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Pork Recipes

Taco Tuesday Idea: Pulled Pork Tacos

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Pulled Pork Tacos
We have a long-running tradition that’s shared by a lot of people – Taco Tuesday. I love having “fixed” meal days because it makes one less day I have to think. The less thinking I have to do, the happier I am.

The fillings change (although we have traditional ground beef tacos more than any other – creatures of habit). One of my favorite tacos is a pulled pork taco – and you can use leftover pulled pork or grab some as take out from your favorite BBQ restaurant.  Allowing your favorite restaurant to do the heavy lifting, so to speak, is just a brilliant and inspired thing to do.

In the picture at the top, I hadn’t added any toppings to the tacos yet. WHY I jumped the gun and took the picture before the tacos had finished dressing is beyond me. Knowing me like I do, I probably was distracted by…

  1. My cats.
  2. A baseball game.
  3. Chocolate.

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Sliced Radishes and Cilantro
Topping ideas for pulled pork tacos fall under the category of “your call!”

  • white corn
  • shredded lettuce
  • tomatoes
  • green onion
  • cilantro
  • salsa verde
  • thinly sliced radishes (shockingly good)
  • BBQ sauce
  • mild taco sauce
  • Mexican Crumbling cheese (perfect with cilantro)
  • jalapenos
  • coleslaw (Mmmmm!)
  • white cheese sauce
  • shredded cheese
  • etc etc etc

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Pork Tacos with Sliced Radishes and Cilantro
Pulled pork tacos are a beautifully economical way to use leftover pulled pork. If (like us) you regularly enjoy Taco Tuesdays, plan pulled pork on Monday and you’re set for Tuesday. It (of course) works the same with leftover chicken (which is also freaking fantastic with cilantro… radishes, not so much – save them for the pork!)

Boca crumbles, shrimp, refried beans, and cod are also great taco fillers.

I promise you, thinly sliced radishes on pulled pork tacos are both beautiful and delicious. Same with coleslaw (which, of course, you can also grab at the restaurant when you grab your pulled pork, if you’re so inclined).

Finally, A Word About Cilantro

While I play with a million and one fillings for tacos, a constant is cilantro. This is one of my absolute favorite herbs and the first plant that sees action in my herb bed each year.

I realize that some people (what’s with them, anyway?!?) don’t like cilantro – but for those of us who can’t get enough of it, we can rest assured that we’re doing our bodies (as well as our taste buds) good.

Cilantro is a good source of Thiamin and Zinc and is a “very good source” of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese (source).

BOOM!

As for health benefits of Cilantro…

  • lowers anxiety
  • improves sleep
  • lowers blood sugar levels
  • protects against cardiovascular disease
  • rids the body of heavy metals
  • source (plus even more benefits)


Sweet Italian Sausage Pretzel Sliders

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This recipe was written before I had to give up wheat/gluten for health reasons and before the blog and I both went gluten-free! It is not, obviously, at all a gluten-free recipe BUT can certainly be adapted to gluten-free cooking with substitutions. 

Italian Sausage Pretzel Sliders

Sometimes the simplest things can be the most delicious things.  I made a pot of Tortellini soup yesterday and wanted something a little different than garlic bread to accompany it. I had a package of DELICIOUS Sister Schubert’s Soft Pretzel Rolls in the freezer and a package of Sweet Italian Sausage in the refrigerator.  As for cheese, I ALWAYS have a great variety of cheeses on hand because I’m something of a cheese fanatic.

I baked the rolls according to the directions on the package, crumbled up and fried the Italian Sausage (hot Italian Sausage would also be delicious – if you can handle the heat), and put the two together with a shredded Italian cheese blend.

They were phenomenal, disappeared quickly, and left us all wishing I’d doubled the recipe.

These little cuties would be great for tailgating or gameday snacks. If you were to drizzle  little thin lines with sour cream, mayo, or even a thin icing you could even make passable footballs (see what I did there?).

++++ You’ll have left over sausage, even if you PACK the sliders like I did.  We just threw the leftover crumbles into our soup.  Refrigerating leftover Italian sausage and throwing it into omelets or scrambled eggs the next morning is also a delicious option.

