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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.

{Continued Below…}

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

{Continued Below…}

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)


Summer Pork, Pepper, Tomato, and Eggplant Stew (Naturally Gluten Free)

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Summer Pork Stew
The uniquely creative and creatively unique recipe below is from Paulding & Co. Eggplant is one of those vegetables you either love or hate. Don’t let it know but I tend to fall in with the latter crow. However, when it’s in a stew, soup, or even pasta – where it’s more a co-star than the lead, I find it to be pretty darn good.

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Summer Pork, Pepper, Tomato, and Eggplant Stew

Yield: Yield: 4 generous servings, probably with some leftovers

Summer Pork Stew

Ingredients

  • 2 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder (or 2 ½ lbs. bone-in)
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp. Marash or Aleppo pepper (or other deep flavored, medium-hot flaked pepper)
  • 4 long sweet red peppers, such as lipstick or Jimmy Nardello, to make about 1 ½ cups cut pieces (if you use red bells, use only one!)
  • 1 medium-large eggplant
  • 2 large tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Cut the bacon into lardons (small pieces). Trim and discard any large chunks of fat from the meat, without being too fastidious — you’ll have a chance to skim the stew later.
  2. Cut the pork into 1 ½ “ cubes (it will shrink during cooking so don’t make the cubes smaller).
  3. Halve, peel and dice the onion, peel and mince the garlic, and seed and dice the peppers. Remove the stem end of the eggplant, and cut into approximately one-inch dice. Cut an X in the base of the tomatoes, remove the stem, and either blanch for 30 seconds in boiling water to loosen the peels, or rest them on a burner, over open flame, turning with a tongs until the skin loosens. Skin, halve, and dice the tomatoes. If they are very seedy, you can first de-seed them but hold over a strainer on a bowl to do so, so you save the juices. Set each ingredient aside separately.
  4. Render the bacon slowly in a heavy non-reactive 4-quart sauteuse pan (straight-sided pan with a cover, not too deep; if you don’t have one, an enameled cast-iron casserole, or a tri-ply large frying pan with a lid, will be fine).  Cook the bacon until it is starting to crisp.
  5. Season the pork cubes well with salt and pepper, and add to the rendered bacon and fat, making sure they are in one layer and not too crowded (or do two batches).
  6. Turn the heat to HIGH and brown the pieces, without turning or moving them, until one side is nicely caramelized; stir the contents of the pan, making sure the meat has turned so the browned side is facing up, and continue over high heat until the second side is brown.
  7. Add the onions, stir the pot and let cook 2 minutes.
  8. Add the garlic, pepper flakes, and red peppers, and cook another minute or so; add the eggplant and tomatoes, including their juices, and stir well.
  9. Add ½ cup water, cover the pan, and cook over low heat for 1 ½ hours, until the meat is tender.
  10. Stir every ten minutes or so, and add a bit more water if needed to keep the contents from sticking.
  11. Taste, re-season, skim extra fat from the sauce, and serve.
  12. The dish goes well with any starch.

So how do you, personally, feel about eggplant?! If you’re a fan, how do you enjoy it? There are so few foods I actually dislike – I’d love to find a way to fall in love with eggplant so that liver stands alone in the “No, thank you” category.

 

About Paulding & Company

Founded by mother-daughter duo Terry and Tracy Paulding, Paulding & Co. is a commercial kitchen and instructional/event space that specializes in creating innovative event ideas for families and corporate entities through public cooking classes and exercises. Located in the heart of the San Francisco Bay area, Paulding & Company inspired Disney/Pixar animators for the Ratatouille film and director Clint Eastwood for several projects.

Photo and Recipe Credit: Paulding & Co

Sweet Italian Sausage Pretzel Sliders

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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.

One-Skillet Pork with Wild Rice and Herbs

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Pork Recipe: One Skillet Pork with Rice and Herbs

I love chicken as much as the next person (if the next person’s a vegetarian, then it’s safe to say I love chicken recipes more than them) but – let’s be honest – there are only so many ways you can cook that culinary bird.  Besides, variety is the spice of life, and, like a spice rack, the more variety the better.

