Sautéed Pork & Parsnips

It has been a stellar couple of days. We were invited out to dinner last night to the house of some friends we made on the wine tour in Italy. They’re awesome [because I only hang out with awesome people — duh], and treated us to an incredibly fun night of a ton of wine, cheese/salami/crackers, stuffed pork chops, steamed asparagus and lemon butter, sautéed onions and mushrooms, pasta salad, and brownies over ice cream. I have been on a pork tear lately, so I was totally psyched on their menu. We had a great time catching up [we run into them at the winery occasionally], getting to know each other better, and staying out until 11:30am. We party.

Today I was given a promotion and a raise at work. You’re looking at THE senior staff accountant. Flashy, huh? I wasn’t totally expecting it, which makes it even more exciting. I might have done a little dance in my cube. I picked up my first pair of prescription sunglasses. It’s a novel concept that only took me 18 years to figure out. Some friends of ours from San Francisco came into town today, too. We went out to Piazza Italia for dinner where the staff treated us to a bottle of Fanti Sassomagno Sant’Antimo. I’ve been there. That’s the best part. It was towards the end of our trip when we toured and tasted bottle after bottle of wine. It’s the first time I’ve really seen a bottle from the wineries we had gone to. Other things enjoyed — linguine with clams and a white wine sauce, the best tiramisu in the city, and a macchiato. Go there if you’re in the mood for classic Italian.

So pork — I’ve been eating leftover pulled pork sandwiches this week [recipe to come!] and the stuffed pork chops last night, and then this super comforting pork loin dish. It has everything I could want in a dish, pork, chewy carbs, sautéed parsnips, and a dry vermouth sauce. Alcohol is always good in a sauce. Parsnips are funny. They’re so, so bitter when they’re uncooked. I’m a notorious snacker when I’m chopping vegetables. I’d say a good 1/5 of whatever I chop gets eaten. Quality control. I always forget about parsnips because I don’t buy them that often. They are not good raw vegetables. Well, at least my taste buds don’t think so. Cooked are definitely where it’s at.

Inspiration: Williams Sonoma

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1ooz parsnips, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 2 shallots, minced
• fresh or dried thyme
• salt and pepper
• 3oz egg noodles
• 10oz pork loin, cut into 1/2″ rounds
• all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry vermouth

Preparation

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan on medium high heat. Sauté the parsnips for two minutes. Add the shallots and two teaspoons of thyme. Add salt and pepper, cooking the parsnips until they brown. Remove them from the pan and keep warm.

Bring  a pot of salted water boil to cook the egg noodles. When al dente, drain the water and toss with another tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of thyme.

Sprinkle all sides of the pork with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces in flour and cook on high heat heat in the parsnip pan. They should be lightly browned on all sides. It takes 2-3 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.

Add the vermouth, broth, and parsnip mixture back to the pan. Bring it to a boil, scraping up the browned bits of the pork for FLAVOR. Reduce the heat and simmer for 7-9 minutes until the parsnips are cooked through and the sauce is reduced. Add the pork and cook it through for another couple of minutes. Service over the egg noodles.