PORK

BAKED HAM WITH APRICOTS

A baked ham is incredibly easy to do for a large group - it stays warm for a long time and tastes just as good at room temperature too. I buy Costco's Martha Stewart brand ham that has a bone in which makes a great soup later. Figure 12 - 16 pounds will make 20 -25 servings at least.

1 pre-cooked ham with bone in 12 - 16 pounds
about 20 whole cloves to stud the surface
1/4 cup of prepared Dijon-style mustard
1 cup brown sugar
1 pound dried apricots
1 cup Madeira wine

Preheat the oven to 350.
Place the ham in a sturdy shallow roasting pan.
With a sharp knife make a diamond pattern across the layer of fat on the ham and stick a clove of garlic into the X's you've made. Pat the surface with the mustard, and sprinkle the brown sugar over all and pat it into place with your hands.
Pour the apples juice into the pan - the ham can sit prepared to go for several hours until you are 2 1/2 to 3 hours from serving.
Bake ham for 1 1/2 hours, basting it with the apple juice from time to time.
At the same time, combine the apricots and Madeira in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and cover. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the ham has baked 1 1/2 hours, add the apricots and their liquid to the roasting pan and cook another 30 minutes, basting a couple of times.
At the end of cooking, remove ham to a platter where you can arrange slices with the apricots scattered around. You can skim off the fat from the pan and pour into a sauce boat and serve the ham with mustard and chutney.

This recipe is from the famous Silver Palate Cookbook, Thomas Allen and Son 1982. This is a good old standby for entertaining menus.


PORK MEDALLIONS - FAST AND ELEGANT

One good sized pork tenderloin - sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 cup flour
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Lay out everything ahead of time like a stir fry and this is something you can produce quickly and easily.
Slice the pork and dry slices on layers of paper towel and keep in frig.
Combine flour salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
Combine the wine, vinegar and sugar.
In a skillet big enough to hold all the slices in one layer, heat the butter and oil, next dredge the pork slices in the flour mixture and saute them for about 4 or 5 minutes per side. Remove slices to a plate and saute the garlic and sage for a minute or two, stir the wine mixture to re-combine and add to the skillet, cooking over medium heat until the sauce is reduced by half, then return the pork to the skillet and cook another 5 minutes. Remove the meat to a warm platter and reduce the sauce further by cooking it over a high heat - then serve with a spoonful of the sauce coating each slice. Three or four slices will make one serving so this should serve 4 people. Tastes very good with butternut squash gratin.

This is adapted from "Modern Italian Cooking" by Biba Caggiano 1987. This is truly a wonderful book!