CHEAP & EASY, SWINE

When it comes to conscious spending on a budget, Trader Joe’s is the place to go. For less than $15 I was able to feed a hungry man and myself two good meals.

3 Pork cutlets (approximately 1 pound)        $5 at Trader Joe’s
2 Medium apples                                              4 for $1
2 Medium onions                                              $2.99 for about 5
2 Medium Russet potatoes                             $5 for 10
1 Bottle Charles Shaw white wine                 $2, duh!
2 Cloves garlic                                                  $1.50 for two heads, about 16 pieces a head
1 Cup flour                                                         Free from the food locker on 34th
1 Table spoon herbs                                        Free again! Grown in your or your neighbor’s yard
(I chose sage, thyme, and a little fresh rosemary)       
Sea salt & pepper to taste                               If need be, use the to-go packs at fast food restaurants
Fat of your choosing                                         What’s lying around?


Necessity is the mother of invention, and this one was so good I just had to share it. Since times have been tight I’ve had to get a bit creative to maximize our funds. So, here is the delicious way I saved some money one evening recently. Things turned out so well I even got a little sugar for dessert (wink, wink).

Always start by preparing your mise en palce. This means…get your things in order. I cut the apples and potatoes into wedges, paring off any inedibles such as the seeds and eyes, of course. Also, skinning is up to you—depending on my mood I will do it either way. (The peel of both apples and potatoes contains the majority of the nutrition and a good deal of fiber, so they’re very beneficial. Sometimes I just don’t feel like having such a rustic stew, my palate craves the more refined entrée sans skins.) The onions I slice in slivers—really—that way they soften, and sweeten, a bit in the stew. Mince the garlic. Then, prepare the flour dredge for the little piggies. To do this, simply dump the flour, herbs, and salt and pepper into a flat-bottomed bowl. Run the mixture through your fingers a few times to blend the ingredients and bless the dish with your inherent goodness. Next, rinse of your pork cutlets and plop those oinkers in the dredge. Make sure they are completely covered in the mix. While you are doing this get a skillet heating that will be big enough to hold all of your ingredients, including the bottle of wine. When I say fat of your choice, I mean it. What you choose depends on what you have on hand, what flavor you are going for, and/or how health-conscious you are. If you want to chop up a couple strips of bacon and render them, or even if you have some drippings from a past breakfast, the end result will be quite a bit richer. If you choose grape seed oil, the flavor will be lighter, but the smoke point is higher, and the hotter pan results in a crispier crust on the cutlets. Butter and brown butter will also have their own sumptuous effects. Any way you go, we will be searing our swine at this time. After the first side has browned and you have flipped the steaks, add the onions. Let the onions sweat in the heat then toss the garlic into the fire. Keep shaking the pan to mix the ingredients and keep them from sticking. As the smell from the garlic hits you, throw on the apples and potatoes and let every body get to know each other for about five minutes, making sure to stir things up every now and then. Once everything has seared and softened, deglaze the pan with the Two Buck Chuck, cover with a canted lid, and relax. After the wine has reduced by at least half, give it a taste. Now is the time to add a bit of salt, or if the sauce is still too astringent, let it reduce a bit more. I will also add some of the flour mixture from earlier to act as a roux and thicken the goo. When everything is where you want it, you’re done. You might like finishing the dish with a little butter or sour cream just before plating for added depth. Also, stretch the meal even further by serving over a bed of brown rice and with fresh vegetables.