Pork Chops with Dijon Sauce

I randomly selected a recipe online the other night to use with the pork chops I had defrosted. I had been sick for almost a week at that point and just wanted a dish that could be made in less in 30 minutes and would allow me to rest for short periods of time. I just hoped the dish would taste decent. It turned out the dish was a huge hit with the kids and adults. I should have made more pork chops cause each child ate two pork chops each and I had doubled the recipe. They even liked the sauce which they rarely do.

Pork Chops with Dijon Sauce
Simply Recipes

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 center-cut rib or loin pork chops, boneless or bone-in (whatever you prefer), about 1 1/4 inch thick
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped shallots or green onions
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp chopped parsley (optional, I did not add this)

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over them. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in the butter. As soon as the butter has melted, add the pork chops to the pan and sear them, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat slightly if the chops brown too quickly.

Remove the pork chops from the pan and pour off most of the fat. Add the green onions or shallots and cook them on med high heat until softened, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the wine and bring to a boil, deglazing the pan by scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the stock and return chops to the pan. Bring sauce to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and cook until chops are cooked through (145°F internal temp), about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the pork chops to a warm platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining half cup of wine. Increase the heat to high to boil the pan juices. Reduce the juices by half, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and boil 3 minutes more, until sauce reduces and thickens, and scraping the pan with a wooden spoon leaves a trail. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard and parsley. If you want, add more mustard to taste. Place chops on a bed of sauce and serve.

Parmesan Pork Cutlets

This was a very simple and easy dish to make.  An added bonus is that it tasted really good.  The coating was crunchy and the pork was tender and moist.  It also has only a handful of ingredients that are quite easy to keep on hand for those nights when takeout is calling your name.  The only thing I will change in the future is adding some garlic powder since I love the flavor of pork with garlic.  I also think these pork cutlets would be great for a pork sandwich.  I love making little sandwiches out of cutlets and these would be very tasty as a sandwich.

Parmesan Pork Cutlets
The Best Simple Recipes from America's Test Kitchen

1/ 2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, use the large holes on the grater
4 thin cut boneless pork cutlets (about 12 ounces), you can also use pork tenderloin and cut thin and pound into a cutler

Place flour in a shallow dish.  Beat eggs in a second shallow dish.  Combine panko, Parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in third shallow dish.  Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

One at a time, dredge cutlets in flour, dip in egg, and coat with bread crumb mixture, pressing to adhere.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Fry 2 cutlets until deep golden and crisp, about 3 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towel lined plate.  Wipe out skillet and repeat with remaining oil and cutlets.  Serves 4.

Breakfast Sausage

I've been wanting to try this recipe since I first noticed it in Cook's Country back at the first of the year. However my not being a fan of sausage has kept me from giving it a try. I'm not sure why I don't like breakfast sausage but I have a feeling its due to one of the seasonings used in the commercially prepared sausage because I LOVED this sausage. There was no weird flavor for me and even my husband thought this tasted so much better than Jimmy Dean brand sausage. It took me about 5 minutes to mix everything together and another 5 to shape out the patties. Cooking time was about 6-10 minutes total. I used the sausage to make sausage muffins.
If you feel like going all out you can even make your own English muffins (I didn't have time to make my own this time).


Breakfast Sausage
Cooks Country Feb/March 2010

2 pounds ground pork (avoid lean or extra lean)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Combine pork, garlic, syrup, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Gently mix with hands until well combined. Form into 2 1/2 inch patties, about 1/2 inch thick (using a 1/4 cup measuring cup makes almost perfect patties). You should have about 16 patties.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook half of patties until well browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel lined plate and tent with foil. Wipe out skillet. Repeat with remaining butter and patties.

The raw sausage patties can be refrigerated, covered for 1 day or frozen for up to one month. To cook frozen patties, proceed to second step, cooking patties for 7 to 9 minutes per side.

