Fox and Briar’s Creamy Basil Skillet Pork Chops
Recipe Overview
Pork chops can be finicky. And by finicky, I mean tough and unappetizing. But these, These! The Creamy Basil Skillet Pork Chops from Fox and Briar might be some of the best pork chops I’ve ever made. And they were simple. My favorite. These are a weeknight meal that will feed the whole family. Actually, I’m making them tonight!
Ingredients List
Ingredients:
- 1 pounds thin boneless pork chops
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 yellow onion finely minced
- 3-4 ounces roasted red peppers thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Step 1: Sear the Pork Chops
In a large non stick pan on medium-medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, then sear, 4-5 minutes on each side, until just cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 2: Sauté the Onions
In the same skillet add 1 tablespoons butter. Add onion, garlic, peppers, paprika, red chili pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sauté for about five minutes, until onions and peppers are softened.
Add wine to deglaze the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer until reduced by half.
NOTE: I left out the peppers for dietary reasons, although I’m sure it’s delicious with them!
Step 3: Add the Cream
Reduce heat to medium low. Add cream to the skillet and stir until a creamy sauce forms. Add Parmesan, stir until melted into sauce. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Stir in basil, simmer until wilted, 1-2 minutes.
Step 4: Add Pork Chops
Add pork chops back to the skillet, allow to warm up if needed. Serve.
Enjoy!
Conclusion
If you’ve ever shied away from pork chops because they inevitably turn into hockey pucks, then let this recipe be your guide. Fox and Briar have given us (me and you!) a weeknight winner. Actually, as I was sitting in my home office working on this, the 9-year-old said “oh…those were good!” And that’s all you need to know!
Smoked Turkey
Recipe Overview
If Traeger were my kid, it would be in deep trouble for the complete lack of effort put into this recipe. I mean, I’d grade it a D at best. The written recipe is woefully inadequate, with the video expanding tenfold the steps needed to complete a Traditional Smoked Turkey. Luckily, I figured this out before I turned my Smoked Turkey into a hockey puck. Annoyingly, actually smoking the Turkey correctly yielded a deliciously moist dinner. But the sins of Traeger’s written recipe shall not be forgiven because I’m sure they’ve ruined someone’s Thanksgiving.
Ingredients List
Ingredients:
-
- Turkey – size is up to you. Think 1lb per person.
- For the Brine
- ½ cup salt
- ½ cup sugar (white or brown)
- You may add anything else such as garlic, leeks, apple cider, bay leaves, orange peel, sage, rosemary….the list is endless. Or you can just use salt and sugar, which is what I do.
- For the Turkey Butter
- ½-1 Pound butter
- 6 Cloves garlic, minced
- 8 Sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 Sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp cracked black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
- Olive Oil, plus salt and pepper to taste
- Chicken Stock
Step 1: Brine the Turkey
Boil sugar and salt in 2 cups of water until both dissolve. Transfer brine to a pot big enough to submerge your turkey in water. Do not put the turkey in hot water. Put cold water in the pot and wait until the water is cold if you have to. Submerge turkey in brine for 6-24 hours (think day before) in the refrigerator.
NOTE: I can a lot of jelly – your water bath canner works great for brining your turkey.
Step 2: Prep the Turkey
In a small bowl, combine softened butter with minced garlic, thyme leaves, chopped rosemary, black pepper and kosher salt. Depending on the size of your turkey you may increase or decrease the amounts in this step – more butter makes things taste better.
Prep the turkey by separating the skin from the breast creating a pocket to stuff the butter-herb mixture in. Spread the butter mixture between the breast meat and the skin. If you’re not sure how to do this, watch the video.
Paint the entire turkey with olive oil and salt & pepper. NOTE: there is no basting in this recipe so the salt & pepper will stay in place and you’ll get a mouthful of it with the skin. This made me use less than I would on a baked turkey.
Place the turkey in a roasting pan on a rack with chicken stock and the neck in the bottom of the pan. I used about 2 cups of stock, but this is your preference and dependent on the size of your pan and bird.
