APPLE and HERB PORK CHOPS

It has been very cold and snowy here, even for Alaska (-16 last night), so we have been "hunkering down" close to home lately. This type of weather inspires me in the kitchen for some strange reason and the result of that "hunkering" is today's Apple and Herb Pork Chops, they are "fall apart tender" and a nice change from traditional fried pork chops.

(4) ¾” thick pork chops (pork sirloins work well too)

1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dired marjoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon butter
½ cup chopped sweet onion
3 granny smith apples (peeled, cored and large diced)
1/4 cup brown sugar packed (I like dark brown sugar)
¼ cup butter melted
pinch of red pepper flakes (more if you like more heat)

Mix the herbs, salt and pepper and rub all over the pork. Cover and chill for 6 to 8 hours. Brown the pork chops in 1 tablespoon olive oil mixed with 1 tablespoon of butter then put them in a 9 x 13 baking pan. In the same frying pan you browned the chops in, saute the chopped onion until it is sweet; add ¼ cup butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar and the large-dice apples. Heat ONLY until sugar has completely dissolved (apples will still be raw).

Put a stack of the apple-onion mixture on each browned pork chop, then drizzle any liquid left in the pan over the apples. Cover tightly and bake at 325° for 45 to 60 minutes or until “fall apart” tender. If the juices are thinner than you like, thicken them with a little cornstarch mixed with water.

STOVE-TOP TO OVEN BABY BACK RIBS

Shelby, over at The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch, posted this "recipe" recently. It is more of a cooking technique than a recipe, but never-the-less, it is fantastic and so much fun to bring the tastes of summer indoors during the winter!!! Shelby has such good recipes over there, I hope you will visit her page.

This isn't the best photograph, but the ribs QUICKLY disappeared before I realized I needed a better photo, so this will have to do for now.  Let's just say that the ribs went from the above condition, to the condition in the next picture in record time.

Start with a 2 to 3 pound section of baby back pork ribs and cut them into three sections. I buy the more meaty baby back ribs, so I think next time I'll cut them into even smaller sections.

Put the sections in a large deep pot and cover with water. Shelby said to salt and pepper the ribs, but I added a full tablespoon of salt and a ½ teaspoon of black pepper directly to the water.
Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to a "high simmer" (not a full boil) for an hour, then drain.

While the ribs are simmering, cover a baking sheet (that has a lip) with foil and spray it with vegetable spray. This will be a huge help in cleanup.

Place the boiled ribs bone side up first and cover with a thick layer of your favorite barbecue sauce. Shelby recommends Sweet Baby Rays and I totally agree.  Broil in a PREHEATED broiler, on high, for 5  minutes.

Remove from oven and flip the ribs over so the meaty side is up. Apply another thick layer of barbecue sauce and put back under the broiler for another five minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and just starting to crisp up (watch it because it will burn quickly if left under the broiler too long).

Remove and serve immediately....with LOTS of napkins!!!   Delicious, thanks Shelby.

MEXICAN PULLED PORK & PINTO BEANS

I love this versatile recipe. First of all it is all done in the crock pot in just a few hours with no need to pre-soak the beans and leftover possibilities are endless.

I make this with a 2 pound pork tenderloin, because it is nice a lean, but any pork roast will work. I have a large oval crock pot that tends to run a little hot, and this recipe is fall apart tender for me in 6 hours on low heat. Depending on your crock pot and the size of pork you use, it could take as many as 8 hours, but that is unlikely (just start checking for tenderness at 6 hours).

2 pounds (roughly) pork tenderloin
1 cup dry pinto beans (no need to soak)
(1) 4 ounce can of mild green chilies
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup chopped sweet onion
healthy pinch of dry red pepper flakes (optional , see note)

Brown the pork well and put it in the crock pot. Saute the onions & garlic in the same pan and then mix them with the dry beans, spices, canned chilies then pour over the meat. Add just enough water to mostly cover the beans & meat, it should look like this:
Make sure the liquid gets under the meat as well. After cooking on low for 4 or 5 hours, check the liquid level in the crock pot and add a little more water if necessary, but not too much. This liquid makes the best red gravy!!

Take the meat out of the crock pot when it gets fork tender (remove any fatty pieces and bones) and pull it apart. Thicken the liquid in the crock pot with a cornstarch and water slurry, then put meat back in with the beans and gravy.