Chinese Barbecued Ribs

Oh goodness these tasted so good. The flavors of the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and ginger really gave the sauce a Chinese taste. The ribs were perfectly tender and sticky. There are a few steps involved and yes it's not a quick meal to make but the time spent on these is well worth the time and effort. Smoking the ribs with tea bags seemed odd to me before I tasted them. It's a subtle smoked flavor that you can't place the flavor of until someone tells you. If you can't find St. Louis style ribs use baby back ribs and check for doneness after one hour.

Chinese Barbecued Ribs
Cooks Country June/July 2010

2 racks pork spareribs (2 1/2 to 3 lbs each) St. Louis Style
8 black tea bags
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup hoisin sauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 cup red currant jelly

Cut rib racks in half. Cover tea bags with water in small bowl and soak for 5 minutes. Squeeze water from tea bags and tightly seal in foil packet. Cut vent holes in top of packet.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk 1 cup ketchup, soy sauce, hoisin, sugar, sherry, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and cayenne in large bowl; reserve 1/2 cup for glaze. Arrange ribs, meaty side down, in large disposable roasting pan and pour remaining ketchup mixture over ribs. Cover pan tightly with foil and cook until fat has rendered and meat begins to pull away from bones, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Transfer to large plate. Pour pan juices into fat separator. Let liquid settle and reserve 1 cup defatted pan juices.

Simmer reserved pan juices over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in jelly, reserved ketchup mixture, and remaining ketchup and simmer until reduced to two cups, 10 to 12 minutes. Reserve one third of glaze for serving.

Open bottom vent on grill. Light about 100 coals; when covered with fine gray ash, carefully pile on one side of grill. Arrange foil packet directly on coals. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered, with lid vent open halfway, until tea begins to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. (For gas grill, place foil packet directly on primary burner. Heat all burners on high, covered, until tea begins to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and shut other burners off.) Scrape and oil cooking grate. Arrange ribs, meaty side down, on cool side of grill and cook, covered, until ribs are smoky and edges begin to char, about 30 minutes.

Brush ribs with glaze, flip, rotate, and brush again. Cover and barbecue, brushing glaze every 30 minutes, until ribs are fully tender and glaze is browned and sticky, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Serve with glaze.

Spice Crusted Grilled Pork Chops

So again the original recipe called for pork tenderloin and yet again I couldn't find it on sale anywhere so I subbed pork chops for the tenderloin. I'm not sure if the over the top spicy heat came from the fact I used pork chops or if it's just a really spicy hot dish. Either way I could only get through half my pork chop although my father and husband ate all of theirs. I think next time I'll cut the peppercorn and mustard seeds in half and not put as much rub on the chops or tenderloin. This was another quick and easy dish that was done from start to finish, after getting charcoal to temperature, in 35 minutes. The original recipe also called for coriander seed, which while I'm not a big fan of I couldn't find my bottle of them so I subbed dried minced garlic.

Spice Crusted Grilled Pork Chops
adapted slightly from Cooks Country June/July 2010

3 lbs boneless pork chops or 2 pork tenderloins (1 1/2 to 2 lbs each)
1 1/2 tablespoons mustard seeds, cracked
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic, or 1 tablespoon coriander seed, cracked
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
1 teaspoon Demerara or turbinado or brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 large egg whites

Heat grill, gas or charcoal, for 15 minutes. Scrape and oil grate.

Pat pork dry with paper towels. Combine mustard seeds, garlic, peppercorns, sugar, salt, and cornmeal on rimmed baking sheet. Place cornstarch in large bowl. Beat egg whites in second large bowl until foamy. One at a time, coat pork chops lightly in cornstarch, dip in egg whites, and transfer to rimmed baking sheet to coat with spice mixture.

Spray pork chops with cooking spray and grill, covered, turning occasionally, until browned all over. Transfer to the cooler side of the grill and continue to cook until it reaches between 145-160 degrees. It took mine about 10 minutes total.

