Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook (14 page)

I gave credit in the acknowledgments section of
Fatally Flaky
to my former publicist, Dee Dee DeBartlo, for coming up with this recipe. When she described the pork stuffed with figs that she had made for her family the evening before, I begged her for the recipe. I tested it out, and added a marinade in order to make the pork extra flavorful. This is a great favorite of our children.

Using a sharp knife, remove the fat and silver skin from the tenderloins.

For the Dijon marinade:

1.
In a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish, whisk together the mustard, garlic, red wine, thyme, pepper, and sugar. Whisking constantly, mix in the olive oil until the mixture emulsifies. Slip the bay leaf under the surface of the mixture.

2.
Pat the pork dry, then place the tenderloins in the marinade. Turn them to make sure they are evenly coated. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.

For the figgy stuffing:

In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are limp and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the figs, stock, and sage, increase the heat, and bring the
mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer the mixture until the figs are tender and the liquid is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Set the mixture aside in a bowl to cool slightly while you prepare the tenderloins.

For roasting:

1.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375˚F.

2.
Remove the tenderloins from the marinade (discard the marinade), wipe dry with paper towels, and place them side by side on a cutting board, with the thick end of one next to the thin end of the other. Using the flat side of a mallet or the palm of your hand, pound the tenderloins until they are an even 1-inch thickness. (This will make them able to hold the stuffing.) Sprinkle them with the salt and pepper.

3.
Spread the fig stuffing down the length of one of the tenderloins. Carefully place the other tenderloin on top. Place the prosciutto slices crosswise down the length of the tenderloin “sandwich.”

4.
Cut 4 feet of kitchen twine into four 12-inch lengths. Carefully slide the kitchen strings crosswise, evenly spaced apart,
underneath
the tenderloin “sandwich.” Tie the strings around the “sandwich” and cut off any excess string.

5.
Wipe out the ovenproof skillet the figs were cooked in and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, just until the oil ripples. Add the
tenderloin “sandwich,” curving it to fit the pan. Cook for 3 minutes. Then, using tongs, very carefully turn the tenderloin “sandwich” over to cook for another 3 minutes.

6.
Remove the skillet from the stove and add the vermouth to the skillet. Insert a meat thermometer into the pork and place it in the oven. Roast the pork until the thermometer reads 140˚F, about 15 minutes.

7.
Carefully remove the tenderloin “sandwich” to a platter, cover it with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

8.
To serve, slice the pork crosswise into ¾-inch-thick slices. (You can pass a bowl with the pan drippings, if there are any.)

Makes about 8 servings

Crunch Time
has two Cuban-American characters, so I wanted to introduce the flavor of Cuban-style pork (with garlic, lime juice, and orange juice). Alas, Jim and the kids vetoed all my experiments. I was at wit's end when I finally thought of using ground pork. (This is
not
an authentic Cuban dish! So please don't write and tell me;
I know.)
But it didn't dry out, it gives some of the flavors of Cuban cuisine, and it passed muster with the family. This dish goes well with rice.

1.
In a 12-inch sauté pan that is
not
nonstick, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the pork and garlic and cook, stirring and breaking up the pork, until the meat is just cooked. Add the demi-glace and stir well. Add the flour, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the flour is cooked and the mixture bubbles.

2.
Stir in the orange juice, lime juice, and sugar and increase the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the mixture bubbles and is thickened. Taste and correct the seasoning.

3.
Spoon the pork onto a large platter and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The forebears of my family of origin, Adam and Jacob Mott, settled in New York during the seventeenth century. I love the fact that Mott Street in New York City is now located in Chinatown. You can cut up any type of high-quality, tender beef for this dish, but I would recommend buying a whole tenderloin (prime, if possible) from Costco (usually 4 to 5 pounds), trimming it, and weighing out a pound to slice up for this dish. Then you can cook the rest of the tenderloin for a family meal, and not have too many leftovers.

1.
In a large bowl, mix together the sherry, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, the sugar, ½ teaspoon of the oil, the pepper, and garlic until smooth. Place the beef in this mixture and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. When you are ready to prepare the dish, remove the beef from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.

2.
In a wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat. Add the beef and its marinade and stir-fry quickly, until the meat is browned on the outside and pink inside. Remove to a plate and set aside.

3.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch with the oyster sauce, set aside. Reheat the wok with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the broccoli and carrots and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the broth, cover the wok, and steam until the vegetables are tender but retain their crunch, about 1 minute. Add the corn, snow peas, scallion, beef, and oyster sauce–cornstarch mixture. Heat quickly, until the sauce is clear and thickened. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Even though steak-and-kidney pie is the traditional English dish, members of our family vehemently vetoed the kidneys. An all-steak pie was the result. Alas, this ended up being an expensive recipe. Because tenderloin cooks so quickly and is easily overcooked, it is imperative that you purchase a good meat thermometer so that the beef is cooked to an ideal medium-rare temperature.

1.
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, and parsley and gently sauté for a moment, stirring until the vegetables are well mixed. Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is limp and translucent and the carrot has lost some of its crunch, about 10 minutes. Uncover the pan and set aside to cool.

2.
Place the flour, thyme, oregano, sage, salt, and pepper in a large, heavy-duty zippered plastic bag and mix well. Add the beef to the bag, zip the top closed, and shake until all the cubes are evenly covered with the dry mixture.

3.
Butter a 9 x 12-inch oval gratin dish. Place the floured cubes into the pan along with the sautéed vegetables, mixing very lightly with your hands, just until the vegetables and meat are evenly distributed. Place the filled pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the crust. (Or you
can cover the filled pan with plastic wrap, place it in the refrigerator, and chill until you are ready to prepare the crust and cook the pie. If you do this, bring the meat and vegetables to room temperature before proceeding. It is best not to prepare the crust in advance.)

4.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

5.
Pour the wine into the pan of meat and vegetables. Gently fit the dough over the pan as directed in the pastry recipe. Carefully insert a meat thermometer through a slash in the crust, making sure it spears a piece of beef.

6.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the meat thermometer reads 125˚F for medium rare. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 large servings

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon milk, preferably whole

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

1.
Measure out 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg and set aside. Beat the milk into the egg remaining.

2.
In a food processor, combine the flour and salt and process for 5 seconds. With the motor running, drop in the butter, one piece at a time. Add the egg-milk mixture to the processor and process for a few moments, just until the dough pulls into a ball. Gently flatten the dough and place it into a rectangular jumbo-size (2-gallon) zippered plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry to the edges of the bag, or until it will fit over your pan.

3.
Open the bag at the zipper and, using scissors, carefully cut down the sides of the bag. Remove one whole side of the bag and place the pastry side down over the filling in the pie pan. Gently peel off the top of the bag. Flute the edges of the pastry and slash the center in 3 places to vent. Using a pastry brush, paint the reserved tablespoon of beaten egg on top of the pastry.