On the first night, I like to serve this over rice or corn chips, cheese avocado & sour cream. On the second night, it makes killer burritos like this:NOTE: A word about the heat or spice in this recipe. My hubby doesn't like much "heat" in his food. He likes strong flavors, he just doesn't like "fire" as he calls it. I use a very small pinch of dry red pepper flakes when I make this for him. If you like a little more "fire", just up the dry red pepper flake ingredient.

SWEET & SOUR PORK RECIPE

There are three reasons to try this great recipe. First, this recipe is made in the slow cooker, so it's super easy. Secondly, this recipe is very cheap to make and thirdly, it gets rave reviews whenever I make it. What more can you ask for?

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You should know that I am not a big sweet and sour fan, but I love this recipe. It is extremely moist and just the right amount of sweet to sour ratio.

 Walmart sells a small vacuum packed 2 pound pork roast that is perfect for this recipe. The package says "pork loin rib eye pork roast" and even here in Alaska, it's only $4.50!!
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2-3 pound lean pork roast
1 cup sugar (seems like a lot, but it mellows out)
½ cup white vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons ketchup
20 ounce can crushed pineapple (drained)
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Brown the pork roast on all sides and put it in your slow cooker. Mix everything else and bring it to a boil, then pour it over the meat.
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Cook on low for 4 hours or until very tender (spoon the sauce over the meat every once in a while).
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That's it...super easy!! At the very end of the cooking time, I thickened the sauce a little with a slurry of cornstarch and water (right in the crockpot). To serve, slice the meat and spoon a little of the sauce over it; it's great with rice.

Now this last suggestion is not for everyone, but my picky-picky hubby absolutely loves it. On day two, I pull this pork apart and mix it with a little of the sauce (make sure you include some pineapple out of the sauce). While its still cold, I roll it into a large burrito size tortilla (folding in all the ends) and then I brown the whole sandwich in a little butter until its piping hot. Hubby is extremely UNdemostrative when it comes to food, but he ooohhh'd and ahhhhhh'd about this sandwich until the last bite.

NOTE: Sorry about these photographs. This is one of those recipes that, no matter how hard to try to get a good photo, it just doesn't work. You'll just have to trust me that it is delicious.

BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

We love breakfast sausage, but there is a serious difference of opinion (between Hubby and I) as to what brand to buy. This recipe has solved that issue. It has a wonderfully mellow blend of spices and it was a big hit. It can be mixed and cooked the same day, but it does have a better flavor if you make it the night before and let it rest in the fridge overnight. I make up a quantity of this into patties and freeze them.

1 pound plain ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry parsley
½ teaspoon dry rubbed sage
¼ teaspoon dry thyme
¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
¼ to ½ teaspoon dry red pepper flakes*
¼ teaspoon dry ground coriander
¼ teaspoon MSG (I omitted)
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Mix everything well and chill overnight.
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NOTE: For those of you who are concerned about the heat of the red pepper flakes...don't be. We are extremely "shy" on the spicey index, and I used ¼ teaspoon + another pinch and it was not spicey at all.

CROCK POT PORK AND APPLES

A few months ago, I tried Katy's recipe for "Simply Great Chicken" at Food for a Hungry Soul. The sauce was excellent, so I decided to try it with pork. The inspiration for today's post comes from that recipe with a nod to my cooking buddy Katy!!
2 pound LEAN pork roast
½ cup brown sugar
.7 ounce DRY Good Seasons Italian dressing
¼ teaspoon black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 large granny smith apples

Trim the roast of all big fat. I used a 2 pound sirloin pork roast that was ultra-lean. Cut it into 2" cubes. Peel and core the apples and cut them into large chunks. Toss everything together well and place in a crock pot that you have sprayed with vegetable spray.

Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, depending on how large your meat cubes are. Stir the meat and sauce a few times during the cooking time.

After the mixture has cooked for about 4 hours, the apples will start to break down and turn into something like an applesauce-gravy. Sounds strange, but it is delicious. Pork is done when it is fork tender. Serve over rice.

NOTE: If you use more than a two pound pork roast, add enough apples to equal one large apple per pound of pork.

NOTE: The .7 ounce packet of DRY Good Seasons brand Italian salad dressing comes in several varieties. Make sure you use the "regular style" one. Mix the dry powder with the brown sugar and spices.