I’m using pork more and more in my daily cooking.  The Other White Meat is just as delicious as chicken and it’s a lot more versatile than some people may realize.

As far as nutritional value is concerned, today’s pork is leaner than ever before.  Pork is an excellent source of thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, phosphorus and protein and a good source of zinc and potassium.

From The Other White Meat.com: Pork today compares favorably for fat, calories and cholesterol with many other meats and poultry. While providing a greater amount of vitamins and minerals, many cuts of pork are as lean or leaner than chicken. Pork tenderloin, for example, is just as lean as skinless chicken breast and meets the government guidelines for “extra lean.” In total, six pork cuts meet the USDA guidelines for “lean,” with less than 10 grams fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. Any cuts from the loin – like pork chops and pork roast – are leaner than skinless chicken thigh, according to USDA data. Pork steaks or roasts from the leg (“fresh ham”) are also lean choices.

Give this recipe (pictured above)  a try this week, you’ll soon be praising Pork like never before.

One-Skillet Pork with Wild Rice and Herbs Recipe

1 pound pork tenderloin, lean, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 8-oz package sliced white mushrooms, OR brown mushrooms
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, reduced-sodium
1 cup uncooked white and wild rice blend*
1 tablespoon Italian herbs, herbes de Provence OR other dried herb blend
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
Salt and black pepper

In a large skillet or sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid over high heat, combine pork, mushrooms, broth, rice, and herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes.
Stir in mixed vegetables and continue to cook until liquid has absorbed, rice is tender, and pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Serves 4

*Note: To make sure they’ll be done at the same time, use an already-combined mixture of white and wild rice. Look for a blend that has a cooking time of about 20 minutes.

Serving Suggestions:
Nothing is easier than a one dish meal, especially for a busy weeknight. Serve with a mixed greens salad tossed with a simple vinaigrette.

Nutritional Information: (Per Serving)
Calories: 350 calories
Protein: 32 grams
Fat: 3 grams
Sodium: 330 milligrams
Cholesterol: 75 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 1 grams
Carbohydrates: 45 grams
Fiber: 3 grams

To learn more about pork and uncover a gold mine of delicious recipes, visit The Other White Meat.

Yum! Bow Tie Sausage Soup

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I’m a complete and utter fool for sausage and sausage recipes – ground sausage, sausage links, brats… You name it, I’m there with fork in hand.   The Original Brat Hans brand by Coleman Natural Foods is a favorite.  They’re as outstanding grilled outdoors as they are prepared indoors.

You’ll also love them to distraction in recipes.  The delicious recipe below calls for Hans All Natural Pork Sausage and will produce a soup you’ll never forget. And the people you share it with will never stop talking about it.

Serve this wonderful soup with breadsticks or fried cornbread for bonus points and extra smiles.

Bow Tie Sausage Soup Recipe

1 package Hans All Natural Pork Sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6 cups organic chicken broth
2 1/2 to 3 cups bow tie pasta
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

Cut natural or organic sausage into slices and put in large covered pot with onion and garlic; cook until sausage is brown. Drain off any fat.

Stir in organic chicken broth, uncooked pasta, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, basil and thyme. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.

Credit: Coleman Natural and The National Pork Board

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

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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

Recipes from the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville

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As Mayberry’s Sheriff, Andy Taylor might say, “Why, who’d have thunk it?”  A vegetarian chef  mastering meat-laden meals of the South?

At the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel Nashville, that’s exactly what has gone down – whether Sheriff Taylor saw it coming or not.

Executive Chef Kevin Randolph has been serving up mouth watering southern fare for over a decade, and one would never guess from biting into his Baby Back Ribs that he doesn’t taste them himself.  The man’s a vegetarian.  Which, I’d guess explains why the second recipe, The Ultimate Veggie Burger is SO outstanding – this, he eats himself!

