PORK CHOP APPLE BRINE!

If you like Pork Chops and I DO!  This brining with the apple juice and sugar makes these so moist. They are the best I have ever had and Dave says the same.

Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 cups apple juice
3/4 tbl ground pepper
1/4 cup salt
2/3 cups light brown sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp grill seasoning
2 large bone-in pork chops

Combine first 6 ingredients  (thru red pepper)  in a sauce pan.  Heat mixture to a simmer and sugar is melted.  Pour into a bowl with 2 cups of ice.  When the brine cools add the pork chops and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Pat the chops dry and add to a hot oiled grill or grill pan.  Season each side of the chops with 1/2 tsp grill seasoning - that's it - just seasoning and cook 4-5 minutes on a side.  Do not overcook.  Let rest 5 minutes and serve. 

I serve with a cauliflower gratin!!!

PORK MADNESS!
ENJOY!

THE ULTIMATE PORK ROAST!

(no photos...ugh!)


I tried this last weekend and it is just fabulous!  Make sure you use good flavorful apples...whether tart or sweet!

Ingredients:

1 (2-3/4lb) pork roast, trimmed and tied
2 Tbl canola oil
1 medium onion thickly sliced
3 carrots thickly sliced
3 celery stalks thickly sliced
4 garlic cloves smashed
4 fresh sprigs of thyme
4 fresh sprigs rosemary
6 Tbl cold unsalted butter, divided
2 apples  cored and cut into 8 slices
3 Tbl apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups apple cider
3 Tbl whole grain mustard
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Heavily salt and pepper the pork.  Heat the canola oil in a saute pan and sear ALL sides of the pork to golden brown - 2-3 minutes on all sides.  Place roast in a 13 X 9 pan set aside.

Gently wipe out the saute pan and add 3 Tbl cold butter over medium heat.  Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and herbs and cook about 8 minutes until tender.  Add the apples and cook about 2 minutes.  Pour the mixture into the 13 x 9 pan around the pork roast.  Bake in the oven for 35-50 minutes until the internal temperature is 140-150 degrees.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cover with foil and let it rest.  Strain the vegetables from the juices.  Pour the juices into a saute pan, add apple cider vinegar.  Turn heat to high and reduce by half then add apple cider.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the mustard and 3 Tbl butter and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.

Remove string from the pork and slice the pork and serve with sauce over the top.  I enjoy the braised vegetables so I save them and eat them on the side.  You may choose to create other side dishes.  A really good apple sauce is a MUST.  I buy Fresh Market's brand with cinnamon flavor.

I HOPE YOU LOVE THIS!
ENJOY!

GRILLED PORK WITH PINEAPPLE

Pork...sometimes very unforgiving....overcooks in seconds....but we all love good pork chops, tenderloin, ribs..you name it! The secret is to brine pork like we have all learned to do with our Thanksgiving turkey. Simple, salt, sugar, some citrus like orange or lemon, fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme and of course pepper...covered in water for hours or overnight. So after hours of brining..here is a great recipe for pork chops.

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork chops about 3/4 inch thick

1 pineapple thickly sliced

3 tbl orange marmalade

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup roasted cashews, chopped

salt

pepper

Season previously brined pork chops with salt and pepper. On a grill or in a grill pan cook pork about 2-3 minutes a side. Add pineapple to pan. Brush chops and pineapple

with 2 tbl marmalade and grill 3-5 minutes more turning once. Pork should be slightly pink and 160 degrees in the center.

In a bowl combine yogurt and 1 tbl marmalade and a pinch of pepper. Spoon this mixture over chops and pineapple and sprinkle with nuts. Just delicious!

5 INGREDIENTS!

ENJOY!

LOW CARB DAY - PORK TENDERLOIN

5 carbs...5 carbs....

I hear you Bernie....just substitute the peppers for other vegetables like, green beans, asparagus, zucchini..you catch my drift. It won't change the carb number. This is also low in calories (215 per serving) and offers some iron, and calcium....go for it!!!

