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Mamaliga Balls with Smoked Ham

Published by Michael Symon, Food Network’s “Melting Pot”

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
• oil, for deep-frying
• 1/4 pound butter
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup diced smoked ham
• 1/4 cup ricotta

Directions:

Heat the stock to a simmer and then whisk in the cornmeal.

Whisk butter, salt, and pepper into the cornmeal mixture. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to touch, roll into balls about the size of a golf ball.
Poke a hole in the middle and fill with 1/4 teaspoon each of the ri

Cider made from fresh apples creates a full-bodied glaze for these tender chops. Serves 4. 4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in smoked pork chops 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 large onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups unfiltered apple cider 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Pat chops dry. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chops in 2 batches on one side only, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer chops, browned sides up, to a large shallow baking pan, reserving skillet. Bake chops until heated through, about 20 minutes. 3. While chops bake, melt butter in skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook onion with sugar and salt, scraping up brown bits and stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes. 4. Add cider and vinegar and boil mixture,