Category: PORK

Pineapple Cider Brine Pork Chops w/ Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce for Magazine Monday

Magazine Mondays is hosted by Ivonne over at Cream Puffs in Venice. All 3 of these recipes are loosely based on recipes from magazines, but the main ingredients have been changed to protect my family. No seriously, the main ingredients were changed to make my family happy as the original recipes had ingredients that my family just won’t eat! Also Healthy Helpings is debuting over at ThE KraZy KitcHen tomorrow. Stop by and join in.
When I do ‘recipe experiment’ night I try to do EVERY part of the meal as a new recipe. Some times I get lucky and they ALL are worth sharing. I’m a ‘no measure’ cook, well at least a no exact measure cook so when I invent a new recipe, it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. But, today worked!

PINEAPPLE CIDER BRINE PORK CHOPS

1 1/2 cup water
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sea salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 thick pork chops

  • In a large sauce pan whisk together water, cider vinegar, sea salt and brown sugar together until salt and sugar are dissolved.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add seasonings and blend well.
  • Slow simmer 10 minutes.
  • Cool.
  • Immerse pork chops and soak 12-24 hours. I used my 8 cup pampered chef batter bowl so the chops had plenty of room to ‘swim’.
  • Drain chops.
  • Grill or broil 5-6 minutes on each side.
  • Heat enough Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce to cover the chops.
  • Brush each side of chops with BBQ sauce for the last few minutes.

ROOT BEER PINEAPPLE BBQ SAUCE

12 ounce MUG root beer
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
4 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • Melt butter in a large saucepan.
  • Add onions and garlic, Saute’ until tender.
  • Add other ingredients, except cornstarch, and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Remove 1 cup of sauce and whisk cornstarch into it.
  • Return mixture to the sauce pan and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Cool 15 minutes.
  • Refrigerate,
  • Makes 4 cups.

LUAU BENEDICTS, HOT HOLLANDAISE SAUCE and SWEET & SOUR BBQ PULLED PORK

LUAU BENEDICTS
1 English muffin per person
2 eggs per person
enough leftover sweet and sour pulled pork
Hollandaise sauce

  • Prepare Hollandaise sauce.
  • Toast English muffins.
  • Poach eggs.
  • Layer together starting with English muffin, pulled pork, poached egg and the hollandaise sauce.
  • Enjoy.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
1/2 cup butter
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
finely chopped fresh parsley, if desired

•    Heat butter in a heavy saucepan until hot and foamy, but not browned.
•    In a small bowl, whisk or beat egg yolks with lemon juice, salt, and  hot sauce.
•    Gradually beat in butter, then water.
•    Return mixture to saucepan and beat over very low heat until mixture is slightly thickened.
•    Serve immediately or let stand over warm water for up to 30 minutes.
•    If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Makes about 2/3 cup of Hollandaise sauce.

This is a relatively good for you, tasty slow cooker recipe that is great for the freezer and a favorite of the kids, especially when you put it on a roll like a sloppy Joe. This is another recipe that I like to make in large portions and then freeze in portions after the initial meal which is great for week nights. In this case I will freeze the remainder for the Christmas Holiday gang we’ll have.

Sweet & Sour BBQ Pork
6 pounds boneless pork sirloin roast
1/2 pound bacon, cut into pieces
1 large sweet Vidalia onion, sliced into rings
1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup apricot pineapple jam
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

  • Cut the bacon into small pieces.
  • Cut all large portions of fat off the roasts.
  • Spray the crock pot with PURE and set for high.
  • Place bacon on bottom with the roasts arranged over it.
  • Slice onion into thin rings and layer over roasts.
  • Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, molasses and honey.
  • Add the brown sugar until dissolved.
  • Whisk in the seasonings, garlic and jam.
  • Bring to a SLOW BOIL.
  • Pour over meat and onions.
  • Cook on high for 4-6 hours.
  • Remove roast and shred meat. Return meat to slow cooker and cook another hour.
  • For a more adult meal I thicken the gravy and serve it over mashed potatoes.

