be moist but tight enough to form and work through breading procedure.
2. Form mix into small rounds, about 1.5 oz each, allow rounds to chill for at least 30 minutes; mix will tighten under refrigeration making for an easy flow when breading. Continue to bread croquettes.
3. Mix all ingredients for sour cream dipping sauce. Adjust seasoning to your specifications.
4. Fry at 300 until golden brown, season as desired and serve with smoked paprika sour cream for your dipping enjoyment.

Chef’s Note: 

• Perfect for appetizer or bar bites menu. Make croquettes bite size (3/4 oz) for use a cocktail reception appetizer.