Step 3: Prep the Smoker
Set the grill temperature to 300℉ and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Cook the Turkey
Place turkey on the grill and smoke for 3-4 hours. Check the internal temperature, the desired temperature is 175℉ in the thigh next to the bone, and 160℉ in the breast. Turkey will continue to cook once taken off grill to reach a final temperature of 165℉ in the breast.
NOTE: a 17lb turkey took more than 4 hours. While Traeger seems to think that cooking time doesn’t increase with bird size, experience tells me that it does. A 12lb turkey took 3:45. A 17lb turkey took 4:15 but we pulled at 160. A friend’s 20lb turkey was raw at 4 hours and had to go in the oven.
Conclusion
Smoked Turkey is great, just don’t follow Traeger’s instructions. Which is super irritating to be honest. My oven was free all day, allowing me space to make all of my other concoctions. That is significant upside value. The turkey is moist, crispy, and delicious with a delectable smokey flavor that transmits to your gravy too!
Leave a Comment
Instant Pot Pot Roast
Recipe Overview
Did you forget to put the roast in the crock pot before you left for work at 7:45am? Because who hasn’t?! But the kids were at school on time, so put today in the win column and give yourself a break. Pioneer Woman’s Instant Pot Pot Roast is the ticket to your dinner. It’s easy, and mostly quick, so pop it in before you head out for soccer and come home to dinner, done. The real trick here is that this recipe is good enough for a Sunday dinner, too.
Ingredients List
- 1 whole beef chuck roast, 3 to 4 pounds
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 whole large yellow onions, peeled and quartered
- 6 whole carrots, washed, scrubbed, and cut into large pieces
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cup beef stock
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
Step 1: Prep the Pot
Set the Instant Pot to “Saute” and allow to warm. Depending on your model, it will read “Hot” or otherwise indicate it is ready.
Step 2: Prep the Roast
Season roast with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and seat roast on all sides until browned. Remove to a clean plate.
NOTE: you can prep your carrots and onions while the roast is searing.
Step 3: Cook the Veggies
Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Deglaze with red wine, making sure to scrape the bottom to get all the delicious bits. Add in the beef stock, rosemary, thyme, and the roast.
Step 4: Cook the Roast
Lock the lid and cook the roast on Manual/High for 1 hour 20 minutes. Allow time for the pot to naturally release – see Note below.
NOTE: Pioneer Woman suggests allowing no less than 10 minutes, preferably 20 minutes for the roast to naturally vent after it is done cooking. I did 20 minutes and the center was still not fork tender. My experience is to allow the natural venting process to complete itself (i.e. never hit the quick release button) if you want your meat (chicken, roast, etc.) to be tender and shreddable all the way through.
Conclusion
If you simply don’t have the time (or let’s be real, sometimes the patience) for an all day slow cook on a pot roast, then this recipe delivers the next best thing. It’s so close to a low and slow result that your family and guests will never tell the difference. In real life, friends keep this kind of secret. I’m not telling anyone!
Leave a Comment
Fondant Potatoes
Recipe Overview
Easy and elegant, just as described. I had never had, or heard of, Fondant Potatoes before I found the recipe from Small Town Woman one Sunday trying to figure out a new way to serve a potato. They were a smashing hit with everyone. The recipe and instructions are straightforward and pretty simple. But this dish is also elevated, yes it’s a potato, but it’s so much more than a potato when you’re done cooking it. A touch of class in what can be an otherwise dreary potato forest.
Ingredients List
- 4 large Russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup butter (cut in tablespoons)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
Step 1: Prepare the Potatoes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the potatoes, cutting the ends off flat so that each potato will stand up on its own. Then cut each potato in half.
Step 2: Cook the Potatoes
Heat vegetable oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Brown the potatoes on top and bottom. This can take about 6-7 minutes per side.
Step 3: Bake the Potatoes
Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, chicken stock, sliced garlic, fresh thyme and fresh rosemary. Place in oven and bake until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step 4: Finish the Potatoes
Spoon the butter mixture over the cooked potatoes and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. For best results serve promptly.
Conclusion
This is the kind of recipe I like. I had no idea what I was doing, but found a recipe that looked good and seemed reasonable to make. And it worked! In real life, nonetheless! Brava!
Leave a Comment