Donnie Wahlberghis brother Chef Paul Wahlberg invited Us Weekly in his kitchen as part of Wahlburgers’ partnership with CBS and Blue blood.
As part of countdown to Blue blood series finale on December 13, 60-year-old chef Paul created a special dish inspired by Reagan Family Dinners for the fans to enjoy. (Paul’s brother Donnie, 55, plays Detective Danny Reagan on the CBS show.)
Before you watch this week’s all-new episode — “Entitlement” is the penultimate in the series — us has an exclusive first look at Paul’s Pork Chops with Apple Cider Sauce recipe. If this isn’t the perfect dish for the holiday season, we don’t know what is.
“As kids, pork was very cheap. My dad would buy a whole bone-in pork tenderloin and debone it,” Paul recalls in the video, noting that he uses French pork chops so they have a nice center. “He would roast the bones and we would feed them to our dogs and make a stock of them.”
Paul explained that his recipe for pork chops is a twist on what his parents and Donnie used to make. (The brothers are two of nine children, including an actor Mark Wahlberg.)
“It’s a little more complicated than the way my family used to do it,” Paul said. “We’re going to make pork gravy.”
Paul’s take on the sauce for his dish includes apple cider, a seasonal staple. “You’ve got good quality cider, there’s nothing better this fall season,” he shared.
His elevated sauce, which includes chicken stock and mustard, helped pass down the cooking tradition to the next generation of Wahlbergs—like The Reagan tradition to serve and protect the people of New York.
Donnie Wahlberg’s brother, Chef Paul Wahlberg, in partnership with CBS and Wahlburgers, is celebrating the latest episodes of Blue Bloods by sharing some recipes inspired by the hit CBS series with fans. In Us Weekly’s exclusive clip of Chef Paul’s latest creation, he shows how to make meatloaf, red bliss mashed potatoes with (…)
“What I love about pork chops is that I now share them with my family. My son fell in love with this dish. It’s one of his favorite meals,” revealed Paul. “That relationship I have with my family now, he has with my parents. With your grandparents. He kind of understands better where we come from and who we are.”
Not only does Paul make great pork chops and apple cider sauce, but he shared the recipe for his side dishes or Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans and Carrots with Arugula and Pistachio Pesto with us.
Blue blood airs on CBS Fridays at 10pm ET. Stream every episode on Paramount+.
Scroll down for the full recipe – and how to lead – for this week Blue blood– inspired dish:
Pork chops and apple cider sauce
ingredients:
4 (8 oz) French bone-in pork chops (if possible) from a good quality butcher shop
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup apple cider
¼ cup finely chopped Spanish onion
½ teaspoon diced garlic
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
Pat the pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper.
Add oil to the pan and fry the pork chops, two pieces at a time.
Place the fried patties on a rack.
After browning the chops, add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté them for one minute over low heat.
Add the apple cider to the pan, increase the heat, bring to a boil and reduce the heat.
When the cider has evaporated, add the chicken stock and mustard, then reduce by half.
Add the heavy cream and fresh thyme, bring to a simmer and reduce for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add apple cider vinegar to taste.
Place the pork chops in the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the pork chops and let them rest for four minutes on a plate.
Reserve the juices from the pork chops and add to the sauce.
The cast of Blue Bloods doesn’t just play family on TV, they’ve become a tight-knit group since the show first premiered in 2010. The CBS series follows the lives of the Reagan family, led by Tom Selleck’s Commissioner Frank Reagan. Frank’s father, Henry Reagan (Len Cariou), sits across from him at the group’s weekly Sunday (…)
Baked potatoes with herbs
ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in half
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 whole head of garlic, halved crosswise
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rinse and scrub the potatoes in cold water, then drain.
Cut the potatoes in half and place them in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Throw on the coat.
Grease a pan or baking tray with the remaining oil.
Place the potatoes in the pan, cut side down, along with the two garlic halves, cut side down.
Bake for 25 minutes and check by piercing with a knife.
Combine the herbs and melted butter in a large bowl, add the potatoes and toss.
Potatoes can be prepared in advance and reheated in the oven with a little butter and olive oil.
You can also squeeze the roasted garlic from the head/cloves, mash with a spoon and serve with the potatoes.
Roasted carrots and green beans with pistachios, arugula pesto
ingredients:
12 ounces green beans, washed and trimmed
1½ lbs baby carrots, peeled
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
Pesto:
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
¾ cup grated Reggiano Parmesan
½ cup toasted, shelled pistachios
4 cloves of garlic
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of salt
The Reagans will gather around their family table for the last time as fans say goodbye to Blue Bloods after 14 seasons. The CBS drama premiered in 2010, documenting the lives of Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) and his law enforcement family. In addition to the family patriarch, former commissioner Henry Reagan (Len Cariou) (…)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the arugula, pistachios, garlic, salt, parsley and half of the olive oil in a blender. Pulse high to start the slicing process. Then turn the blender on low, add the Parmesan and slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil.
Check for salt and transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate.
Place the carrots, shallots and green beans in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Mix the olive oil and melted butter, then pour over the carrots and green beans. Mix well and place on a tray in a single layer.
Bake in the oven until the carrots and green beans are cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.
Place the cooked carrots and green beans in a large bowl and pour some of the pesto over them.
Check for seasoning and place on a serving plate. It can be garnished with toasted pistachio pieces, grated Parmesan and/or a squeeze of lemon juice.
