Entrée – Pork/lamb
Autumn Pork Sauté with Apple & Butternut Squash "Haystack" & Dried Fruit Pilaf

This recipe was featured on "You're the Chef" episode #404. Buy this episode from WVIA.

Yield: four portions

Ingredients:

Dried Fruit Rice Pilaf
2 Tbsp.	butter
1/2 c.	Spanish onion, chopped small
1 c.	rice, long grain
2 c.	water or chicken bouillon
1 each	sprig fresh thyme
1/2 c.	chopped dried fruit pieces
1/4 c.	fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp.	salt
1/2 tsp.	ground black pepper
Pork
12 each	pork loin or pork tenderloin, 1.5 oz. slices, pounded or sliced very thin
1/2 c.	all-purpose flour, seasoned with some salt and ground black pepper
1/4 c.	clarified butter
Squash
1/4 c.	brandy
2 c.	butternut squash, peeled and seeded, shredded or julienne
1/4 c.	shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 c.	Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, julienne or shredded just before cooking (do not hold in water)
1 c.	heavy cream
1 tsp.	fresh parsley, chopped
as needed	salt
as needed	ground black pepper

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Dried Fruit Rice Pilaf procedure:
In a small saucepot over medium high heat, sauté the onion in the butter for 1 minute. Add the rice and continue to sauté and stir until the rice is coated with the butter and translucent. Add the liquid and thyme sprig and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the fruit pieces, parsley, salt and pepper, cover the pot, and simmer for an additional 6 minutes, or until the rice is plump and all the liquid is evaporated. Remove from the heat; keep covered and warm for service.

Pork procedure:
Dredge the pork in the seasoned flour and sauté in a pre-heated sauté or frying pan in the clarified butter over high heat until the pork pieces are lightly browned on both sides.

Squash procedure:
Sauté the butternut squash and shallots in the butter and drippings from the pork in the pan for about 1 minute. Away from the flame, add the brandy to the pan. Return to the heat and allow the brandy to ignite and burn off the alcohol. Add the cream and allow it to boil until it becomes the thickness of sauce that will coat the back of a spoon. Add the apples and parsley, stirring until they just become mixed into the squash and cream. Remove the pan from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, place the squash and apple mixture on top of a slice of pork, repeating the process until you have a stack three slices high. Pour the sauce remaining in the pan on top of the "haystack" of pork and squash. Serve with the dried fruit rice pilaf.