This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield. All opinions expressed are my own.
Up the ante this summer with these select chef inspired, restaurant-quality meals specially developed by renowned, award-winning chefs on behalf of Smithfield Prime!
One of my favorite scenes from any movie comes from the first Matrix, where Neo asks Morpheus if the Matrix is real. “If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then reality is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.”
In that sense, any ‘dream’ is, by its very existence, a sort of ‘reality’ in and of itself.
However, despite my heritage, I am no sophist, and while I could certainly play some sophomoric ‘logic games’ and ‘prove’ that dreams and ambition are real, let’s be honest – no amount of ‘dreaming’ will ever equate to something you can feel and taste in ‘reality,’ regardless of how that’s ‘really’ defined.
Using a mundane example, let’s imagine a tired Friday night, and the week has really caught up with you. From the ache between your ears, to your limbs that seem to be moving with all the haste and gusto of molasses, a ‘gourmet’ dinner with which to celebrate the arrival of the weekend seems destined to remain just a dream.
If only there was a ‘simple’ way to put a weekend-worthy delicious meal on the table without all of the fuss that such a meal invariably brings with it, right?
As the cliché runs, “Don’t let your dreams remain dreams.”
However, if you’re not willing to take my word for it, let me bring in New York’s award-winning chef and restaurateur Seamus Mullen who has put together a rather impressive collection of recipes aimed at proving precisely this point, using Smithfield Prime Fresh Pork – since ease and simplicity need not exclude taste and quality. Conveniently available at your local Walmart, Smithfield Prime Fresh Pork products are hand-trimmed and feature superior color and marbling, creating a product that’s 20% more tender than other leading brands but without the use of hormones, steroids, or other growth stimulants.
For example, using Smithfield Prime Pork Tenderloins, Chef Mullen prepared a pork tenderloin crusted coriander, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, salt and pepper set over a bed of spaghetti squash prepared with pine nuts, raisins, honey, and minced sage.
Print Spice Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Spaghetti Squash, Raisins & Pine Nuts
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 2 Smithfield® Prime Pork Tenderloins
- 2 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
- Kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup minced sage leaves
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom (optional)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400oF.; place squash on baking sheet, cut side up. Season squash halves with salt and pepper; place 1 tablespoon butter in each half. Place 1/4 cup raisins, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 tablespoon sage and 1 tablespoon honey in each squash half. Roast until tender and cooked through, about 45 to 60 minutes depending upon the size.
- Meanwhile, combine coriander, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom, if using; mix well. Season pork tenderloins with salt and pepper; roll in spice rub until well coated.
- Heat coconut oil over high heat in large cast iron pan.
- Brown tenderloins on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast tenderloins until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. to 150 degrees F.; let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
- When squash is tender, scrape flesh into strings of spaghetti with a fork, mixing in the raisins, pine nuts, sage and honey.Serve tenderloin slices over bed of squash.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
Looking for something to prep on the grill? Chef Mullen and Smithfield have an answer for that as well in the form of grilled pork steaks prepared with fresh thyme, pepper and olive oil served with a tomato and olive relish, alongside a summer greens salad.
Print Grilled Pork Steaks and Summer Greens with Tomato & Olive Relish
- Total Time: 38 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
Pork Steaks:
- 1 Smithfield® Prime Boneless Pork Sirloin Roast, cut into 4 steaks
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme, chopped
Tomato & Olive Relish:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Summer Greens:
- 8 cups mixed summer greens (such as kale, Swiss chard, radicchio or Romaine)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Season pork steaks with lemon zest, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme; marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.
- For Tomato & Olive Relish, combine all ingredients in bowl; toss to coat.Set aside.
- For Summer Greens, toss all ingredients together in large bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat charcoal or gas grill to high.Grill pork sirloin steaks for 6 to 8 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. to 160 degrees F. Let stand 3 minutes before serving.
- Place greens directly on grill. Turn quickly and constantly with grill tongs until greens are slightly wilted and charred, about 3 minutes.
- Serve sirloin steak with grilled greens and a spoonful of tomato relish.
Notes
*Prep Time does not include Inactive Prep Time
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 18 mins
If, however, you’re in the mood for something a bit more on the traditional side, he has that covered too, in the form of a braised pork butt, prepared with almonds, olive oil, and white wine set over a bed of garlic, grapefruit, shallots, olives, almonds, rosemary, and oregano.
Print Braised Pork Butt with Grapefruit, Olives and Almonds
- Total Time: 3 hours 50 mins
- Yield: 18 1x
Ingredients
- 1 Smithfield® Prime Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt Roast (5 to 6 lbs.)
- Kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 grapefruit, peeled and sliced into pinwheels, seeds removed
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup chopped blanched almonds
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup white wine
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F.Using a sharp knife, cut the pork butt down the middle lengthwise without cutting through. Open butt like a book so it lies flat; season inside and outside with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
- Layer garlic, grapefruit slices, shallots, olives, almonds, rosemary and oregano on one side of the butt. Close and tie with kitchen twine every 1 inch.
- Place stuffed pork butt on rack in roasting pan. Roast until golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Carefully transfer browned butt to a deep, oven proof pot.
- Add chicken stock, orange juice and wine. Cover pan and roast 3 hours until very tender, basting occasionally with braising liquid. Internal temperature of pork should be about 200 degrees F. Remove from oven and serve with braising liquid.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 mins
That said, restaurant-quality meals, with all-natural superior quality products, are well within reach. So, only one question remains, what are you waiting for? Start living gourmet! For more information on Smithfield, and for further recipe inspiration, be sure to visit www.smithfield.com/primechefs.
Enjoy with Love!
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