Pork Chop Porchetta on Farinata: Another Grainless Wonder

Your Cousin Vinny is probably going to come after me. My Uncle Tony is probably rolling in his grave. Spinning.  There is nothing in the world more delicious than a really well-made Italian porchetta sandwich made with juicy, seasoned, braised pork shoulder on a really good crusty, hard roll. I make a really scrumptious porchetta, almost an Italian pulled pork, and we live near Carangi's suburban branch -- a great Philadelphia Italian bakery that has the perfect rolls. I have two problems, though.

First, my porchetta recipe makes an enormous amount of the luscious, juicy pork, so my family of two would be eating it for a couple of weeks, and my system can't handle a lot of wheat starch. But it's such a familiar comfort food that I had to find a way around those hurdles. Luckily, I have a half of a freezer full of pork chops from that whole pork loin I bought a few weeks ago and showed you how to cut up here, and there is another Italian specialty that I can eat ---farinata. Farinata is the Italian version of the French Socca. Both are basically thin, crisp-ish flatbreads made solely from chickpea flour, water and olive oil. No grain, no gluten, and deliciously and fabulously authentic. It's also speedy to prepare as long as you remember to make the thin batter ahead and let it stand. By seasoning the chops with traditional porchetta seasonings and  braising all day in my slow cooker, Chuck and I can have a really good porchetta dinner in less than 30 minutes from when I pull into the driveway. I think Vinny and Tony would scarf this version down, too.

Pork Chop Porchetta, ready to serve!

You can  use my Socca recipe here, without adding any of the toppings. Or to make a Farinata, here's a link to the blog Kalyn's Kitchen where you'll find great, easy instructions. I use a slightly smaller pan to bake it for this,  as I want it a bit breadier and less crisp so it will sop up the gorgeous pork juice and I leave out the rosemary as there is plenty in the meat. These are great gluten free recipes to have in your file even if you don't make porchetta.


Note: I make this in a slow cooker, but it can easily be made in a dutch oven, in the oven at 325ºF for 2-1/2 hours. Generally, most traditional recipes include sage, but since we aren't fond of it, we've always subbed thyme. And in this non-traditional version, which is really more like a porchetta pulled pork, I've used some roasted peppers, both for color and flavor, and because loin is far leaner than pork shoulder. Enjoy every bite!

The Pork Chop Porchetta seasonings ready to go.

Pork Chop Porchetta
Serves 6
2-1/2 lb. boneless pork loin or sirloin pork chops or loin chunks
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2T ground fennel seed
6 garlic cloves, pureed or crushed
2T fresh rosemary leaves
6-8 fresh thyme sprigs
3/4 cup dry white wine
fresh ground black pepper
kosher salt
1 cup roasted sweet red bell pepper, chopped coarsely

Slap on the slow cooker lid; when you get back, it's Porchetta for dinner...

Place the pork in the crock of the slow cooker and toss with the olive oil. Mix in the ground fennel, the pureed garlic, the rosemary and thyme. Add the wine, and grind some fresh black pepper over the top, and add a big pinch of kosher salt. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the roasted peppers.

Serve over farinata or socca, or in crusty rolls.

Little Flatbread Pizza with Asparagus, Egg, Cheese and Pepperoni

Asparagus, egg and pepperoni flatbread

In honor of the first asparagus from the garden, this is one of the best breakfasts, lunches or dinners that I can think of. I just had it for breakfast. As a gardening geek, As soon as the first chard, chive or asparagus pokes its head above ground, I’m running around telling everyone I know. Sad but true. I tend to celebrate Spring.

2012 has to be the earliest I can ever remember picking asparagus. Granted, there are only 4 stalks large enough to pick but there are a couple of hundred coming along later. There also appears to be a major crop of slugs, too. Yum.

Actually, I kinda lied about this being a recipe. It’s not really. It’s just a technique. I didn’t even have the correct ingredients, since this is much nicer with thick asparagus, so it makes a “dam” to keep the egg from sliding off the flatbread before it’s cooked. But this early in the asparagus season, I don’t get thick asparagus out of the bed.

A flatter type of flatbread, other than naan is actually a little better as naan tends to be too bumpy, and the egg tends to slide to one side or the other. But it’s what I had in the freezer and I am all about improvising with what’s available. If your flatbread is largish, two eggs work fine, and could really make two servings.

This has everything going for it. It’s crispy, a little spicy from the pepperoni, creamy from the cheese, fresh tasting from the asparagus and sauced by the egg yolk. Make yourself one for breakfast soon. Or whenever you get your hands on some good, thick, LOCAL asparagus. Celebrate Spring.

Little Flatbread Pizza with Asparagus, Egg, Cheese and Pepperoni

Note: if you don't have a baking stone, place the flatbread on a baking sheet before assembling, and keep it on the sheet to bake.

Preheat your oven with a baking stone, if you have one, in it to 450°F. You’ll need:

4 thick, crisp - cooked asparagus stalks

1 small flatbread

About 2 ounces of thinly sliced sharp cheese

2 thin slices of either sandwich pepperoni or salami

1 or 2 eggs

Coarse salt (I used Hawaiian Black salt because it’s pretty)

Layer the cheese thickly to hold the egg in place when it melts

Place the cheese thickly on the top of the flatbread. Arrange the asparagus on the top of the cheese in a square or rectangle so the asparagus will come in contact with the cheese when it melts to form a wall to keep in the egg. Place the pepperoni or salami in the center. Place the flatbread in the oven on a the stone for about 2 minutes until the cheese is melting, and carefully, with a wooden spoon, press down gently on the asparagus to be sure it’s stuck to the cheese. Break your egg(s) into the middle of the asparagus wall and bake another 4-6 minutes until the whites are cooked, and the yolk is done to your liking. Carefully remove from the oven with a big spatula, and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Serves 1 or 2.