July 9, 2013 | 0 Comments

Diced! – Josh – Beer Braised Pork Loin with Dill & Brussels Sprouts Salad

Today we have an entrant for the first course of the Diced! competition. Contestants were instructed to create or find a recipe for an entrée containing the following ingredients: Pork Loin, Ramen Noodles, Brussels Sprouts and Dill Pickles. They were instructed to make their dish and create a blog post about it, including pictures. More information about Diced! can be found here.

Today’s contestant, Josh hails from Beaumont, Texas and brings a little kick to his first round Diced! post. A Creative Director by day, Josh is a father of 3, former Marine, and lover of great food art. His love for experiencing new and unique cuisine inspires a passion for recreating in his own kitchen. Josh blogs over at Some Dudes Kitchen. Check it out. Here’s Josh…

Beer Braised Pork Loin with Dill & Brussels Sprouts Salad

I’m going to admit right off the bat that I need no special occasion to braise. Despite the fact that it’s a typical Southeast Texas summer, this dish was primed for breaking out the dutch oven. So with the heavy cast iron heating up, lets take a look at the star ingredients for this round of DICED!

Pork Loin

Ramen Noodles

Brussels Sprouts

Dill Pickles

Now honestly, upon first reading the ingredient list, I was a little befuddled. At least to me, none of them seemed to compliment each other. My first thought was to make a grilled pork pita using the sprouts and pickles in some kind of tatziki sauce…the problem was the ramen. So after some mental cooking, I came up with a nice entree with a hint of Mediterranean flair.

Start by seasoning the pork loin, browning it over high heat with a drizzle of olive oil.

While that browns, prepare a mirepoix of (2) parsnips, (1) carrot, (1) stalk celery, and (1) medium white onion.

Once pork is browned on all sides, remove from pan and set aside. Add mirepoix to the same pan.

Sautee for 2-3 minutes then deglaze with 12oz beer (any type of lager or ale should work, I would avoid dark brews like stout or porter). Mix in (1) teaspoon each thyme, savory, and sage.

At this point I transferred the contents of the pan to a dutch oven. Return pork to the pan, settling it on top of the braising vegetables. Add chicken stock to pan covering ¾ of the loin, but not submerging. Cover and place in 350 degree oven. Cook for 1 ½ – 2 hours

While the pork is braising, roast Brussels sprouts at 450 degrees. Roasting the sprouts helps tame some of their inherent bitterness by bringing out the natural sugars.

In a medium fry pan, add 4 strips of bacon and cook until fat is rendered. Remove bacon, but leave rendered fat. Add (1) package crushed ramen noodles to bacon fat and continue to cook.

Chop ¼ cup dill pickles and ½ cup roasted sprouts, add to the pan along with ½ cup grape tomatoes. Continue to cook, return (2) strips of chopped cooked bacon to the pan. Sprinkle in ¼ cup feta cheese and remove from heat.