Grilled Pork Chops and Garlicky Potato Salad

So the original recipe called for pork tenderloin and I thought it was way too expensive the day I shopped to purchase tenderloin so I subbed pork loin chops. Honestly the spice rub was bland. I'm not sure if I just didn't make enough spice rub for the chops or if the spice rub was just missing something. The pork chops turned out so so. However the star of the dish was the potato salad. It was an interesting twist on a potato salad and one that we loved. The flavors blended well together and the garlic flavor you could actually taste. From start to finish both dishes took me 35 minutes, which isn't too far off of the 30 minute supper it claimed to be. The potato salad will be added to our rotation of dishes but the grilled tenderloin/pork chops will not.

Grilled Pork Chops/Tenderloin and Garlicky Potato Salad
Cooks Country June/July 2010

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 3/4 inch thick
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
salt and pepper
1/2 cup drained jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
3 tablespoons drained capers
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2-2 lbs pork chops or pork tenderloin

Toss potatoes and 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until edges of potatoes are translucent, 4 to 7 minutes, shaking bowl (without removing plastic) to redistribute potatoes halfway through cooking. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Slowly whisk in remaining oil until emulsified. Stir in roasted peppers, capers, and parsley.

Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and remaining sugar. Grill over hot fire until browned on all sides and meat registers 145 degrees, about 5-6 minutes for the chops and 12 minutes for the tenderloin. Grill potatoes until charred and tender, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer pork to cutting board and tent with foil. Toss grilled potatoes with dressing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Slice pork, if using tenderloin, and serve with potato salad.

Garlic Pork Shoulder

I can't even begin to explain how good this pork shoulder tasted. I will say every person in my house plus the neighbors house at this dish and there were no leftovers. The original recipe calls for it to be cooked in an oven. I did mine on the grill. It was too hot that day to leave the oven on for hours plus I thought using the grill with some smoke would add to the flavor and it did. Next I wrote down cilantro as the herb needed and after shopping and prepping the dish I realized it called for basil. The change didn't really matter as it turned out very tasty. I don't think I could use basil for it now.

Garlic Pork Shoulder
adapted from Relish Magazine

1 garlic head, separated into cloves and peeled
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 cups chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 (4 to 4 1/2 lb) bone in pork shoulder

Place garlic, salt, peppercorns, and cilantro in the bowl of a food processor. Process until garlic is chopped. Add olive oil and vinegar and process to form a thick paste. Score top of pork with knife all over. Rub garlic mixture over meat, place in a large bowl or bag and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Prepare grill. Once it is heated add a packet of smoking chips, I used hickory, and place over the fire. Cook over indirect heat for about 3 hours, turning every thirty or so minutes. Once the pork is fork tender and has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F place the pork over the heat and brown all sides.

Let pork cool slightly and then chop or tear into large chunks.

Hoosier Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

I noticed these in the latest Food Network magazine and showed them to my husband. He couldn't wait to give them a try. In the picture and in Indiana they make this sandwich to be oversized. I felt as a family we didn't need to have such a big sandwich so I used thin cut boneless pork chops instead of the pork tenderloin and making a big piece of meat. It worked great and probably helped cut a few calories out of this dish. This isn't something we will be eating on a regular basis, due to the high calorie count that I'm sure this dish had, but every once in awhile it will make an appearance.

Hoosier Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
Food Network Magazine May 2010
Made as listed in the magazine it is suppose to make 4 sandwiches. Done the way I made it I had enough meat to make 8 sandwiches.

