Catalina Cooking: Pork Chops and Banana’s Rum

Some of the things you’ll need to prepare pork chops and Banna’s Rum. Courtesy photo

So my son in law Kevin walks in the other day with a brownie the size of a small volleyball. I said wait … I made dessert. He said no, I am losing weight being on the field 5 hours a day. Kevin is a soccer guy with the pros out there coaching teams and kids living the dream. With my daughter Taylor being a “luxury” travel concierge, I get to their home two-three times a week to babysit Thalia, my newest granddaughter of 3 1/2 months. But what do I do when she is sleeping and resting? … Cook them dinner. So we shop.

• 1 Package of 4 pork loin chops. (sandwich the next day with leftovers)

• 1/3 cup ap flour

• 3 T Curry powder

• 1 T Black pepper

• 3 T Peanut oil

• 1 t Unsalted butter

• 2 Shallots minced

• 1 # Button Or Crimini Mushrooms sliced

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 1 qt chicken stock

• 1 Bulb fresh fennel

• 2 Belgian endive cut in half

• Olive oil

• Uncle Bens Rice 1 cup

• 3 T more unsalted butter

• Chopped small sweet onion

• 2 1/4 more cups chicken stock

• 1 T herbs d Provence

• Fresh minced parsley

• Fresh cut chives

• 4 Bananas

• 1 T Unsalted butter

• 1/4 Cup Dark Rum. (don’t worry alcohol will cook out leaving a nice rum flavor)

• 2 T honey

Take the four, curry, pepper and mix in a pie plate of sorts. Get a large frying type pan on medium heat with peanut oil and t of butter and let melt but not brown. Dredge the pork in the flour mixture just shaking off the excess, but not trying to get them as thinly coated as you can. The flour helps thicken the sauce. Sauté the pork until medium brown, not crispy and not really cooked through. Remove the meat and put in a oven proof pan. Remove excess fat from the pan and toss in the shallots stirring to get all the great flavors off of the bottom. Add the wine and deglaze the pan over medium heat. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half. In another sauté pan heat with butter and oil and cook the mushrooms over high heat for about 6 minutes. Add the reduction.

When reduced, pour over the pork, cover and put in a 350 oven for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile in a sauce pan put your butter and sweet onion and melt in a medium sauce pan. Add rice and coat with the butter and stir another minute. Add stock and herbs, cover, bring to a boil, reduce flame and simmer for 20 minutes covered. In another medium pan add about 2 T olive oil and put the sliced fennel and Belgian endive to slow braise for about 20 minutes. Salt and pepper. When limp and lightly browned, squeeze a fresh orange over them. Set aside. Remove pork from oven and strain the jus. Reduce the jus until 1/2 volume and thicker. Season and pour back over pork. In another sauce pan put about a tablespoon of unsalted butter and brown the bananas on each side. Pour over the rum and be careful of the flame which should ignite Add the honey … Garnish the entree with fresh herbs. I know I am using shortened sentences or this little column would take up the whole Caltaina Islander. Email me for any clarifications! It should work however …

Capt. Vaughn Allen was a private chef and butler for the ultra rich and famous most of his life. Vaughn was recently called out of retirement to cook the intimate celebration dinner for Sir Ringo Starr and his close friends. Vaughn is a businessman, scuba instructor and most recently a yacht broker in Redondo Beach. You can contact him at captainvaughnallen@gmail.com.