Satueed Pork Cutlets & Orzo "Risotto"

I bought a pork loin last week and was debating a few different things that I could make with it. I gave Shawn three choices for dinner (Zucchini Wrapped Pork, Sauteed Cutlets, and the Fiesta Pork from earlier this year, but with grits instead of polenta). He picked the cutlets and I decided to finally try out this orzo recipe that has intrigued me for years. It's in my HTCE book and I mentally flagged it as a simple dish that I could make with a few key ingredients. Thanks to my fabulous pantry stocking skills I was set!

I started by chopping up my onions and measuring all of the ingredients that I would need for both dishes. I melted some butter until it foamed and added the onions; sauteeing for a few minutes before adding the orzo. I toasted the orzo for a few moments (a la Rice a Roni) and added chicken stock, salt & pepper. I covered it, turned it down to low, and stirred it every few minutes while I cooked the pork.

This pork recipe is another one that I have tossed around for years as an easy dish in a pinch. I got it from an old Martha Stewart magazine that I purchased when we first moved into our house. I actually just realized that detail at this very moment; when looking at the recipe while typing up this blog. What fun! For one reason or another I never made the recipe, but tonight I had everything I needed and was finally ready to try it.

I sliced up the tenderloin, pounded the cutlets, and seasoned with salt & pepper. I sauteed them up in olive oil, a few cutlets at a time, for 2 minutes on each side (stirring my orzo all the while). When ready, I transferred them all to a dish and then drizzled fresh lemon juice over the cutlets and topped with a touch of parmesan.

The orzo was ready at about this time, so I added some parmesan to that as well, stirred and it was ready to eat.

The pork was delicious- the lemon wasn't overpowering and it really was complemented by the parmesan. I should have checked them from the pan- they weren't cooked enough and I had to cook them for a few minutes more after we sat down to eat. C'est la vie! They were delicious when we could finally eat them! The orzo was also quite tasty; the onions gave a nice sweetness and the texture really was like a risotto. I think a little swiss would have been absolutely fabulous with this, too. Maybe next time....

All in all it was a successful, two recipe meal and both were dishes that I would make again and again. The meal took very little time to prepare and it really tasted delicious and could also be modified to incorporate a lot of different flavors.

Sauteed Pork Cutlets- Martha Stewart Living: October 2006
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/sauteed-pork-cutlets

Orzo "Risotto"- How to Cook Everything: Mark Bittman
2T butter or olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, plus 1/2 cup more if needed
1 1/2 cups orzo (rice- shaped pasta)
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Place butter in 3 or 4 quart saucepan and turn heat to medium, when the foam subsides, add the onion and cook, stirring, until it becomes transluscent. Meanwhile, heat up the stock in a separate pan.
2. Add the orzo to the onion and stir once or twice; season with salt & pepper and add the stock, all at once. Cover and reduce heat to medium.
3. Cook, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking, until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Stir in half the parmesan cheese and parsley. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve with Parmesan on the side.