HEIDI's MEXICAN PORK CHOPS

Recently, Heidi, from Tried-and-True Cooking With Heidi, posted a recipe for Mexican Pork Chops. I'm always searching for simple pork recipes and this one caught my eye. It was a snap to make and tasted great, thank you Heidi!!

Browned pork chops are baked on top of a taco seasoned rice. The flavor of the pork bakes down into the rice and just before serving, it's all topped with cheese. Oh so good!!.
6 pork chops (I used 3 thick ones)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying)
1½ cups water
¾ cup long grain rice
8 ounce can of tomato sauce
2½ tablespoons taco seasoning
1 medium green bell pepper chopped (I used red)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
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Brown the pork chops well, and set aside. Mix the water, rice, tomato sauce and seasoning and put it into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with browned pork chops and the chopped bell pepper.
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Cover tightly and bake in pre-heated 350F oven for 1 hour. Uncover and top with cheese. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.
NOTE: I seasoned the pork chops with the seasoning mix from my last post, (before I browned them). I used this same "taco seasoning" in the rice.
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NOTE: I used chopped red bell pepper (instead of green pepper) because we like it better. I also mixed it into the rice (instead of putting it on top of the meat and rice). I also added a 15 ounce can of (rinsed and drained) black beans to the rice.
NOTE: Just before I serve this, next time, I'm going to sprinkle it with a little chopped avocado and cherry tomatoes.

GREEN CHILE PORK LOIN ROAST

We love this recipe, not only because it is easy and tasty, but because of it's excellent leftover possibilities. Green chile roast leftovers make great cold sandwiches or it can be torn apart and tucked (hot) into warm tortillas (with a little bit of the chile gravy & some pepperjack cheese) for a great leftover transformation (it is one of those recipes that tastes even better on day two).


4 pound boneless pork loin roast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 ounce can of Ortega fire roasted green chiles
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon dry red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 Reynolds roasting bag + 1 tablespoon flour
Place the tablespoon of flour in the roasting bag and shake it around (per roasting bag instructions). Place the bag in a roasting pan (set aside).

Mix all of the dry ingredients and rub it all onto the surface of the pork roast. Brown the roast in the vegetable oil (both sides). Place the browned roast into the roasting bag and put half of the green chiles on top of the roast and the other half under the roast.

Seal the bag tightly and make a few small holes in the top of the bag to let steam escape. Bake in preheated 325F oven for 2 hours (see note). Thicken juices and serve over pork slices.

NOTE: I have not tried it, but I see no reason why you could not use a roasting pan that has a tight lid instead of the plastic roasting bag.

NOTE: Most recipes tell you took cook a boneless pork roast like this for 20 minutes per pound, however, we like our pork cooked longer than that. Thirty minutes per pound will give you very tender pork but still slice-able (not quite to pulled pork tenderness). If you don't care for pork done this way, figure 20 minutes per pound.

CROCK POT BBQ PORK SANDWICHES

This is a great weekend crockpot recipe because you can turn the "extras" into many different things over the weekend. The crockpot method makes the best pork sandwich ever (and there is lots of sauce in the crockpot to make them extra juicy)...plus you can turn the extra pork into tacos, or burritos, or pork and rice just to name a few. I like to make this recipe with pork tenderloin but any pork roast will work.

2½ pound pork tenderloin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup favorite barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon dried red chili flakes
Our market sells pork tenderloin in 2½ pound packages and there are two tenderloins in each package. Cut each tenderloin in three pieces. If you are using a pork roast, trim obvious fat and cut it into pieces about the size of your fist. Mix the dry ingredients (except for the chili flakes) and rub all surfaces of the meat; place, covered, in refrigerator for an hour or so.

Brown the meat in a couple tablespoons of canola oil then put it in the crockpot. Mix the honey & dried red chili flakes into the barbecue sauce and pour over the meat. Cook on low for six or seven hours - every crockpot is different. To check for readiness, use two forks to see if the pork will pull apart easily.

Remove meat from crockpot and pull apart with two forks. Stir sauce and put the meat back in the sauce to keep it hot.

The above sandwich was made with my bun recipe which you can find HERE

NOTE: It isn't absolutely necessary to put the meat in the fridge after you put the dry rub on it, but it strengthens the flavor.
NOTE: Turn the meat over a couple of times during the cooking cycle...not absolutely necessary.

