pork chops sing along


this was a low maintenance easy ingredients recipe which is not the norm for Ms Pioneer woman. but it was still just as good. we were given an iron skillet for our wedding which i returned not thinking it was not worth having another pan. i have regretted it every day since. i finally bought one to make this recipe and it was amazing. other then the rice cooker it's the only pot/pan you use. also i didn't worry about grilling the pineapple before hand and it tasted just as good just give it enough time in the pan to heat up.

Prep Time
Cook Time 		Servings 6Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • ½ whole Pineapple, Cut Into Spears And Skewered
  • 2 cups White Or Brown Rice, Cooked
  • 6 whole Pork Chops
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter
  • 1 Tablespoon Peanut Oil Or Canola Oil
  • 1 whole Large Onion, Sliced
  • 6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (more To Taste, Or If More Liquid Is Needed)
  • 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons Honey
  • 1 Tablespoon Sriracha, Or Other Hot Sauce
  • Salt To Taste
  • 3 cloves Minced Garlic
  • 2 whole Eggs
  • 1 jar (small) Drained Pimentos
  • 1-½ cup Frozen Peas
  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (additional)

Preparation Instructions

Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Grill or saute pineapple spears until they have good marks/color on the outside. Slice, then set aside.

(Note: soak wooden skewers in water for a few hours first.)

Heat butter and oil over medium high heat, then add the pork chops to the pan. Saute on both sides until they have nice color.

Throw in the sliced onions and work them into the crevices between the chops. Shake the pan and move the onions around and let them cook for a good couple of minutes.

When the onions are starting to soften, add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, and hot sauce. Shake the pan, stir it around, and let it cook and bubble up for a good couple of minutes until the pork chops are completely cooked and the sauce is thicker. Remove the pork chops to a bowl, then let the sauce bubble up and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Pour it over the pork chops. Set aside.

Add a small amount of oil to the same pan (without cleaning it) and return it to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir it around, then crack in the eggs and immediately stir them to scramble them a bit. Add peas, pimentos, and a couple of tablespoons (additional) soy sauce. Add cooked rice and stir it around to cook for a couple of minutes.

To serve, pile rice on a plate, then top with a pork chops and onions from the sauce. Drizzle a little bit of sauce over the top.

Divine!

Pork Roast with Apples and Onions

Pic courtesy of Pioneer Woman

I saw this recipe a couple weeks ago on Pioneer Woman and it just spoke to me. It looked so yummy and different and Fall-ish. I'm not a huge fan of pork and I really don't do roasts all that often any more, but I knew I just had to try this. I'll quote Pioneer Woman on this, "Oh, how I love life. For life includes dinners like this. " True, true, true. This was so different from any roast I have ever had. I loved the sweetness of the apples and the saltiness of the roast and onions. It's convinced me to start making roasts again (every once in a while isn't so bad, right?!).

Pork Roast with Apples and Onions
adapted from Pioneer Woman

  • Pork Roast (shoulder, butt, or any roast you prefer)
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste
  • 4 cups Apple Juice
  • 1 cup Beef Stock
  • 3 whole Apples, Cored And Cut Into Wedges
  • 3 whole Medium Onions, Sliced
  • 1 whole Bay Leaf

OPTIONAL: Saute onions until brown. (Or you may just add them raw to the roast.)

To make the pork roast, heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Salt and pepper pork roast, then sear on all sides to give it some color. Reduce heat to low. Add apple juice, beef stock, apple slices, onions, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 3 hours. (Or you may place in a 300 degree oven if you prefer.)

When the roast is done, remove the roast, apples, and onions to a platter. Raise heat to medium-high (to high) and boil liquid, reducing it until thick and rich. For a little extra thickness, whisk 1/4 to 1/2 cup warm water with 2 Tbl flour and then whisk into gravy sauce.

Spoon thick sauce over the roast, then cut the roast into slices. Serve with apples, onions, and mashed potatoes.

Barbecue Sauce

This is the BEST barbecue sauce- I used it for this salad recipe. But, I also used it for a sauce on barbecue potatoes- you know the ones we all love from Cafe Pig (minus the pork). And it was AMAZING. I know Jenn was just saying that she was looking for a great BBQ sauce recipe and this one is by far my favorite.
The Best Barbecue Sauce
Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

2 cups ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
4 teaspoons hickory flavored liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, mix together all the wet ingredients and then add the seasonings. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it simmers (and then as it cools). I try to plan ahead and simmer for at least an hour. Use the sauce to brush onto meats the last ten minutes of grilling or for any other recipe where barbecue sauce is used.

Once cooled, the sauce can be frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator and use as needed.

Shredded Sweet Pork

I love bar-b-que and I'm not talking hamburgers and hot dogs. I mean shredded pork and sweet, southern-style barbeque sauce. For someone who doesn't eat a lot of meat, I make room in my diet for this because its totally and completely worth it. I've been trying for years to find a recipe that is half as good as the one at Cafe Pig in Peachtree City, GA. And, this is as close as it gets- although there is no barbeque sauce with this recipe, the meat is so tender and flavored so well that you don't need the sauce. I served this on Sunday on top of a baked potato with a little sour cream and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. You can also serve it on top of a Mexican salad, like the Shredded Sweet Pork Salad at Cafe Rio.
picture courtesy Google Images (mine didn't look quite like this)
Shredded Sweet Pork
The Sisters Cafe

3 lb pork roast
1 c brown sugar
1 c Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tb dried minced onions

Cook all ingredients on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8 hours. Remove roast and shred it. Put pork back in juices. Serve.

Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs!

Okay, I've never done ribs before but I was itchin' to try something new. It was a hit
with the whole family! Fool proof and succulent way to
throw some man-ribs on the table!

Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs!

from Somewhat Simple blog


Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Ribs (we used pork ribs, but you can use beef if you'd like)

Directions
Mix together the brown sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Trim off excess fat on your ribs.

Cut and pull off the thin membrane on the underside of the ribs.
(This helps it fall off the bone so much easier!) Here is Jason pulling off the membrane, in case you don't know what it looks like. I had never done this before so it was fascinating to me!

Rub the underside of the ribs with the dry rub mixture.
*You don't need to do too much on this side as most of the flavor will need to go on the meat which is on the other side.


Spread the Rub on the meat side of the ribs-
Pile it on and work the mixture into the meat as best as you can.

Wrap each rack in foil 2 times to insure no flavors drip out in the baking process.

Let marinate in fridge overnight.
(This recipe takes patience, which is something I am working on!)
Bake in the oven at 220 degress for 5 hours.


Take out of oven, smother in your favorite BBQ sauce and toss those bad boys on the grill for a few minutes. (Already cooked through just grilling for the satisfaction of grilling and getting some wetness on those ribs!

Enjoy because they are oh, so good!

Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Loin



Strangely and wonderfully unique. The cinnamon gives it such a different taste. Gotta make!

Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Loin

My Kitchen Cafe Blog

Rub Ingredients:
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins (2 1/2 lb. total), each tenderloin cut into two chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil

Glaze ingredients:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon tabasco sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat the pork with the spice rub. Heat the oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet that is ovenproof (I used my cast iron skillet) over medium high heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Brown the pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in the skillet.

Stir together the brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat on top of each tenderloin. Roast in the middle of the oven until a thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140, about 25 minutes. Let pork stand in the skillet at room temperature for 10 minutes. The temperature will rise to about 155 while standing.

Pork Tenderloin

I forgot to take a picture of this, too, but I made it on Sunday. It's one of my favorite easy, delicious meals, and is perfect for a Sunday dinner along with mashed potatoes (the cooked marinade can be used as gravy)!

Pork Tenderloin (yields 2 logs)
Shera Mae Walker (a friend, who got the recipe from a friend)

Marinade:
1 cup Teriyaki sauce
1 cup prepared Orange Juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tbs. dried basil
1 tsp. dry ginger
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. minced garlic

Slit tenderloins and salt and pepper. Marinade overnight and flip in the morning. Broil on low 20 minutes each side.

Ham and Swiss Sliders

Okay, these sound really weird but they were so, so good. They have also been officially declared as the perfect baby/wedding shower food. I highly recommend them!

24 good white rolls, if you are in utah we like shirley's or judy's
24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices swiss cheese
1/3 mayo
1/3 cup miracle whip


{poppy seed sauce}

1 1/2 TBSP poppy seeds
1 1/2 TBSP yellow mustard
1 stick butter, melted
1 TBSP minced onion
1/2 tsp. worschestershire sauce

in a small bowl, mix together mayo & miracle whip. spread into both sides of the center of each roll. place a slice of ham & a slice of swiss inside of each roll. close rolls & place into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. place very close together.
in a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. let sit 10 minutes, or until butter sets slightly. cover with foil & bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. uncover & cook for 2 additional minutes. serve warm.
** sandwiches can me assembled a day ahead & kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri

I always like to find new recipes for pork. The chimichurri sauce on this was particularly divine! I had to grill it about twice as long as the recipe states.

2-3lb pork tenderloin (2 small-med pork loins)
1 1/2 C chopped parsley
1 1/2 C chopped cilantro
1/2 C loosely packed oregano leaves*
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T red wine vinegar
3 T chopped garlic (6-7 cloves)
1 t kosher salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

*Fresh is best, but if you don't have access to fresh oregano, you could use fresh cilantro and parsley and add in 1 Tbs plus 1 tea dried oregano leaves.

Place pork tenderloins in a ziplock bag and set aside.

Place parsley, cilantro, oregano, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse several times until finely chopped. Remove mixture and place in a bowl. Add red pepper flakes and then stir in olive oil by hand.

Remove 1/2-3/4 C chimichurri (the herb mixture you just made) and place in bag with pork tenderloins. You just need enough to coat them well. Be careful to not cross-contaminate since you will be serving the remaining chimichurri over the top of the finished meat. Seal bag and set aside to marinade for about an hour or longer if you need to. Place plastic wrap over the remaining chimichurri and set aside until ready to serve.

When ready to cook, preheat grill. Remove tenderloins from bag and let excess marinade drip off. Place on grill and cook for about 5-8 minutes before flipping to the other side. You want the internal temp to be about 160 degrees, so check with a thermometer and take it off the grill when it reaches 155-158 since it will continue to cook a bit as it sits. Remove from grill and let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Slice, and serve with remaining chimichurri drizzled on top.