TROPICAL GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN

TROPICAL GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN
2-3 pound pork tenderloin
1 cup apricot pineapple preserves
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Whisk together brown sugar and pineapple juice.
  • Blend in preserves.
  • generously salt and pepper the pork loin.
  • Spread a small layer of the glaze on the bottom of the roasting pan.
  • Lay the pork loin on top and spread the remaining glaze on top and along the sides.
  • Baste as necessary
  • Bake 45-60 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.

SWEET & SOUR PORK CHOPS

SWEET & SOUR PORK CHOPS
4 thick boneless pork chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and white pepper
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 + 2 tablespoons butter
fresh rosemary
  • Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil on a plate.
  • Salt and pepper pork chops and lay in olive oil seasoned side down.
  • Salt and pepper tops and drizzle with remaining olive oil.
  • Let sit for 30 minutes.
  • In a small saucepan combine vinegar and honey, blending well. Cook until reduced to about 1/4 cup.  Add butter and rosemary. Set aside.
  • Melt remaining butter in sizzling skillet.
  • Add pork chops and brown on both sides.
  • Brush on glaze and cook through.
  • Enjoy.

SMOTHERED BBQ PORK CHOPS

SMOTHERED BBQ CHOPS
2 + 2  tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup BBQ sauce
4 3/4 inch bone-in pork chops
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced on an angle
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut
1/3 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 lemon, thinly sliced (optional)
minced parsley
salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large skillet heat butter on medium high.
  • Sprinkle paprika, salt and pepper on both sides of pork chops.
  • Brown pork chops on both sides until browned (5-6 minutes).
  • Transfer to a plate.
  • Add remaining butter and onion to skillet and saute until tender.
  • With a slotted spoon remove onions to a small bowl.
  • Add carrots, beans, parsley and peas to skillet sauteing a few minutes.
  • Add rice and broth.  Heat to boiling.
  • Move rice mixture to baking dish sprayed with PURE.
  • Layer pork chops over rice mixture.
  • Layer lemons over pork chops.
  • Spoon onions over lemons.
  • Spread BBQ sauce over all.
  • Cover and bake 30 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Orange Maple Pork Tenderloin

Orange Maple Pork Tenderloin
1 1/2-2 pound pork tenderloin
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup Panda Express Orange Sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • Put pork tenderloin in a ziploc bag. 
  • In a separate bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients until well blended and pour into the ziploc bag. 
  • Marinate for as long as you can – overnight, if possible.
  • Remove pork from the plastic bag, reserving the marinade. 
  • Place in baking dish.
  • Bake in a 400 degree oven until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees.
  • While the pork is cooking, boil the remaining marinade from the bag for at least 10 minutes.
  • Remove pork from oven and cover with foil for 10 minutes.  The pork will continue to cook and reach 145 degrees.
  • When the pork is finished, slice and serve with the marinade as a sauce.

DANISH CUBE STEAK and GROWN UP MAC & CHEESE

DANISH CUBE STEAK REVISITED
3 ounces bleu cheese crumbles
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced green onions
6 pork cube steaks
1/2 cup panko crumbs
2 tablespoons butter

  • In a small food processor blend together the mayonnaise, bleu cheese crumbles and green onions until smooth.
  • Coat steaks on both sides with mayonnaise mixture.
  • Dredge through panko crumbs.
  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add cube steaks and brown on both sides.

GROWN UP MAC & CHEESE
12 ounce package pasta
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Frank’s hot sauce
3/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese
3 ounces bleu cheese crumbles
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain Well.
  • Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add salt.
  • In a small food processor pulse bleu cheese crumbles until fine.  Set aside.
  • Add flour and whisk constantly over medium heat until smooth.
  • Gradually add milk, whisking constantly.  
  • Add hot sauce.  Bring to a slow boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in all cheeses, salt and pepper to taste until smooth.
  • Mix pasta and cheese mixture together until well blended.
  • Scoop into a casserole or ramekins.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes.
  • Top with chopped chives.

CARNITAS – GREEN CHILE STYLE

The recipe I was given years ago lacked in flavor so I modified it and we’re extremely happy with the outcome. I’ve been making them this way for years. Originally the roasting was done on a rack with water underneath and just a simple salt and pepper.
Now I use a large onion diced as my natural rack to protect the pork. The onions bake together and become an essential flavor to the dish. I place the pork roast on top of the onion pieces and surround it with a can of diced green chiles and 4-5 cloves of minced garlic. Then I pour a can of salsa verde enchilada sauce** on top of the green chiles and onions.  Cover it with foil and bake for 2 hours at 350°.
Then uncover it and bake another hour or until fork tender.  Remove the roast to a cutting board and shred it into bite sized pieces. 