Ingredients:
1 lb pork tenderloin cut into 1 inch medallions
1 red pepper cut into strips
1 yellow pepper cut into strips
2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1 shallot minced
3 garlic cloves minced
4 anchovy fillets mashed (or 3 tbl minced olives)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbl olive oil
salt
pepper

Heat oil in a saute pan. Lightly season the pork with salt and pepper. Add pork to pan and saute for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat and flip pork. Add shallot, garlic, 1 tsp rosemary, thyme, anchovy and peppers to the pan and cook until peppers are soft...about 8-10 minutes. Add vinegar and toss. Serve with remaining rosemary sprinkled on top. Great with roasted red potatoes, mashed potatoes...or a nice salad to keep the carbs down.

HEADING FOR KEY WEST..IN A CAR THANK GOODNESS!!!
ENJOY!

SLOW COOKER WEEK - PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

Nothing says "slow cooker" and "save-my-pocketbook" like pulled pork. There are so many great variations to the recipes. I like this one because of all the soft drinks out there, I love root beer and you can taste it in this sauce. You can make this recipe and chill it overnight or even freeze it in ziploc containers for up to a month. Then just thaw the night before, put in a sauce pan and reheat. If the sauce is too thick just add a little water.

This does call for browning the pork first in a pan, so for you busy people this may be a weekend dish....still super easy but one added step.

Ingredients:

2-1/2 to 3 lb pork roast

2 onions chopped

2 tbl minced garlic

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp ground cumin

4 cups root beer

1 cup chili sauce

2 tbl vegetable oil

salt

pepper

hot sauce (optional)

rolls, sandwich garnishes

You should trim the fat off the roast if there is a lot. Cut the meat to fit into your cooker. Salt and pepper the roast and brown it in a skillet in the oil. Drain the fat. Place meat in the cooker and add onion, 1 cup of the root beer, thyme, cumin and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours.

In a sauce pan combine remaining root beer and chili sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce and boil slowly for about 30 minutes until it reduces. If you want a little hot sauce add it here.

When pork is done remove it and discard the cooking liquid. When it is cool, take two forks and pull apart the pork to shredded pieces. Then make your sandwiches. Top rolls with your garnishes, pork and finally that great root beer based sauce. Sounds like a football game day meal.

Happy Playoffs!

ENJOY!

RESOLUTION WEEK - PORK CHOPS WITH SAUTEED ONIONS

A perfect one-pan meal. If you can find really thick pork chops they are the best and will stay nice and juicy. They should be about 1-1/2 inches thick. The recipe calls for very few ingredients, which we should all have. It is very light and I just serve with a nice salad in a vinaigrette, so it is perfect for a lighter meal.

Ingredients:

4 bone-in center cut chops (1-1/2 inches thick)

1 large red onion sliced thin

3 tbl olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbl fresh thyme

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

In a large saute pan heat 1 tbl olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and stir frequently until caramelized about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan add 2 tbl olive oil. Pat chops dry and season with a tbl salt and 2 tsp pepper. Cook the chops 3-5 minutes on one side until brown then flip and cook for 2-4 minutes until done. (You can make a small cut near the bone and look inside..light pink is done..if it is redder cook more). If all the chops do not fit in your pan, cook two at a time and add a bit more olive oil for second batch. Transfer to a plate and keep warm,

Put the same pan back on the stove and add balsamic vinegar and onions. Simmer scraping the pork chop bits off the bottom of the pan about 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Serve the balsamic-onion mixture over the chops.

Sweet and Juicy!

ENJOY!

PORK FRIED RICE

I love rice in ANY fashion, but I love a good fried rice. As you know, you can substitute chicken, beef or shrimp or you could keep it pure vegetarian. I like to eat this as a meal in itself, but you can certainly serve it with your favorite Asian dish.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups cooked diced pork medallions

2 cups cooked cooled rice

1/4 cup shallot diced

3 cloves garlic minced

3/4 cup carrot diced or shredded

1/4 cup peas

2 large eggs

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup black bean sauce

4 tsp peanut oil

salt

pepper

Heat 2 tsp peanut oil in a pan over medium heat. Scramble the eggs in the pan. When they are done cooking remove them and set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in the pan. Add shallots, garlic, carrots and peas and cook about 2 minutes. Add the rice and pork and cook until warm through. Add the bean sauce to coat the rice. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the eggs just before serving.

