Chef Frank Pellegrino Jr.'s Rao's Grilled Pork Chops on THE Dish

Chef Frank Pellegrino Jr., the fourth-generation owner/operator of Rao's in New York City, started working in the restaurant from the age of 10.

Rao's opened in 1896, and the original restaurant in New York's East Harlem is still in the same location.

After all these years, Pellegrino is still at the restaurant nearly every night of the week. His first cookbook, "Rao's On the Grill," was released in 2012 and written as a companion book to the two Rao's cookbooks written by his father, Frank.

Pellegrino joined "CBS This Morning: Saturday" to serve up Rao's grilled pork chops with hot and sweet cherry peppers.

Rao's Grilled Pork Chops With Hot And Sweet Cherry Peppers

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 (10-ounce) pork rib chops, cut about 1-inch thick

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cherry Pepper Sauce

1/4 cup pure olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed under a knife and peeled

1 cup pickled sweet cherry peppers, cored, halved and seeded

1 cup pickled hot cherry peppers, cored, halved and seeded

1 cup brine from pickled cherry peppers

1 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons cold, salted butter

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare an outdoor grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (450 degrees).

2. Season the chops with the salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature while the grill is preheating.

3. To begin the Cherry Pepper Sauce: Place a large, flameproof skillet on the cooking grate. Add the oil and garlic. Cook, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the garlic turns golden, about 2 minutes. Add the sweet and hot peppers, brine and wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the liquid had reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. (The sauce can be made up to 2 hours ahead.)

4. Brush the cooking grate clean and lightly oil the grate. Grill the veal chops, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the undersides are grilled, about 4 minutes. Flip the chops and grill to sear the opposite sides, about 4 minutes more. Remove the veal chops from the grill. The veal will be rare but will finish cooking in the sauce.

5. To finish the sauce: Return the skillet to the grill. Add the veal chops. Cook, basting the chops with the sauce, until the chops show a hint of pink when the meat at the bone is pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 4 minutes. Transfer each chop to a dinner plate. Add the butter to the skillet and stir until the butter dissolves and lightly thickens the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon equal amounts of the peppers with their sauce over the chops, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Green Bean And Potato Salad

Ingredients

Makes 4-6 servings

3 white-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Kosher salt

1 pound green (string) beans

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup pure olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 red onion, cut into thin half-moons

Freshly ground black pepper

Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook just until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the potatoes under cold running water. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

2. Fill the saucepan with fresh water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add a big pinch of salt and the green beans. Cook just until the beans are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans under cold running water. Let cool.

3. Transfer the green beans to a large bowl. Whisk the vinegar and garlic together in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Pour over the green beans, add the lemon juice and toss. Add the potatoes and red onion and gently fold them into the beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Serve chilled with the lemon wedges.

Rao's Pasta Salad With Tomatoes, Mozzarella, And Basil

Makes 6 to 8 servings

12 ripe plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced (about 4 cups)

1 (7-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped, fresh, flat-leaf parsley

8 large fresh basil leaves, torn into dime-size pieces

2 teaspoons diced red onion

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 pound short pasta, such as fusilli (spirals) or farfalle (bow ties)

6 whole fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. Mix together the tomatoes, olive oil, mozzarella, parsley, torn basil, red onion, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. (The tomato mixture can be made and refrigerated up to 12 hours ahead.)

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture to a bowl to use as a topping and set aside. Add the pasta to the larger amount of the tomato mixture and mix well. Top with the reserved tomato mixture and the whole basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Grilled Artichokes With Spicy Lemon Dip

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed, hot, red pepper flakes

4 artichokes

2 lemons, halved

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

2. To make the Dipping Sauce: Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. Let stand at room temperature while cooking the artichokes.

3. For each artichoke, if the stem is attached, cut it off at the base. Rub the cut area with a lemon half. Using kitchen scissors, snip off the thorny tips of the leaves. Snap off the small, tough outer leaves. Rub the artichoke all over with the lemon half.

4. Place squeezed lemon halves into the boiling water. Add the artichokes and boil until they turn olive green, about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool completely. Drain again and pat dry with paper towels. Using a large knife, cut each artichoke in half lengthwise. Remove the choke from each half by scraping it out with the edge of a soupspoon. Pat dry to remove water from the inner leaves. Transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and toss to coat.

5. Prepare an outdoor grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (450 F).

6. Brush the cooking grate clean. Place the artichokes, cut-side down, on the grate. Grill, with the lid closed as much as possible, until seared with grill marks, about 3 minutes. Rotate 90 degrees and cook to sear with crosshatch marks, about 3 minutes more. Flip the artichokes and continue grilling until the leaves can be easily pulled off an artichoke half, about 6 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and serve with your favorite sauce for dipping the leaves. Be sure to put out an empty bowl for collecting the scraped leaves.

Grilled Red Peppers With Pignoli And Raisins

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

6 large red bell peppers

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts), toasted in a skillet (Note: To toast pignoli (pine nuts), heat an empty skillet over high heat. Add the pignoli and cook, stirring often, until toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and let cool.)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped, fresh, flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for direct cooking over high heat (550 F).

2. Clean the grill grate and lightly oil the grill. Put the peppers on the grill. Grill, with the lid closed as much as possible, turning the peppers occasionally, until the skin is blackened and blistered, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap (or put them in a paper bag and close the bag). Let stand to steam and cool for about 20 minutes.

3. Once the peppers have cooled, peel off the charred skins, which should come off easily. Split each pepper open and remove the seeds and ribs. Slice the peppers into 1/4-inch strips.

4. Drain the pepper strips in a colander. Place a paper towel on the peppers to soak up more of the excess juices. Put the colander on a plate and refrigerate for an hour or so to chill the peppers.

5. Discard the paper towel. Combine the peppers, olive oil, raisins, pignoli, garlic and parsley in a bowl and toss to coat the peppers well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The peppers can be made up to 8 hours ahead, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated.) Serve chilled or at room temperature.

S'mores Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

Butter, for greasing ramekins

2 1/2 cups whole milk

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 cups (about 12 slices) white bread, cubed

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Marshmallow Drizzle

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup whole milk

Instructions

1. Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect cooking over medium-high heat (450 F). Lightly butter eight 8-ounce ramekins.

2. Whisk the milk, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. (This helps cinnamon from clumping when added to the liquids.) Add the cinnamon-sugar to the egg-milk mixture and whisk. Add the bread cubes, marshmallows and chocolate chips to the milk mixture and stir well. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the liquid. Spoon equal amounts of the pudding into the ramekins. Cover each ramekin loosely with aluminum foil.

3. Place the ramekins on the cooler side of the grill, not over the heat source. Cook, with the lid closed as much as possible, for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking until the puddings are puffed and golden brown and a knife inserted in the center of a pudding comes out clean, about 10 minutes more. Remove the ramekins from the grill.

4. To make the Marshmallow Drizzle: Combine the marshmallows, chocolate chips and milk together in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Drizzle some of the marshmallow mixture over each pudding and serve warm.

Cocktail - The New Yorker

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz. Skyy Moscato Grape

3/4 oz. St-Germain

1 oz. Fresh Sour

3 basil leaves

Instructions

Shake all ingredients and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a basil leaf and a sliced grape.