Add the pork pieces back into the onion mixture and coat well.

Serve with your favorite salsa, grated cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

**TO MAKE YOUR OWN SAUCE:
3 jalapenos
1/2 pound tomatillos
2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
3cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

  • Grill jalapenos until lightly charred.
  • Halve the tomatillos and simmer until soft. Allow to cool and drain off water.
  • Blend the peppers, tomatillos, garlic and salt until smooth.
  • Stir in cilantro.

GRILLED PORK CHOPS & RASPBERRY BBQ SAUCE

When I went to the grocery store last night I ran across some awesome meat deals and these pork chops were perfect for a new BBQ sauce I wanted to try. Dave over at My Year on the Grill has been raving about a raspberry chipotle sauce that I can’t get here either, but left me craving raspberries and at $4.99 a small box that craving was going to go unsatisfied until I ran across this raspberry vinegar at 3.99 a jar – a much better deal and it made an awesome sauce.





GRILLED PORK CHOPS & RASPBERRY BBQ SAUCE
6 tablespoons Alessi raspberry blush vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons grandma’s molasses
1 teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot Pepper Sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 thin pork chops
skewers

  • Whisk all the ingredients (except pork chops) together until well blended over a medium heat.
  • Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup.
  • Skewer each pork chop with 2 skewers.
  • Generously salt and pepper each side.
  • Bring your grill to temperature.
  • Brush each side with sauce.
  • Spray grill surface with PURE.
  • Place chops on grill, grilling uncovered for 2-3 minutes total, turning once.

CARIBBEAN PORK STEAKS

I had to do these inside with the broiler this time, but I prefer do them on a charcoal grill.  They are sooooo much more impressive with the grill marks from the BBQ and the charcoal flavor.

2-3 pounds of pork, 4 chops or 2 steaks
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pineapple sundae topping*
1 teaspoon Caribbean jerk seasoning
pineapple slices

  • In a small bowl whisk together the pineapple topping, red pepper, Caribbean jerk seasoning and garlic. Set aside.
  • Salt and pepper the chops on both sides.
  • Grill or broil chops until they are no longer pink near the bone.
  • Brush with glaze on both sides of pork chops and pineapple slices and return to the grill or broiler until the glaze bubbles and the pineapple is heated through.
  • Garnish with grilled pineapple slices.

*apricot pineapple preserves substitutes really well.

BOHEMIAN PORK CHOPS aka PORK CHOPS IN BEERY GRAVY

This was from another scrap of recipe I found in gram’s things.  I don’t know if she ever made it, but pork chops and beer in the same sentence got hubby’s interest and so we had some fun experimenting with this recipe.
BOHEMIAN PORK CHOPS aka PORK CHOPS IN BEER GRAVY
4-6 thick boneless pork chops
1 small onion, cut into thin rings
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup water
1 beer ~ your favorite flavor
  • In a large skillet, melt butter.
  • Brown pork chops, generously salting and peppering.
  • Remove pork chops, keep warm.
  • Saute’ onion and celery until soft and translucent.
  • Add flour, stirring until golden.
  • Add water, stirring until well blended.
  • Add beer and simmer until begins to thicken.
  • Add pork chops back in and heat through.

SLOW COOKED PORK TENDERLOIN AND SAUERKRAUT

SLOW COOKED PORK TENDERLOIN AND SAUERKRAUT
makes 6-8 servings

2-32 ounce jars of sauerkraut, drained
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
3 pound boneless pork loin roast
3 tablespoons brown mustard**

  • Combine sauerkraut, chicken broth and Lipton soup mix until well blended.**
  • Add pork roast, cutting in half if necessary to avoid over crowding.
  • Set on low for 8 hours.
**The original recipe called for water instead of chicken broth and for the mustard which I HAD to eliminate due to allergies (I’d like to live to make another recipe) and we loved it so I don’t believe the mustard is necessary, but add it if you like.