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Grill citrus pork chops, berry pound cake and more

Frank Pellegrino Jr. serves up recipes from his family's eatery, Rao's Restaurant

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    >>> this morning on "today's" kitchen we're grilling and chilling pork chops . chef frank from new york. his new book, rao's on the grill, italian recipes from my kitchen to yours. great to have you here. we think rao's, we think the hard to get into restaurant in new york city .

    >> i can't get a table.

    >> sure.

    >> thirty years in, i can't get a table. my goodness. you have your own cooking though. why the cookbook now?

    >> it's something i've always done, cooked, entertained. i pretty much do it all year long, even when i'm here on the east coast . easy to clean up, get involved, have a great time cooking together.

    >> i guess folks that can't get into the restaurant feel like they have a piece of it. how to make one of your recipes. this is pork chops with a citrus barbecue.

    >> this is pork line with the bone in. season with salt and pepper on both sides and let it rest for a little bit. turn it over.

    >> back side.

    >> i'll do the pepper.

    >> please do.

    >> what is the secret to the citrus barbecue sauce .

    >> that's what we have right here. the secret is you have the majority of these ingredients in the pantry, in your frig. it's good to go. you want extra for dipping sauce later on after everything is prepared.

    >> here you have ketchup.

    >> ketchup with freshly grated horse haddish, woos shir, garlic.

    >> the key ingredient. a little more horse radish if you like.

    >> a little kick.

    >> a lot of kick. it's be careful with that stuff. it's potent. finally red pepper . what we're going to do is whisk this all together. i'm going to ask you to do this for me as i start to sear pork chops .

    >> you're not putting it on the chops before putting it on the grill?

    >> well, it's going to go back on the grill. so as these are -- these are going to cook about 450 degrees medium high heat. okay. then you're going to turn them over and they will look something like this.

    >> a little seared. this is indoor, outdoor as well.

    >> grill pan at home, frying pan in the oven. it's great. it's really wonderful on the grill. that's where you take advantage of this barbecue sauce . it's easy.

    >> coating them through.

    >> coat them nicely, gently. then flip them over. you're going to let this sauce glaze. it's going to be absolutely wonderful.

    >> karcarmichae caramelize.

    >> 15 to 20 depending how you like your pork.

    >> some think pink is the way to go. other think no pink is the way to go.

    >> the good news is fda reduced serving temperature for pork chops , 145, used to be 160. while these are cooking, what we're going to do is add breadcrumbs on top, evenly distributed.

    >> a little crunch.

    >> crunch. great textures, carries the flavor. then squeeze some lemon on top.

    >> extra citrus.

    >> exactly.

    >> bake this in the oven to get it fully cooked, right?

    >> yes, you k again, very versatile.

    >> beautifully done. perfect chop. you've got these great sides to go along.

    >> pasta salad . particular lip this time of year, tomatoes at their height, fabulous. red onion , mozzarella.

    >> what is this.

    >> red, white, blue. my pastry chef in las vegas .

    >> we like your style.

    >> frank pell grino, thank you for being here. hoda and kathie lee next. .. . . test test test

    Show transcript

TODAY recipes
updated 8/29/2012 9:26:01 AM ET 2012-08-29T13:26:01

Recipe: Pork chops with citrus barbecue sauce

Ingredients
  • For the citrus barbecue sauce:
  • 1 cup tomato ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon orange or other citrus marmalade
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh horseradish or use drained prepared horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
  • For the chops:
  • 4 (12-ounce) center-cut loin pork chops on the bone, cut about 1 1/2 inches thick
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ⅓ cup Italian-seasoned dried breadcrumbs
  • 1 lemon, cut in half
Preparation

1. Prepare an outdoor grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (450ºF).

2. To make the barbecue sauce, mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

3. Season the pork chops with the salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature while the grill is heating.

4. Brush the cooking grate clean and lightly oil the grate. Grill the chops, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the undersides are seared with grill marks, about 3 minutes. Flip the chops and brush the tops with some of the sauce. Grill until the other sides are seared, about 3 minutes. Turn the chops and brush the tops with sauce. Grill until the undersides are glazed, about 3 minutes. Brush the chops with sauce, then flip again. Sprinkle the tops with equal amounts of the breadcrumbs. Squeeze the juice from the lemon halves over the breadcrumbs. Grill until the undersides are glazed and the topping is browned, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove from the grill. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes and serve.

Serving Size

Serves 4

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Recipe: Rao's pasta salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil

Ingredients
  • 12 ripe plum (Roma) tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced (about 8 cups)
  • 1 (7-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 8 large fresh basil leaves, torn into dime-sized pieces, plus 6 large fresh basil leaves for garnish
  • 2 teaspoons diced red onion
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 pound short pasta, such as fusilli or farfalle (bow ties)
  • 6 whole basil leaves for garnish
Preparation

1. Mix together the tomatoes, olive oil, parsley, torn basil, red onion, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. (The tomato mixture can be made and refrigerated up to 12 hours ahead.)

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the tortellini and cook according to the package directions until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about 2 cups of the tomato mixture to a bowl to use as a topping. Add the pasta to the larger amount of the tomato mixture and mix well. Top with the reserved tomato mixture and the whole basil leaves. Serve.

Serving Size

Serves 6

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Recipe: Laura's grilled pound cake with mixed berries

Ingredients
  • Berry compote:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 (6-ounce) basket fresh raspberries
  • 1 (6-ounce) basket fresh blueberries
  • 1 (6-ounce) basket fresh blackberries
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
  • For cake:
  • 1 store-bought pound cake, cut into six 1 1/2-inch slices
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, well softened
  • Whipped cream for serving (optional)
Preparation

1. To make the berry compote, bring the sugar and ½ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let the syrup cool.

2. Combine the raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries and stir in enough of the syrup to sweeten the berries to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

3. Prepare an outdoor grill for direct cooking over medium-low heat (350ºF).

4. Brush the cooking grate clean and lightly oil the grate. Spread the butter over both sides of the pound cake slices. Place the cake slices on the grill. Cook, with the lid closed as much as possible, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 4 minutes.

5. For each serving, place a cake slice on a plate and top with the berries and their juices. Add a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Serve immediately.

Serving Size

Serves 6

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