Brined Pork Porterhouse With Dried Fig Saba Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• For the pork: Combine the salt, sugar, sage, garlic, bay leaves and 2 quarts water. Submerge the pork in the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours before cooking.
• When ready to cook, remove the pork from the brine and discard the brine. Let the pork come to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking. Pat dry.
• Meanwhile, for the sauce: Combine the saba and figs and let sit for 1 hour.
• Toss the pancetta into a small saute pan, give a little drizzle of oil and bring the pan to a medium heat. When the pancetta starts to brown and crisp, toss in the garlic and rosemary and stir to combine.
• Add the saba, figs and vinegar. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture back to a boil (BTB) and then reduce it to a simmer (RTS). Simmer the sauce until it becomes a chunky, saucy consistency. Season with salt.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• Sprinkle the pork with crushed red pepper and a drizzle of oil. Grill the pork for 8 to 9 minutes on each side and 1 to 2 minutes standing it up on the fat edge to crisp that up. If the pork starts to burn, move it to a cooler spot on the grill.
• Let the pork rest for 10 to 15 minutes after grilling. Cut each steak off the bone and slice. Be sure to serve the bone along with the steaks.
• Serve garnished with the sauce.

Steps:

• Freeze the grape slices until frozen, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the Gorgonzola and mascarpone in a bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer until combined. Fill a disposable pastry bag with the cheese mixture and snip the tip about 1/2 inch from the end.
• Remove the top third from each fig and place upright on a small baking sheet. Add the walnuts and roast until the figs are soft and beginning to caramelize and the walnuts are toasty, about 10 minutes.
• Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Add the prosciutto and saute until crispy, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of red wine vinegar and remove from the heat.
• Finely chop the walnuts. Pipe a heaping amount of the cheese mixture into each fig. Roll the tops in chopped walnuts. Top with crispy prosciutto pieces. Stick a frozen grape slice in each.

Steps:

• Twenty-four hours before cooking, stir all of the brine ingredients except the pork into 1 quart of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Let cool to room temperature. Submerge the pork chops in the brine, cover and refrigerate.
• The next morning, prepare the infused oil: grind the coriander, bay leaf and peppercorns in a spice mill or a clean coffee grinder and combine with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Let sit at room temperature.
• Make the sauce: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and sauté until caramelized, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the apple juice, chicken stock, star anise and ginger. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until reduced by one-quarter. Add the maple syrup, vanilla pod and seeds and agar and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Discard the star anise and vanilla pod. Purée the mixture in a blender or food processor, then pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Prepare a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat. Rinse the meat and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the chops with the infused oil, then sprinkle lightly with salt. Grill to medium doneness, or until the internal temperature reads 135 to 140 degrees on a thermometer and the middle is light pink, about 6 minutes per side. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle with warm sauce and serve.