CROCKPOT MAPLE PORK TENDERLOIN

This recipe gets five stars for two reasons...it is totally delicious AND super simple. As a matter of fact, it is one of the best crockpot recipes that I've tried in a long time. You can not get much simpler than this: brown the pork loin, cover it with sauce and 8 hours later (my crockpot only took 6 hours) and you have fork-tender, delicious pork loin and a gravy that is amazing.

2½ pound boneless pork loin
1 cup real maple syrup (DON'T USE PANCAKE SYRUP)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2½ tablespoons cider vinegar
2½ tablespoons soy sauce
salt and pepper

I bought my pork loin, vacuum packed from Walmart (2½ pounds seems to be a standard size). When you open the package, there will be two long loin pieces. I cut each one into three pieces, then salted and peppered them and browned them in a little olive oil. Place the browned pieces in a wide crockpot for even cooking (as opposed to the tall ones).

In a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup (do not use pancake syrup, it is way too sweet and will ruin your pork, trust me), Dijon mustard, cider vinegar and soy sauce together. Pour over browned pork loin pieces. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (my crockpot took only six hours). If you use a different cut of pork, you may have to use the full 8 hours. It isn't absolutely necessary, but try and turn the meat over a couple of times during the cooking process. When it is time to eat, thicken the gravy. I served this with rice and coleslaw. It also made delicious sandwiches the next day.

NOTE: If you are concerned about the maple flavor being overpowering...don't be. As a matter of fact, it is almost a background flavor, but it IS there and the meat was extremely tender and slightly sweet. This is a fantastic recipe for any special occasion. My hubby is a pineapple addict, so I'm sure the next time I make this we will try adding a little pineapple. This recipe is definitely going into my "keeper" file.

ULTRA TENDER PORK RIBS and PASTA SALAD

This is more of a cooking technique than a recipe. I've made country style boneless pork ribs using this technique for as long as I can remember and they are fork tender every time. I am guessing that most of the experienced cooks out there already know this method, but there might be a few younger ones who would like to try this.

Look for boneless country style pork ribs (the leaner the better) in the meat market. An hour before you want to grill, cut them in to sections about 4" long and put in a large sauce pan and enough water to cover them. Add a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of black pepper.

Bring this to a boil on high. After a few minutes, you will see some "crud" float to the surface. Don't get grossed out, but it will look like this:

Skim it off and throw it away (you may have to do this a couple of times). Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and boil for 45 minutes. Pull one of the pieces of pork out of the pan and see if it is fork tender. If not, boil for another 15 minutes (but no longer). Some pork tends to be tougher than others.

Drain pork and put it into a bowl. Drizzle with enough melted butter to coat each piece. Put the pork onto the barbecue grill and coat with your favorite barbecue sauce. Keep turning and basting until the barbecue sauce starts to crisp up on the edges (usually only takes about 10-15 minutes tops.

These ribs are So flavorful and you don't even need a knife to cut them. I hope you will try this technique.

NOTE: Country style pork ribs are usually cut about 2" wide and 10" or so long. Ask your butcher if you can't find them. Make sure you get the boneless ones (better value).

MACARONI SALAD

2 cups dry small seashell macaroni
½ cup chopped onion chopped (fairly fine)
3 stalks of celery with leaves chopped (fairly fine)
½ cup red bell pepper chopped (optional)
1 cup grated carrot
3 pickles chopped (favorite flavor)
4 hard-boiled eggs chopped
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons yellow prepared mustard
3 tablespoons pickle juice

Boil macaroni for 8 minutes (or as recommended on box), then rinse under cold water, and drain very well. Add veggies, eggs and pickles. Mix dressing ingredients (mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, pepper) well and stir into macaroni & veggies.This salad really needs to sit overnight in the fridge before eating so the flavors can blend.
NOTE: I do not add salt to this salad because there is already a lot of salt in the pickles, pickle juice and mustard.
NOTE: Just before I put this salad into the fridge, for the first time, I put a piece of wax paper on the surface of the salad and then I lay two paper towels (folded) on top of the wax paper and snap the Tupperware lid on. The paper towel will attract any condensation in the bowl and the waxed paper will keep the moisture from running down into the salad. Once the salad is in the fridge overnight, discard the wax paper and paper towel.
NOTE: The amount of mayonnaise you use is up to you. Start with 1 cup and add more if you like your salad creamier.
NOTE: This photo doesn't show it, but I like to put black beans in my macaroni salad, it really adds a nice change.