Couldn't be easier! I wish I was eating this now!

ENJOY!

ROAST PORK WITH CIDER GRAVY

I know this photo doesn't quite look like roast pork, but I wanted to share the irises my lovely daughter gave me for Mother's Day. I love irises, they are my favorite flower. I have so many planted in my gardens. So thank you very much Rachel!!!!

This recipe is the perfect dish to make on a Sunday afternoon when you want to make a delicious dinner that smells up the whole house. The flavors are wonderful and the cider gravy works so well with the pork. (oh and by the way Rachel loves hard cider from her days over in Scotland)

I serve this dish with some nice roasted red potatoes cooked with onions and garlic swimming in olive oil. A 13 x 9 pan of diced red potatoes takes about an hour to roast in the oven at about 375 degrees. I add a little sauteed asparagus with tomato that also works well with the cider gravy.

Many sides would work like au gratin potatoes, and any sauteed vegetable you like. Two 5 lb pork roasts will serve about 8 people but it is also great for two with a lot of pork left over for sandwiches, tacos, burritos, even a nice spicy chili.

Ingredients:

2 (5lb) pork roasts bone-in

1/4 lb pancetta roughly chopped

2 stalks celery roughly chopped

1 medium onion preferably Vidalia roughly chopped

2 carrots roughly chopped

4 cloves of garlic peeled

1-1/2 cups olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup white wine

3 cups water

1 (12 oz) bottle of hard cider

2 tbl cold butter

3 tbl flour

1 bay leaf

2 tbl sage roughly chopped

2 tbl thyme roughly chopped

whole peppercorns

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place pork roasts in a roasting pan ribs facing up. Put pancetta, celery, onion, carrot, garlic, white wine, water, chicken broth, bay leaf, butter and spices in the bottom of the pan around the roasts. Combine olive oil, sage and thyme and brush the roasts. Add salt and pepper to the pork. Roast for 2-1/2 hours until skin is crackled. Remove the roast to a cutting board and let it rest at least 15 minutes before carving. Strain the gravy removing all the vegetables, spices, bay leaf etc. Pour the gravy back into the pan and put it on the top of the stove over medium-high heat. Put flour in the gravy and stir until incorporated and light brown. Add hard cider and continue to stir. Add more chicken broth if you need more gravy. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Just delicious and the whole house smells divine!

ENJOY!

STUFFED PORK CHOPS

I am not a big pork chop fan I have to say, but this recipe makes them so moist and the filling is a perfect compliment to the texture of the pork chop. The pork chops are brined first. Brining came into fashion with holiday turkey but I brine most bone-in chicken dishes and all pork dishes because the meat always stays moist. Nothing worse than dried out chicken..makes me drink more wine.....haha

Brine Ingredients (for 4)

4 bone in pork chops thick 1-1/2 in

2 quarts of water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 salt

6 fresh thyme sprigs

10 cloves of garlic YES

1 tbl whole allspice

Combine these ingredients in a ziploc bag and mix. Add the pork chops and refrigerate for one hour.

Ingredients

8 slices of prosciutto

4 slices of gruyere cheese (thick)

1 carton cherry tomatoes diced

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Take the pork chops out of the brine. Dry with a paper towel. Cut the chops horizontally to the bone to make a pocket. Stuff with two slices of prosciutto, a slice of cheese and some tomatoes. Pinch together the sides of the chop and secure with a toothpick. In a saute pan heat 4 tbl of olive oil add two pork chops at a time. Cook on one side for about 4-5 minutes. Turn chops and cook for about 2 minutes. Put pan in the oven and cook chops until done and cheese melted about 5 minutes. Take pan out of the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes and serve.

TAKE THE TOOTHPICK OUT!

Enjoy!