2 pounds center cut boneless pork loin (I used 8 thin cut boneless center cut pork chops, if using the chops skip the pounding with a mallet)
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, crushed
kosher salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 1 teaspoon hot sauce)
2 sleeves saltines (about 80 crackers)
2 cups instant flour (like Wondra)
oil, for frying
4-8 hamburger buns, split
1/3 cup mayo
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 head iceburg lettuce, shredded
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
4-8 dill pickle slices

(No need for this step if you use chops) Cut the pork crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Put each piece flat on a cutting board and slice horizontally almost in half (stop about 1 inch from the other side). Open like a book. Sprinkle each piece with water, place between 2 pieces of heavy duty plastic duty and pound to 1/4 inch thick with a mallet or heavy skillet.

Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, and the cayenne (or hot sauce) in a shallow bowl. Add the pork, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Pulse the crackers into coarse crumbs in a food processor, then transfer to a shallow dish. Put the flour in another dish. Remove each piece of pork from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Dredge both sides in flour, dip in the buttermilk marinade again, then coat with the cracker crumbs.

Heat 1/4 to 1/2 inch oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat until a thermometer registers 360 degrees. Fry the pork in batches until golden and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Spread both halves of each bun with mayo and mustard. Layer the lettuce, tomatoes and onion on the bottom halves. Add a piece of pork and a few pickles slices. Cover with bun tops.

Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

I know Norah and family have still been recuperating and I finally made something! I shared the photo with Norah and she requested that I post it to her blog. I did have to have the forethought to make this meal. It does require a little bit of time. I enjoyed it thoroughly but I'm biased towards sugary things.

Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
**reciped adapted from America's Test Kitchen Light & Healthy 2010**

3/4 cup maple syrup(I used grade A dark amber, just NOT pancake syrup)
1/4 cup light or mild molasses
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ground red pepper
1/4 cup constarch
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 pounds pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard(I had grey poupon)

1. Ajdust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Set a wire rack over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and set aside.(Side story: I never understood this step and I once skipped it in another recipe and learned my lesson. I think I threw the pan away.)

2. Combine 1/2 cup of the maple syrup, molasses, cinnamon and ground red pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk the cornstarch, sugar, black pepper and salt together and spread into a shallow dish.

3. Pat tenderloin dry with paper towels and then roll in cornstarch mixture until evenly coated on all sides. Heat oil in a 12 inch non stick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Carefully lay tenderloin (if it doesn't fit into your skillet, cut tenderloin in half before rolling in cornstarch mixture) in the skillet and cook until well browned on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer pork to the prepared baking sheet.

4. Pour off any excess fat from the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the syrup mixture to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1/2 cup, 2 to 4 minutes. Measure out and reserve 2 tablespoons of glaze.

5. Brush tenderloin with 2 tablespoons of the reduced glaze. Bake until thickest part of the meat registers 135 degrees on a thermometer, about 30 minutes. Brush tenderloin with another 2 tablespoons of reduced glaze. Bake until thermometer registers 145 degrees, about another 10 to 15 minutes. Pull from oven.

6. Brush tenderloin with remaining reduce glaze and let rest, uncovered, until thermometer registers 150 degrees, about 10 minutes. 

7. While the tenderloin rests, stir the remaing 1/4 cup syrup, reserved 2 tablespoons of reduced glaze and mustard in a small dish. Cut tenderloin into 1/4 inch  thick slices and drizzle with syrup-mustard sauce.

Sweet Pork Barbacoa Salad

Here is the final result of all the previous recipes. It was a huge hit at the birthday party and something I'd make again for a family get together.

Now to make the salad place the following things on the plate in order listed:
1. Large Flour TortillasUse homemade or buy the uncooked ones and cook them on a griddle. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top and cook until the cheese is melted. Place the cheesy tortillas in a cake pan.
2. Cilantro Lime Rice
3. Black Beans
4. Sweet Pork Barbacoa
5. Romaine Lettuce
Wash thoroughly, and cut into large squares.
6. Pico de Gallo
7. Guacamole
8. Lime Wedges
9. Grated Cotija cheese
10. Cilantro sprigs
11. Crispy Tortilla Strips Just cut some corn Tortillas in thin strips and quickly fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
12. Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa

Here is the sweet pork that I made for the Cafe Rio salad. It turned out really good. I cooked the pork in the oven at 300 for about 6 hours instead of using the crock pot. Mainly I did this because I've decided I'm not a huge fan of meat cooked in the crockpot. The directions below are for using the crockpot. Also I made my own enchilada sauce, sadly I forgot to take a picture but if your interested I'll get the recipe up soon. Tomorrow I'll be putting all the ingredients together for the salad.

Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa

Pork Roast: Put it in a crock pot with a little water and cook until very tender (about 8 hours on low).
Shred pork and add:
1 can enchilada sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 small can diced green chilies
1 can Coke (not diet coke)
1 cup brown sugar
salt to taste
Cook for one more hour.

Indoor Pulled Pork

I love pulled pork. I don't think there is a recipe I see for pulled pork that I don't make. My favorite way is outside with tons of smoke for flavor. During the summer I meet so many neighbors who find their way to our house due to the smells coming from the grill. When winter hits I don't do much smoking on the grill but I still crave the dishes I can make. This recipe, while not as perfect as the outdoor smoking, did help with my craving. It is quite easy to make although the cooking process takes time. I made my own bbq sauce for this dish, which I'll share tomorrow, but you could substitute your favorite kind of store bought or your own homemade sauce.

Indoor Pulled Pork
Cook's Illustrated Jan/Feb 2010

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons table salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 boneless pork butt (about 5 lbs), cut in half horizontally
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons smoked paprika (you can substitute sweet)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Dissolve 1 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons liquid smoke in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

While pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and cayenne pepper in second small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove pork from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture. Place pork on wire rack set inside foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Place sheet of parchment paper over pork, then cover with aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture from escaping. Roast pork for 3 hours.

Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. Carefully pour off liquid in bottom of baking sheet into a fat separator and reserve for the sauce. Return pork to oven and cook, uncovered, until well browned, tender, and internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant read thermometer, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer pork to serving dish; tent loosely with foil, and rest for 20 minutes.

To serve: Using 2 forks, shred pork into bite-sized pieces. Toss with one cup sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

Pork Scaloppini

This was a very quick and easy meal from Cook's Country. My husband loves pork chops and I'm not a huge fan. This recipe calls for a tenderloin cut into 4 equal pieces and then pounded thin. Well I'm too lazy and my husband had bought thin cut pork chops so I just pounded those pork chops a tad thinner to use in this recipe. Turned out well and everyone loved the dish. The noodles are what took the longest to cook in this dish. I used egg noodles but rice pilaf would work well too.

Cook's Country
December/January 2010

Pork Scaloppini
4 thin cut pork chops pounded to 1/4 inch thick (if needed) or 1 large pork tenderloin (about 1 pound) cut into 4 equal pieces and pounded 1/4 inch thick
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley (or you could use fresh tarragon, chives, or basil for a different flavor)

Pat cutlets dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook 2 cutlets until golden brown and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and tent with foil. Repeat with additional 1 tablespoon butter and remaining cutlets.

Add garlic and additional 1 tablespoon butter to empty skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, lemon juice, sugar, and any accumulated pork juices and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in parsley and remaining butter. Pour sauce over cutlets and serve.

Pork Tacos

The past several posts have been a lead up to what I used all those recipes for which were these delicious tacos. Seriously this taco was the best tasting taco I have ever made. I'm never going back to ground beef tacos now that I have a great chicken taco recipe and now this pork taco. I prefer using the tortilla's you cook before using but any type of tortillas would work. Below is a link to all the recipes used in making this taco:

Shredded Spicy Pork
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Spicy Shredded Pork

I treated myself to the Pioneer Woman's new cookbook and I 'll admit almost all of the recipes are on my must try list. This one came from the cookbook and was used two different ways. One night I made tacos with the pork and it was delicious. The next night I served this pork with spicy bbq sauce for spicy bbq'd pork sandwiches. Even the kids were in love with the meat.

