A portion size
recommendation for meats is about 3 to 4 ounces — about the
size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand.
For today's recipe, I
hit the meat portion size with some pork loin boneless sirloin
cutlets.
I spotted a manager's
mark down special at the bargain price of $1.45 total for the
cutlets — the regular price was $3.45. The two cutlets in
the package were large enough to cut in half, so it was an
ideal portion size, about 4 ounces per serving.
Because the cutlets
were thin, that meant a quick cooking time — and a meal
ready in less than 30 minutes.
What also makes this
recipe work is the semi-strong herbes de Provence that seasons
the cutlets. A small amount of the dried spice mixture goes a
long way—giving the pork and the pan sauce a lot of flavor.
Terrific with poultry
and fish dishes, herbes de Provence is a mix of dried herbs
such as lavender, basil, fennel seed, marjoram, rosemary,
sage, summer savory and thyme. It is common in southern
France, especially in dishes from that region.
You can find herbes
de Provence in the spice aisle of most grocery stores,
specialty stores and some kitchen shops. It can be expensive.
A jar with less than 1 ounce of the blend can run about $6.
I paired the pork
with canned pears because the fruit complements the pork
nicely—and it adds another healthy component to the meal.
And I made sure not
to waste the pear juice from the can: I used it as part of a
pan sauce mixed with other ingredients.
When buying canned
pears for this recipe, be sure to choose pears packed in pear
juice, rather than those packed in heavy syrup.
———
PORK CUTLETS WITH
CARAMELIZED PEARS
Serves: 4 /
Preparation time: 10 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes
If you cannot find
herbes de Provence, sprinkle the pork with a small amount of
dried rosemary and thyme. This recipe can be halved.
2 thin boneless pork
loin sirloin cutlets (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon kosher
salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
1 teaspoon herbes de
Provence
2 cans (8.25 ounces
each) pear halves in pear juice
1/4 cup apricot
preserves
1 tablespoon Dijon
mustard
2 teaspoons balsamic
vinegar
2 teaspoons
cornstarch
1 tablespoon olive
oil
1/4 cup sherry or
white wine or chicken broth
Cut each pork cutlet
into 2 even pieces. Sprinkle each piece on both sides with the
salt, pepper and herbes de Provence. Set aside. Drain the pear
halves over a bowl, reserving the pear juice. Set the pear
halves aside. Whisk the apricot preserves, Dijon mustard,
balsamic vinegar and cornstarch into the pear juice. Set
aside.
In a large skillet,
heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add the
seasoned pork cutlets and fry until browned on one side, about
3-4 minutes. Turn and continue cooking on the other side,
about 5 minutes. Remove the pork from the skillet to a plate,
keep warm. To the same skillet, add the pears and saute about
2 minutes or until they lightly caramelize. Remove the pears
from the skillet to the pork plate. Increase the heat to high
and add the sherry to the skillet , scraping up any browned
bits on the bottom. Add the pear juice mixture to the skillet
and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, return the pork and
pears to the skillet, cover and cook about 5 minutes until the
pork is tender. Serve each piece with pears. Drizzle with the
pan sauce.
From and tested by
Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
231 calories (23
percent from fat ), 6 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat ), 32 grams
carbohydrates , 11 grams protein , 414 mg sodium , 32 mg
cholesterol , 2 grams fiber .
