John Brown has been a wine and food columnist in West Virginia since the 1980’s. His regular columns appear in the Charleston (WV) Gazette-Mail under the title Vines & Vittles and in The State Journal - a statewide business weekly
Spicy Pork Roll-Ups – Or, how I learned to cook and avoid the Honey –Do’s
Over the years, I’ve discovered that one of the very best excuses for getting out of “real” work (such as shoveling snow, moving furniture or cleaning the basement) is to cook dinner for the family. My wife, who must have been a hostage negotiator in a former life, made it clear to me that the only way this would be an acceptable trade-off was if I agreed to clean the kitchen up after working my culinary magic. So, after formally signing an agreement witnessed by my children, our local clergyman and the family cat, I am now permitted kitchen privileges once a weekend. Here’s what I concocted on recent Sunday. I truly love to match full-flavored, spicy foods such as stews, pot roasts or stuffed meats with full-flavored red wines. Today, I’m going to share a recipe with you that is absolutely delicious, particularly if you can tolerate a good dose of garlic and a little heat.
1. Start with two one-half pound pieces of pork tenderloin. With a sharp knife, cut each piece length-wise in half. Then, butterfly the remaining pieces (length-wise) and put a sheet of wax paper under and over each piece. With a mallet, pound the meat to about one-eighth inch thickness (if you have trouble waking your teenage children, this will do the trick).
2. Next, roast a tablespoon of cumin seeds over medium heat in a sauce pan, stirring regularly for about one minute until the smoky flavors are released and wonderful smells permeate the kitchen. Then, in a mortar and pestle, grind the cumin fine and add one-quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a teaspoon of black pepper and salt and a tablespoon of chili powder. Rub this mixture into the pieces of flattened pork and let meat sit in the refrigerator over night or for at least three hours.
3. For the stuffing, sauté (in three tablespoons of olive oil) one green and one red bell pepper (cut in one-half inch long strips), one-half chopped onion, three cloves of minced garlic and one small can of chopped green chilies. Remove from the heat when vegetables begin to soften. Then salt and pepper to taste and add one cup of diced Monterey jack cheese and one-half cup of unflavored bread crumbs. Microwave or cook two links of chorizo or Italian sausage, drain off fat, chop into small pieces and add to the mixture. Allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator.
4. When the stuffing is cool, portion it evenly on the flattened pork tenderloin and roll them up, securing with butcher’s string or toothpicks. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and roast the pork rollups in a covered pan for about 35 minutes. Remove the meat and deglaze the roasting pan with a half cup of red wine, and then spoon over the sliced tenderloin rolls. Serve the meat with spicy rice or garlic mashed potatoes.
You’re going to need a fairly full-bodied red wine to accompany this dish. Here are some that I would consider: 2004 Infinitus Tempranillo (inky-purple and rich from the Jumilla region of Spain - $14); 2004 Marietta Old Vines Zinfandel (the big brother to Marietta Old Vines Red - $17); 2002 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre Valpolicella (not your usual lighter-styled Valpolicella – this one is full and rich - $20); and 2002 d’Arenberg Laughing Magpie (this Australian Shiraz-Viognier blend is a spicy mouth-full - $22).
Enjoy!