Simply Suppers: Comfort Foods Recipes You’ll Flip Your Skillet For

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This is not a gluten-free cookbook but the recipes are easy to transition to gluten-free with simple substitutions. Just be sure to carefully check out ingredients you aren’t sure about.

I was recently sent a copy of Simply Suppers: Comfort Food You Can Get on the Table in No Time Flat by Jennifer Chandler to review. The first things to pop into my recipe-obsessive mind were:

  1. This is comfort food at its delicious best.
  2. The food photography is exceptional.
  3. These recipes fit every occasion imaginable.
  4. I’d better get started today, because I intend to make every recipe in the collection.

Author Jennifer Chandler graduated at the top of her class with Le Grand Diplome and a Mention Tres Bien in Pastry from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.   Suffice to say, she knows her way around the culinary world.  As the mother of two girls, she also knows a thing or two about making delicious food that your family wants to eat.  There’s simply no way that one-two combo can be beaten.

Jennifer Chandler is also the author of another outstanding cookbook, Simply Salads: More than 100 Delicious Creative Recipes Made from Prepackaged Greens and a Few Easy-to-Find Ingredients.

Simply Suppers, literally, has a recipe for every occasion:

  • Comforting, beautiful suppers you like to hit your loved ones with when they come home each night.
  • Tailgating food for taking TO games or for bringing games TO you.
  • Super special meals for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, anniversaries…
  • Hot Cocoa Chocolate Pudding for making the world a better place.

One of the things I love the most about Simply Suppers: Comfort Food You Can Get on the Table in No Time Flat is the fact that these are spectacular, beautiful recipes that still manage to feature simple, easy-to-find ingredients. Success! No scouring the entire region for foods I’ve never even heard of or searching for hours for substitutes for foods I can’t possibly find.

Hate that.

Some of the outstanding recipes in Simply Suppers include:

  • Crock Pot Beef Stew
  • Corn Chowder
  • Sauteed Spaghetti Squash
  • Double-Decker Peach Cobbler (be still my heart)
  • Baked Rigatoni with Sausage Meatballs and Spinach
  • Potatoes Au Gratin
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Shrimp, Chicken, and Sausage Jambalaya
  • Chicken Pot Pie
  • Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy (You should see the picture!)
  • Yellow Squash Casserole
  • Cheddar-Pecan Green Bean Casserole (Knock their socks off this Thanksgiving)
  • Smothered Pork Chops (recipe below)
  • Many, many more!

With entrees, side dishes, and unforgettable desserts, Simply Suppers will become one of your favorite cookbooks.  You know, the kind you keep nearby at all times and return to again and again.

Below is one of the recipes form Simply Suppers.  Try it. Love it. And, whatever you do, grab a copy of this cookbook as soon as possible – it’s simply perfect.

Smothered Pork Chops Recipe from Simply Suppers

4 thinly sliced center-cut pork chops (about 1-1/4 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion (1 large onion)
1 can (10-3/4 ounce) cream of celery soup
1 can water

Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and generously season with salt and pepper. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the oil until a few droplets of water sizzle when carefully sprinkled in the pan. Sear the meat until nicely browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a plate and reserve.

Drain all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the soup and water, and stir to combine. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the meat to the pan. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes. Adjust seasonings as needed. Serve the pork chops hot with the sauce ladled on top.

Serves 4.

COOKING TIP: You can use either bone-in or boneless pork chops for this recipe.

The recipe, above, is on page 71 of Simply Suppers and is just one of the many, many wonderful recipes you’ll flip for. This 256 page cookbook is a must-have and would make a PERFECT gift for new brides, new grooms, or frankly anyone who wants to cook great food for those they love.

When I was looking for a recipe to include in the post, the Smothered Pork Chops recipe stood out. Then I noticed the caption under the recipe title and it all made sense: The author wrote “This delicious, old-fashioned recipe is from my dear mom. Slow cooking turns tough pork chops into a fork tender treat.”

It seems like our best recipes always come form the same person we came from! Mom. It’s kind of what puts the comfort in comfort food.

You’re going to love this cookbook: Simply Suppers: Comfort Food You Can Get on the Table in No Time Flat