Chipotle Pork Quichelettes. Sounds pretty fancy, right? Well, just call my husband Mr. Fancy because this was his contribution to the second annual Appetanza Extravaganza. And it was the winning dish!
Not only was it full of flavor and perfectly savory, Nick received bonus points for grinding his own meat and making his own pastry. Yes, he was in it to win it this year.
But he assures you it’s not at all complicated. In fact, he managed to prepare it while sipping multiple glasses of red wine. He’s such a multi-tasker. Enjoy!
Chipotle Pork Quichelettes
Makes 20 quichelettes.
For the Tart Crust:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 11 tablespoons (5.5 ounces) butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
- 6 ounces lean ground pork
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced chives
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup half-and-half cream
1. For the Tart Crust: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, butter, egg, and salt with a wooden spoon, or with a hand mixer set to the lowest speed. Mix until dough comes together and can be formed into a ball.
2. Grease muffin tins. (This recipe makes 20 quiches, so you will need multiple tins.) On a floured work surface, roll dough into a log about 15 inches long. Cut log into 20 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and flatten it slightly with your palms. Place flattened dough into greased muffin tin, and use your fingers to press it out and up the sides of each well.
3. For the Filling: Preheat oven to 375°F. Add ground pork to a skillet, season it with ground chipotle chile and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and cook over medium heat until no longer pink.
4. Add pork, cheddar cheese, and chives to each quichelette crust. In a bowl, beat eggs, cream, and remaining salt together until combined. Pour the mixture over the pork until it reaches the top edge of the crusts.
5. Bake quichelettes for 26-28 minutes, or until slightly browned. Cool for about 10 minutes, and gently lift them out with a butter knife and serve warm.
(Adapted from La Fuji Mama)