A Walk on the Wild Game Side
Leave the turkey to November. This is December, and chances are you only cleared the last of your leftovers from the back of the fridge last week. The stark reality is that probably nobody wants to see another bird (a turkey, anyway) for at least another couple of months.
Hams are always a nice and easy alternative. Precooked and just needing a reheat along with maybe an interesting glaze to spice things up, the ham is definitely a lazy person’s quick alternative to another gobbler dinner. But you know, ham shows up a lot at Easter and Easter is only four months away. I think we can do better than a ham. Christmas is such a great holiday that Christmas dinner deserves a creative bent all its own. I'd like to go with something full of flair and pizzazz, something matched only, perhaps, by the stunning thoughtfulness of the gifts under the tree.
Last year, we took our Christmas dinner cues from the master holiday storyteller himself: Charles Dickens. After failing at that chestnut roasting experiment a couple of years earlier, we thought that there must be some holiday classic food we could work into the repertoire. So when my little brother insisted on a Christmas goose, I knew we had found something just wild enough to have a good story to tell, at the very least, and at best, a juicy and golden non-turkey Christmas bird.
The goose was as fantastic to eat as its golden, crisp skin was to look at. So good, in fact, that as soon as Christmas was over, my wheels were already turning to think about how we could ever top such a meal. There are all sorts of roasts and things that are impressive to look at but maybe a bit stale in their conception and a bit dry on delivery. Not to mention, a roast takes time, time I don’t want to take away from life’s important activities, like opening presents.
Much like the chestnuts or the goose, I like hunting down the seasonal and the unusual. I took a walk through a specialty food store a few weeks ago looking for some exotic meat and different sorts of trimmings that you wouldn’t expect to find at the holiday. Crab apples were a must. Tiny little globes, I saw instantly the conversational value of these tart, wild apples on a Christmas plate. As for greens, I was thinking bitter and out-of-the-ordinary, a perfect fit for escarole, a salad green that although a bit bitter when raw, unveils a surprisingly sweet side when braised. Then I looked and I looked for some venison, maybe a wild boar steak. But I think unless you live where the huntin’ is, even a specialty food store might let you down. When in doubt I can always turn to the purveyor of all fine meats, D’Artagnan, available to order through their website or catalog. But in a pinch, we just might have to settle for some pork and maybe call it a wild hog for the sake of the story.
Another holiday is about to come and go and so will another Christmas dinner born of ideas way outside the Christmas wrapped box. It's always fun to dish up for friends and family a plate of food that is as fun to explain as it is delicious to eat. Having outdone ourselves again with our wacky Christmas dinner, the only question remains, how will we out-do ourselves next year? Maybe we will try and unravel the mystery of what exactly a “figgy pudding” is . . . Anyway, happy holidays!
Made with boneless pork chops, salt and pepper, mustard, apple cider, butter, vegetable oil, escarole, shallots, thyme, chicken broth
Serves/Makes: 6
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 boneless pork chops (1 1/2 inch thick)
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup grainy mustard
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 bunches escarole
- 2 shallots
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 pound crab apples
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cream
- rice or couscous
Preheat oil over a medium high flame divided between two large saute pans. Season chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Separate chops between two pans. Brown on both sides. Remove to a platter.
Meanwhile, whisk together cider and mustard and adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Deglaze one pan with cider mixture. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium heat.
Return chops to pan and let simmer for a about 7-8 minutes until cooked the rest of the way through. Add cream, and adjust seasoning of sauce.
Then, clean escarole and slice cross-wise in sections that are two inches thick. Peel shallots and slice thinly.
Melt 1 Tb. butter and 1 Tb. oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and leaves from the thyme sprigs. Sweat for 2 minutes. Add escarole and stock. Bring to boil, reduce to medium, cover with a lid and let steam for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, slice crab apples in quarters and remove stem and core but not skin. In the other saute pan from the browning of the chops, heat two Tbs. of butter over medium high. Toss brown sugar with a little salt in a bowl with the crab apples. Add to butter. Saute for about five minutes, tossing frequently until golden and softened.
Adjust seasoning if necessary adding salt and pepper to escarole. Serve a chop with sauce over rice or couscous, with sides of crab apples and escarole.
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