We've been missing out on a lot of our favorite events over the past year, including one that's very special to me - the Christkindlmarket in Chicago. I'm sure most of you are probably familiar with the German tradition around the holidays. It typically starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs through Christmas Eve with two locations in the city of Chicago and the suburbs.
Because Christkindlmarket couldn't celebrate with a physical market last year, The Chopping Block partnered with them to bring you German cooking classes virtually. We had a total of six classes, and one of them features my favorite recipe for this time of year. This recipe is a different kind of pork stew because it's quick, easy and delicious. This is also one of the recipes I cooked when I was right out of culinary school in Northern Bavaria in the beautiful town of Pegnitz.
For this recipe, I utilize a pork tenderloin which is a tender part of the pork, so it does not need a lot of time to cook. The rest of the ingredients are mushrooms, a great Cambozola cheese, which is a cross between blue and brie cheese, super creamy and delicious to enhance the flavor of the sauce and the overall dish. Add some beef stock, or any kind of good stock to make a great sauce, and serve it with noodles such as homemade Spätzle or potato dumplings. Of course, adding mustard to the sauce will make all the difference!
A little tip for the beef stock: if you are using a store-bought product, look for one with low or no sodium. That's because you will be reducing that stock into a sauce and if it's a higher sodium stock, your sauce could end up too salty.
The great thing about this recipe is that although it authentically German, all of these ingredients are widely available to you. You will find the Cambozola cheese at your local Aldi, Trader Joes or Mariano’s.
I will share a Spätzle recipe that goes great with this stew, but when I most recently made it, I used dumplings made from a dry mixture out of a box. Yes, you are reading this correct, a chef is using a store-bought ingredient! We have the great fortune to be across the street from Gene's Sausage Shop in Lincoln Square, and they carry great German and European products like my boxed dumpling mix. I love their mustards, sausages and so much more. Check them out once you are in the neighborhood, they will not disappoint you!
This recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner the entire family will enjoy. I love this dish since you can make it in small or larger quantities, serve it buffet style or plated. You can also substitute the ingredients to your taste. For example, if you don't like blue cheese or cheese in general, you can leave it out, add mustard or even substitute a bell pepper for the mushrooms. It reheats easily the next day, and leftovers are delicious. As far as the protein choice, you can use chicken, beef, or make it vegetarian by using a firm tofu. As you can tell, I can go on and on about this dish!
Pork Stew (Geschnetzeltes vom Schwein)
Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe
Yield: 4-6 servings
Active time: 40 minutes
Start to finish: 50 minutes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of any connective tissue and cut into 1- to 2-inch medallions
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 medium-size red onion,( you can use a shallot instead) medium dice
1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 ounces Cambozola cheese, rind removed (mixture of brie and blue cheese)
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Place the flour in a shallow dish, and season the pork with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge the pork through the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat a large sauté pan or wide, heavy pan over medium heat, and add the grapeseed oil. Lay the pork in the pan, and cook until well browned on the first side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and repeat. Remove the pork from the pan, and set aside. Note: You may need to do this step in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan.
3. Add the red onions and mushrooms to the pan, adding more oil if needed, and sauté until lightly caramelized around the edges.
4. Pour in the beef stock, scraping free any browned bits of fond from the bottom of the pan.
5. Whisk in the mustard and Cambozola cheese, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the sauce reaches a coating consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Return the pork and any accumulated juices back to the pan, and cook to heat through.
7. Serve with Spätzle (recipe follows).
Fresh Herb Spätzle
Yield: 4 servings
Active time: 35 minutes
Start to finish: 35 minutes
These light and tender little dumplings get served up in a buttery sauce to accompany stews, braised or roasted meats.
1/4 cup whole milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons assorted fresh herbs, rough chopped
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
- Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
- Combine milk, eggs, salt and nutmeg in a blender and blend until smooth. Add flour and herbs and blend until the batter is just smooth, about 30 seconds more.
- You can alternatively make the batter in a bowl. Measure the dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the milk, eggs and herbs and beat the eggs until well blended. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until thoroughly combined.
- Working in batches, pass the batter through a spätzle maker into the boiling water. Stir gently to prevent sticking. Boil until they float to the surface, then continue cooking for 1 additional minute.
- Drain well through a colander.
- Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter. Sauté the spätzle until golden brown and crisp. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately.
If you are interested in learning how to work with pork in more ways, join us for our virtual Building Blocks Pork Cookery tomorrow Saturday, January 16 at 10am CST. You'll learn:
- Pork Primal Identification
- Braised Pork Shoulder in Milk
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Charcutiere Sauce
- Fresh Sage Breakfast Sausage Patties
Each Saturday in January and February, we're offering these Building Blocks classes which are inspired by our most popular series in the history of TCB, The Building Blocks, featuring the skills and techniques all home cooks should know. Check them out to become a better home cook in 2021!
Pork Stew (Geschnetzeltes vom Schwein)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of any connective tissue and cut into 1- to 2-inch medallions
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1 medium-size red onion,( you can use a shallot instead) medium dice
- 1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 ounces Cambozola cheese, rind removed (mixture of brie and blue cheese)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the flour in a shallow dish, and season the pork with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge the pork through the flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat a large sauté pan or wide, heavy pan over medium heat, and add the grapeseed oil. Lay the pork in the pan, and cook until well browned on the first side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and repeat. Remove the pork from the pan, and set aside. Note: You may need to do this step in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan.
- Add the red onions and mushrooms to the pan, adding more oil if needed, and sauté until lightly caramelized around the edges.
- Pour in the beef stock, scraping free any browned bits of fond from the bottom of the pan.
- Whisk in the mustard and Cambozola cheese, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the sauce reaches a coating consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the pork and any accumulated juices back to the pan, and cook to heat through.
- Serve with Spätzle.
