This year has been full of unprecedented times and situations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many families and individuals will be cooking at home this holiday season. That’s why we are bringing the dishes to you all month long in our Quarantine Kitchen series. We talked to twenty-three chefs who willingly shared some of their favorite dishes to prepare for the holidays. Stay tuned Dec. 1 through 24 on the blog as well as our social media channels for a new dish to feature in your home each day and let’s get cooking!
Heidi Bilotto is a well-known restaurant, food and travel writer who prides herself on cooking and supporting local. Her recipe for Pork and Mustard Pie has been a holiday favorite for many years and features several local ingredients, including pork, beer and mustard. Not only is it delicious, but it is a quick and easy dish for any meal. “This pie is the perfect addition to a casual Christmas or New Years Day brunch,” Heidi said, “it originally started as a beef and beer sandwich, but now I often make it with pork or chicken and its also quite good with lamb. I keep it local with Charlotte-area proteins from the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market and locally sourced wild mushrooms and spinach – or whatever other vegetables seem to suit the season.” Be sure to stock up on ingredients at a market or other retail location near you today and let us know what you think!
Pork and Mustard Pie
Ingredients:
- For the pork chops:
- Salt and pepper
- 4 local boneless pork chops
- 1 bottle of your favorite N.C. beer
- 3 tablespoons of your favorite Lusty Monk mustard
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of EVOO for searing the chops
- For the stuffing:
- 1 cup minced wild mushrooms
- 2 minced shallots
- 3 diced green onions
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of EVOO
- 1/2 cup of chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon of your favorite Lusty Monk mustard
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
- 4 cups of local or organic spinach leaves
- For the dough:
- 2 tins of crescent roll dough or your favorite pie crust or a roll of frozen puff pastry, defrosted and ready to use.
- For the sauce:
- 2 cups of sour cream
- 3 tablespoons of horse radish
Instructions:
- For the stuffing:
- Cut a slit along the side of each chop to butterfly it for stuffing.
- Then season with salt and pepper and marinate in beer and mustard for at least 30 minutes.
- Pat chops dry and sear the outside in EVOO over high heat for just a minute on each side to brown.
- Reserve.
- Sautee mushrooms, shallots and onions in butter and EVOO until transparent.
- Add the red wine and let boil and reduce until almost dry.
- Add heavy cream and reduce until thick.
- Add spinach and let the leaves wilt into the mix.
- Blend well and season with salt and pepper.
- Cool completely.
- Roll out each package of the crescent roll dough, pinching the stems shut to make 4 dough rectangles from one package (or roll out your favorite pie dough or puff pastry to make four rectangles). In the end you should have 8 dough rectangles.
- Stuff each chop with a bit of spinach and mushroom mix.
- Place the stuffed chop in the center of each dough triangle.
- Top each with any remaining mushroom and spinach topping.
- Brush an egg white wash around the edges of the dough and top each with another pastry rectangle.
- Poke a design in the top of the crust with a knife to allow for air holes.
- Place the finished packets on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a preheated over at 375 degrees until pastry is puffed until golden brown.
- For the sauce:
- Combine sour cream and horseradish.
- Spoon over pastry baked chops and enjoy!
