Chicken 40 Cloves is a provincial French dish which is basically some browned chicken parts braised in a liquid that has 40 cloves of garlic in it. The liquid is then reduced and served over the chicken. I decided to experiment with the concept:
1. I marinated some pork tenderloins in some pickle brine. I also had some brine from a jar of garlic stuffed olives I had just finished. I also added other seasonings—my pulled pork rub, which has brown sugar as one of it’s main ingredients
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2. I then browned the pork, and at the flip, added the garlic and a knob of butter.
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3. After that went on for a minute or two, I added some chicken broth and placed it in a 375 oven with a probe thermometer so I could pull the pork when the temperature reached 140-145 degrees.
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4. Meanwhile, while the pork was in the oven, I sweated out an onion, adding salt, pepper, dill, and Aleppo pepper flakes.
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5. I added Israeli couscous and toasted the pasta.
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6. I then added the requisite amount of boiling chicken broth and cooked it per package instructions.
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7. By the time the couscous was fully done and rested, the pork reached temperature. I pulled it out of the oven, set the pork aside to rest, and went about reducing the liquid in the pan until nice and thick and sticky.
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8. I then poured that thick sticky sauce with all that garlic into the couscous.
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The pork didn’t need any sauce, it was so tender and juicy from the pickle brine. Besides, as I parcel this out to make three-five days worth of meals for me, not having “loose sauce” makes it easier to parcel and put into containers. And it gives the couscous an AMAZING flavor.
So anyway, that’s what I did last weekend. The meals lasted four days. Tonight it’s Lunchables because I’ll be at rehearsals all afternoon and evening. What’s for Dinner at your place tonight?