Having been a chef for 30 years, and a vegetarian for 8, Randolph certainly knows his way around both sides of the kitchen. Below you can find his recipes for Southern Style Baby Back Ribs, as well as for the Ultimate Veggie Burger, courtesy of the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel Nashville.

Southern Style Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients:

2 1-2 lb. Rib Slabs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 tsp. garlic
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp BBQ spice
1 tbsp. mesquite seasoning
1/2 tsp. Cheyenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except for ribs in a large mixing bowl. This will serve as the BBQ Rub.

Grill Baby Back Ribs for about 3 minutes on each side. (Best to grill with open flame using hickory charcoal but a gas grill will do as well.)

Place your ribs on a sheet pan and rub them down on both sides with BBQ rub recipe.

Wrap the whole pan with aluminum wrap and bake in the oven @ 225 degrees for 2.5 hours.

Enjoy with or without sauce.

Ultimate Veggie Burger

Makes twelve 4-inch burgers

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
2-1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup bulgur wheat
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 large celery rib, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
1 small leek, white and light green parts only, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 2 tsp)
1 lb cremini or white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 6-1/2 cups)
1 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cups Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Ground black pepper
12 buns for serving

Preparation:

Bring 3 cups water, lentils and 1 teaspoon of salt to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are just beginning to fall apart (about 25 mins). Drain in fine mesh strainer. Line baking sheet with triple layer paper towels and spread drained lentils over. Gently Pat lentils dry with additional paper towels. Cool lentils to room temperature.

While preparing the lentils, bring 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir bulgur wheat into boiling water and cover immediately, let stand off heat until water is absorbed (15-20 mins). Drain in fine mesh strainer, use rubber spatula to press out excess moisture. Transfer bulgur to medium bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until simmering. Add onions, celery, leek and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown (about 12 mins). Spread mushrooms on baking sheet with vegetable mixture; cool to room temperature (about 20 mins).

Process cashews in food processor until finely chopped (about 15 one-second pulses). Stir into bowl with wheat along with cooled lentils, vegetable-mushroom mixture and mayonnaise. Transfer half of mixture to now empty food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped (about 15-20 one-second pulses). Mixture should be cohesive but roughly textured. Transfer processed mixture to large bowl; repeat with remaining unprocessed mixture and combine with first batch. Stir in Panko, 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Line baking sheet with paper towels. Divide mixture into 12 portions, about 1/2 each, shaping each into a tightly packed patty, about 4 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Set patties on baking sheet (paper towels will absorb excess moisture). Patties can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days.

Grill burgers over a medium-hot charcoal fire, or preheat a gas grill on high. Grill until well browned (about 5 mins), flip and grill on opposite side until well browned.

Quick and Easy Recipe: Pork Chops and Rice

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Presto Electric Skillet, White

When I was thinking of a name for this easy Pork Chops and Rice recipe, I thought of how perfect it was for busy days. So, Busy Day Pork Chops and Rice came right to mind.  But the argumentative part of my mind challenged, “What days aren’t busy days?”  With a to do list that gives me a headache, I didn’t have an answer.

I’m sticking with the name though – simply because I haven’t the time to come up with another one!  Recipes don’t come any easier or quicker than this one.  Of course, that’d mean very little if it weren’t delicious, wouldn’t it?  Fortunately, it’s as fabulous as it is fast.

Busy Day Pork Chops and Rice Recipe

3 to 4 pork chops
1 can or jar of mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of water
Minute Rice, unprepared
minced dry onion
salt and pepper, to taste

Brown pork chops in electric skillet on both sides.  Drain grease.  Layer the pork chops, mushrooms, and onions. Top with Minute Rice.  Spread the soup over all and pour water around the sides.

Place lid on the electric skillet and cook at 300 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Chicken can be used as easily as pork in this recipe.

Credit: The gorgeous Presto Electric Skillet, White pictured at the top of the post is from Cooking.com. It’s a big white slice of Heaven and no kitchen should even try to be a kitchen without it.