SAM ON THE RADIO:
Cooking to Beat the Clock on A Chef's Table

Part of the Process:
Quick Pork Stew with Golden Mashed Potatoes

Most folks think a food processor is about as necessary in the kitchen as an espresso machine. But a food processor is no longer a luxury. And when you’re Cooking to Beat the Clock, it’s a necessity. That’s why I keep my food processor on the kitchen counter—next to my cutting board and chef’s knife.

Some people have told me they don’t use the food processor,  because they don’t want to clean it after chopping an onion or a few cloves of garlic. I tell them about this new invention called the dishwasher. You just put the soiled parts in the machine--and it actually cleans them for you! Other people say, “I can chop just as fast with a knife.” Oh yeah? I’ve been a professional cook for 25 years—and a food processor chops faster than I do.

The key is how you use the machine. I use the stainless steel, S-shaped chopping blade about 90 percent of the time, for chopping, purees, dressings and sauces. When chopping onions, peel, then cut the onion in four pieces. Six if the onion is large. Then put the pieces into the bowl of the processor. Use the pulse bar, not the ON switch, to do the chopping. Hitting the pulse bar 10 to 20 times, creates perfectly chopped onions. If you press the on switch and walk away, you’ll return to a bowl full of onion slush.

For finely chopped garlic, drop the garlic down the feed tube or the chute of the food processor with the motor already on. I often chop garlic and ginger root together this way for Asian dishes. I’ll mince garlic and anchovies together for Caesar salad.

The shredding attachment of the food processor makes short work of cabbage for coleslaw. And the slicing attachment does wonders with mushrooms, carrots, and other vegetables.

In my recipe for Quick Pork Stew with Golden Mashed Potatoes, I also use the food processor for mashed potatoes. Critics say the food processor makes mashed potatoes gluey. True, if you let the machine run wild. But by using the pulse bar, mashed potatoes (or any other mashed root vegetable like celery root) are a breeze.

You’ll also note in the Pork Stew recipe that the food processor is used three times before you have to clean it. Learning to use the machine in this fashion is also a tremendous time saver. You’ll save even more time, if you clean it afterwards in that newfangled dishwasher machine.

Quick Pork Stew with Golden Mashed Potatoes

1 1/2 to 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, as large as possible
Salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
2 pork tenderloins, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds total
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, about 8 ounces
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves or 11/2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup fat-free, reduced sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon butter

1)Peel the potatoes and slice lengthwise. Then cut crosswise into thin slices. Run the hot water tap while you put the potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt into a large saucepan. Barely cover the potatoes with hot water and put over high heat. Cover and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.

2)Meanwhile, put the oil in a 12-inch saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cut the tenderloin crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices at the widest part. Increase the width to 1 inch toward the narrower end. Season with salt and pepper, add to the pan, and increase the heat to high.

3)With the slicing attachment to the food processor in place, slice the mushrooms in 2 or 3 batches. Set aside. Turn the pork over to brown on the other side.

4)Refit the food processor with the chopping blade. Peel the garlic. With the motor of the food processor running, drop the garlic down the chute. Meanwhile, peel and quarter the onion. Stop the motor of the processor, add the onion and pulse until chopped. Scrape the onion and garlic into the pan with the pork. Add the mushrooms and stir well.

5)Chop the rosemary if fresh. Sprinkle the pork mixture with 2 teaspoons of the fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon of the dried rosemary (crushed with your fingers), and the flour. Stir well. Add the chicken stock and soy sauce. Stir well, cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover and cook for about 3 minutes or until pork is just tender. (Do not overcook.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and add remaining rosemary, if desired.

6)Meanwhile, warm the sour cream in a microwave oven at half power for 30 seconds. As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain and put into the food processor with the sour cream, butter and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse just until combined but not completely smooth. (Do not overprocess.) Serve with the pork.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 694 calories, 37 grams protein, 98 grams carbohydrate, 19 grams fat, 3.8 grams saturated fat, 73 mg cholesterol, 441mg sodium.