Cooking Weblog

Thin sliced pork loin braised in a fresh tomato sauce with sauteed onions and peppers stuffed into a beautiful french roll with melted mozzarella cheese, Yum! Served with a garlic and sun dried tomato pasta and steamed broccoli. Mama Mia thatsa tasty!

Braised Pork Sandwich with Pasta and Broccoli

Ingredients: Fresh Tomato Sauce

3 tomatoes ( large dice )

1/2 onion ( large dice )

1/3 green pepper ( large dice )

1/3 red pepper ( large dice )

4 cloves fresh garlic

1/4 teas. salt

1/8 teas. pepper

1 teas. dry oregano

1/2 teas. dry basil

1 teas. dry parsley

1/2 teas. dry marjoram

Method: Fresh Tomato Sauce

Add the garlic cloves to a blender and pulse until the garlic is minced. Add the onion and pulse until minced. Repeat this procedure with the red and green peppers. Basically your looking for the consistency of  “mush” for lack of better terms. Add all of the seasonings and pulse again until blended.  Add your tomatoes a little at a time and and pulse some more until fully blended. Your looking for the consistency of a thin salsa. Once finished it will have a pinkish look but don’t worry, at this stage tiny air bubbles have been blended into the sauce and will disappear during cooking to give you a nice red sauce.  It only takes a few minutes to make this sauce and it will be well worth it. Set your sauce aside for now.

Ingredients:  Pork

1 1/2 to 2lbs. thin sliced pork loin ( 1/8in. thick )

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teas. salt

1/2 teas. pepper

1 tbsp. dried oregano

1 teas. garlic powder

2 teas. onion powder

3 to 5 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 green pepper ( sliced )

1/2 onion ( sliced )

1/2 red pepper ( sliced )

fresh tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Method: Braised Pork

In a deep dish, add flour, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic and onion powders and mix well. Slice your pork as thin as you can, no more than 1/8 inch thick. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet preheated to medium high heat. Dredge 3 to 5 pieces of the pork in the flour mixture, shaking of excess, and carefully lay them into the skillet and lightly fry for about 2 to 3 minutes a side. You will probably have to do a few batches since you don’t want the pork pieces to overlap. This will give you even browning. Add more olive oil between batches if needed.  Remove the pork to a plate, cover and set aside.

In the same skillet add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onions, red and green peppers on medium high heat until seared on the outside, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add in your chicken broth to deglaze the bottom of the pan and stir in your fresh tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.  Return the pork back to the pan and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours covered. Your pork is ready for the sandwiches.

Ingredients: Italian Braised Pork  Sandwiches

braised pork and peppers

6 french rolls ( sliced in half )

10 oz. mozzarella cheese ( sliced )

Method: Italian Braised Pork  Sandwiches

Lay out your french rolls open face on a bake sheet and divide the cheese evenly to cover all of the halves of your rolls. Place the pork slices and peppers onto the bottom halves of the rolls and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and place the tops on your sandwiches. They are now ready to serve.

Ingredients: Sun Dried Tomato and Garlic Pasta

1lb. spaghetti noodles

2 cubes butter or margarine

6 cloves fresh garlic ( crushed or minced )

1 teas. dried basil

4oz. italian style sun dried tomatoes with oil ( chopped )

Method: Sun Dried Tomato and Garlic Pasta

Add the butter to a small sauce pan and melt over medium low heat. Add your minced garlic, basil and sun dried tomatoes with the olive oil it was packed in. Simmer on low for about 15 to 20 minutes to infuse the flavors. In a separate pan boil the pasta according to the package instructions and drain. Add your garlic butter sauce to the pasta and mix well. Your pasta is now ready to serve. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired. You will also have some leftover sauce from the pork that is excellent over the top of your pasta.

For the broccoli, simply wash and cut about 1/2lb. to a pound into florets and steam for about 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. This can be done in a steamer or in a metal colander placed over a pan of boiling water covered. Just be sure that the water is not touching the colander. And there it is! A wonderful italian style meal worthy of any italian restaurant.

After the pork braises for 2 hours it will amost fall apart on you because its so tender and the fresh tomato sauce is simply wonderful. Bite into one of these and you’ll be in heaven. The pasta is amazingly simple and delicious and is perfect with the steamed broccoli. Make this and everyone will think you went through culinary school!   HAPPY COOKING!

David

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