Category: PORK

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.

SAVORY SPICE SHOP ~ BLACK & BLEU CHEESE VINAIGRETTE

I have a new passion!  I found this great new spice shop, SAVORY SPICE SHOP. They grind their own spices and have dozens of wonderful proprietary blends.  Check out their website for some wonderful recipes too.
Tonight I made their Black and Bleu Cheese Dressing.  The consistency is more like a vinaigrette if you use the sour cream so for us so I changed the name a little.  I also accidentally used apple cider vinegar instead of the plain white vinegar and hubby loved it! Next time I’m going to try Gorgonzola crumbles.
The Onion & Garlic Tableside Sprinkle is a great grilling salt free seasoning that did not disappoint on tonight’s pork chops.
BLACK & BLEU CHEESE VINAIGRETTE
  • 2 ounces Bleu Cheese Powder
  • 2 teaspoons Cook County Charcoal Seasoning
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles, optional to taste
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup mayonnaise (sour cream if you want a vinaigrette)
  • 4 tsp. white vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

Notes: Replace the mayonnaise with sour cream for a tasty dip version of this dressing.

  • Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine thoroughly. I used my small food processor.
  • Transfer to a sealed container and chill until ready to serve.

 

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GLAZED STUFFED PORK CHOPS – the secret is in the sauce

Glazed Stuffed Pork Chops

4 VERY thick pork chops

8 slices oatnut bread

butter

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup apricot pineapple jam, room temperature**

1 tablespoon peach schnapps

1 large lemon, juiced

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Slit each pork chop along 2 sides to create a large pocket.
  • *Toast each slice of bread well and then lightly butter.
  • Cut each piece into small squares.
  • Toss with thyme, garlic salt and pepper.
  • Stuff each pork chop with 1/3 cup of mixture.
  • Whisk together the jam, peach schnapps, red pepper flakes, ginger and lemon juice.
  • Place chops in a square greased baking dish.
  • Arrange remaining stuffing around the edges.
  • Glaze chops and stuffing tops.
  • Bake uncovered 30 minutes.
  • Turn chops, glaze chops and stuffing again. Bake another 30 minutes.

*If you prefer, prepare 1 box of stove top stuffing instead.

**Tonight I used Lemon Curd and had a distinctively fresh flavor with the same consistency.  Use whatever flavor speaks to you.

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PINEAPPLE PIGGY PIE & ROASTED SPICED CARROTS

It seems like a million years since I’ve done any serious blogging.  I’m still here and life is starting to settle down (we hope) and I’m anxious to get back to some DIY projects, fun recipes and adventures. At least that’s the plan after the holidays.
I’ve got a back load of recipes and pictures to post, but there will always be tomorrow for the rest of them.  Tonight I’ll start with a hubby favorite.
While this is not much to look at, the combination of the two recipes are SERIOUSLY PACKED WITH A FLAVOR PUNCH.  We LOVE this recipe and LOVE having the leftovers to eat.
The original recipe for the now known as Pineapple Piggy Pie was called Ham Stacks and called for sweet potatoes and marshmallows.  Hubs hates sweet potatoes so I converted the recipe to mashed Yukon golds.  It also called for individual stacks on pineapple rings, but I also converted it to a casserole for ease – not to mention it’s more “man” friendly than the little stacks.

PINEAPPLE PIGGY PIE & ROASTED SPICED CARROTS
PINEAPPLE PIGGY PIE
1 pound ground ham
1 pound ground pork (I used Jimmy Dean Organic sausage)
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained VERY well

  • Preheat oven to 350˚.
  • Combine ham, pork, eggs, corn flakes, milk and pepper until well mixed.
  • Spray the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Layer the pineapple on the bottom.
  • Top with Meat mixture.
  • Top with mashed potatoes.
  • Bake for 1 hour.

ROASTED SPICED CARROTS
1 pound baby carrots
2 tablespoons Avocado oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins
Juice of 1 lemon

  • Cut carrots in half and then cut in half again.
  • Toss carrots with oil, garlic, sugar, cumin, sea salt and cinnamon.
  • Roast 20 minutes or until fork tender.
  • Remove from oven.
  • Toss with raisins and lemon juice.