Spicy Shredded Pork
Pioneer Woman's website

• 4 pounds (up To 7 Pounds) Pork Shoulder
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Salt
• Pepper To Taste
• 3 cloves (to 4 Cloves) Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons (to 3 Tablespoons) White Wine Vinegar
• ¼ cups Brown Sugar
• 1 whole Onion
• Lime Wedges

Preparation Instructions

Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder.

To begin, just throw the dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar and brown sugar into a food processor or blender. (I happen to love brown sugar in my cooking, but you can decrease or omit it if you like.) Cut one onion into quarters and put it in the food processor with the spices. Blend mixture until totally combined and then pour it over the pork shoulder.

Now rub it into every nook and cranny of the meat, tucking it under folds an in crevices. Let no stone go unturned. Then place the pork into a roasting pan or Dutch oven and add a couple of cups of water. Cover tightly and roast pork at 300º for several hours, turning once every hour. When it is fork tender crank up the heat, remove the lid, and roast it, skin side up for another 15 to 20 minutes to get the skin crispy. When it’s done let it rest for 15 minutes before shredding.

Shred the pork shoulder (two forks work well). When it’s all shredded be sure to pour the juices all over the meat. Serve with warm tortillas, lime wedges, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, tomatillo salsa or whatever suits you.

Crispy Taco Wraps

My sister left a comment on Melanie's (My Kitchen Cafe) blog about switching the Crispy Chicken Wraps into a taco wrap. I finally decided to give it a try and it worked pretty well. As you can tell from my picture I really filled the wraps and in the future I think I'd not put quite as much stuff in the wraps. However these wraps were a hit and a nice change from the typical taco dinner. Mix it up and add your favorite taco fillings. I think the chicken from the easy chicken tacos would work well here too.

taco flavored ground beef (you could also use chicken or beef or pork or beans)
cheddar cheese
guacamole
shredded lettuce
tomatoes
salsa or taco sauce
sour cream
and any other toppings you like on your tacos

Lay a tortilla on a cutting board or counter. Spread with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. Nest sprinkle some lettuce and tomatoes. Add some cheese and spread your taco flavored protein item. Roll the tortilla up and seal at the seam, leaving ends open. Spray with cooking spray.
Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Funeral Potatoes

I think everyone in my state has tried these potatoes at least once. They are favorites of everyone I know. I'm not a huge fan of them mainly because they are loaded with cream of mushroom and chicken soup which I usually find pretty gross. Then I heard my favorite magazine was reworking the dish for their new cookbook I was excited. I have to say they did a pretty dang good job of turning the dish into something my husband would actually eat. See my husband is not from Utah and there are so many dishes that are favorites here that he just does not like. Funeral potatoes being one of the top items he does not like. However after trying this recipe he said I could make these once a year instead of the never again he usually says.

Funeral Potatoes
Best Lost Suppers Cookbook

4 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced thin
salt
1 onion, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 pound ham steak, cut into 2 inch matchsticks
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups cornflakes, crushed fine

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 by 9 inch baking dish and set aside.

Bring potatoes and 4 quarts water to a simmer in a large pot and cook until just shy of tender (a paring knife should glide through the flesh with slight resistance), 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set aside. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them, then grate the flesh lengthwise on the large holes of a box grater. Return the potatoes to the pot.

While potatoes cook, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and are brown around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.

Whisk in the milk, thyme, and pepper, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Stir in the cheese and 6 tablespoons butter and cook until melted, about 1 minute.

Off heat, stir in the ham and sour cream. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and toss to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a bowl in the microwave. Stir in the cornflakes, then sprinkle them evenly over the top of the potato mixture.

