Pork Puff Pastry
With Thanksgiving around the corner, I was racking my brain for a delicious yet easy appetizer to bring to my in-laws’ house this year. For some reason, instead of picturing dancing turkeys and such, I had visions of sizable pigs lounging. Admittedly turkey is one of my least favorite parts about Thanksgiving — sacrilege! — since I’m all about the sides (*unless the turkey is deep-fried, then it’s a game changer). I stumbled upon this recipe for Roast Pork Puff Pastry while watching The Cooking Channel and I was instantly inspired to do a practice run with the Husband Friday night. The results were divine. The warm and flaky puff pastry melts in your mouth and the roast pork inside serves as a moist, tender and savory filling. This dish is both easy and delicious – exactly what I was searching for.
Best enjoyed right out of the oven, I plan on bringing the already roasted and sliced pork with me, and popping them into puff pastry skins once I’m there. The Pork Pastry Puffs can also be warmed up the next day in the microwave or toaster oven and still taste fantastic. Nothing quite compares to day-after Thanksgiving leftovers, right?
Roast Pork Pastry Puffs
(adapted from The Cooking Channel’s Ching-He Huang’s Easy Chinese)
INGREDIENTS
MARINADE:
*(it’s best to marinate the pork tenderloin for a few hours before or even overnight if possible)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce (regular or light)
- 2 tablespoons peeled and finely grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons hoison sauce or yellow soybean sauce (I use hoison sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry (I use Shaohsing rice wine)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- a pinch of sea salt, to taste
- 1 box ready-made puff pastry sheets or about 15 squares
- 1 egg, beaten
- Untoasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces pork tenderloin (half of an average size tenderloin). You will definitely have leftover roast pork, which will be perfect for sandwiches, noodles or fried rice.
- parchment paper
- cookie sheet or roasting tray
DIRECTIONS
While the pork is roasting, bring the reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan. Once it has boiled, take it off of the heat. Baste the pork halfway through cooking with 2 tablespoons marinade. Cool the remaining marinade to room temperature.
Furiously Basting
Marinade about to boil
When the pork is done, remove from the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Cut the pork into 1/4-inch cubes. Toss the cubed pork in enough of the reserved, cooled marinade to coat. The pork mixture should be at room temperature before filling the pastry.
Resting...
For the puffs: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a roasting tray or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Cut puff pastry sheets into 3-4 inch squares, so that you have about 12-15 squares. Brush the edges of each square with the beaten egg. Place a heaping teaspoon of the pork filling in the center. Tuck the four corners in towards each other, slightly overlapping the ends. There will be some small open slits in the corners but don’t worry about them. Put the folded sides face down on the tray or sheet. Try not to handle the puff pastry too much or it will soften and get sticky. If the puff pastry softens too much you can put them the fridge for about 10 minutes and start again. Don’t be too concerned if the shape of the pastry puffs appear too square as they will naturally round out once they start to bake in the oven.
Place each filled puff pastry on the prepared roasting tray or cookie sheet and brush with an egg wash on top. Sprinkle with untoasted sesame seeds.
Cook in the oven until the pastry is golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Once you start, you can't stop