Place the baking dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until the potatoes are bubbling and the top is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pork Chops with Hoisin-Molasses Barbecue Sauce

This recipe has a little of something for pretty much everyone. It's quick and easy to make. It's great for those watching calories and it was very tasty. I served it with white rice and the nutritional info that I'll post is from white rice but I think this would have been good with brown rice too. The sauce was a little spicy for my kids but they are not fans of anything with any type of spice to it plus I think the majority of the spice was the Chinese mustard I had which is very spicy.
Nutritional info:
1 pork chop and 1/2 cup rice is one serving size
317 calories
7.7 gram fat (sat 2.2, mono 3.4)
protein 23.9 g
carbs 35.8 g
fiber 0.8g
chol 58mg
iron 2mg
sodium 478 mg
calc 49mg

And just a reminder if you have not entered the giveaway for the tomato paste click here.


Pork Chops with Hoisin-Molasses Barbecue Sauce
Cooking Light Magazine March 2008

3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Chinese hot mustard
cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 (4 ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops, about 1/2 inch thick
4 green onions
3 cups hot cooked white rice

Combine sugar and molasses in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes or until sugar melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in hoisin sauce, vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and garlic; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in mustard. Keep warm.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper over pork. Add pork to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add pork to hoisin mixture, turning to coat. Keep warm.

Add onions to pan; cook 2 minutes or until wilted. Remove onions from pan, chop. Combine onions, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and rice; serve with pork.

Easy Pork Chops with Mustard Sage Sauce

A quick and easy to make dish for those busy nights. These pork chops had loads of flavor even without the sauce and can be made without the sauce. The sauce though is a nice touch and really dresses up the pork. Starting time to finishing time on these was about 25 minutes.

Easy Pork Chops with Mustard Sage Sauce
The New Best Recipe cookbook

4 bone-in or center cut pork chops, 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick, patted dry with paper towels and scored on outer layer of fat
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
salt and ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar

If using an electric stove, turn the burner to medium heat, if using a gas stove you can wait until you prepped the meat. Rub both sides of each chop with 1/8 teaspoon of the oil and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the meat portion on one side of each chop evenly with 1/8 teaspoon of the sugar, avoiding the bone.

Place the chops sugared side down in a non-stick 12 inch skillet, positioning the chops so that the ribs point to the center of the pan. Using your hands, press the meat on each chop into the pan. Set the skillet over medium heat; cook until lightly browned 4 to 9 minutes (the pork chops should be sizzling after 2 minutes). Using tongs, flip the chops, positioning them in the same manner, with the ribs pointing to the center of the skillet. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the center of each chop registers 140 to 145 degrees on an instant read thermometer, 3 to 6 minutes; the chops will barely brown on the second side. Transfer the chops to a platter, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. If you don't want the mustard sage sauce end here.

After transferring the chops to a platter pour the pan juices in the skillet into a small bowl and reserve. While the chops rest, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1 medium garlic clove, minced, to the now empty skillet; set the skillet over medium high heat and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth; increase the heat to high and simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add the pork chop juices to the skillet. Off the heat, whisk in 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter until melted and combined. Stir in 1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chops and serve immediately.

Mexican BLT Wraps

I was flipping through a cooking magazine and stumbled across a recipe called Zippy BLT's. I was interested in the theory but not in the actual recipe. So I played around with the recipe until this came to mind. Its a nice twist on a BLT and was perfect for our picnic at the park. This will be a recipe we make often. The flavors mingled together perfectly and it was another quick and simple dish to make.

For one wrap:
Warm one flour tortilla. Mix together 1 tablespoon mayo with 1 tablespoon taco sauce and spread on tortilla. Next add about 1/2 cup shredded lettuce, some chopped tomato, thin slices of red onion, and three slices of cooked bacon broken into smaller pieces (do not crumble the bacon). Chop 1/2 of an avocado and add to the wrap. Add about 2 tablespoons shredded cheese and add some salsa or taco sauce if desired. Roll up and tuck in the ends of the tortilla. Wrap in foil and cut in half.