Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Glaze

I'm not a big pork fan but my husband asked me to make pork chops this week, so I obliged.  To me pork is like the tofu of meat.  It doesn't have much flavor on its on and easily takes on any flavor you add to it. I was really pleasantly surprised how this recipe turned out. I loved the tang of this sweet and sour glaze and almost wished I'd doubled the recipe so I had more to pour on. I loved it so much I might even add it to our rotation!

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooke time: 10 mins
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:
4 (8-ounce) pork chops, bone-in, 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp unsalted butter


For the sweet and sour glaze:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, to taste.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, about 8-10 minutes.

To make the sweet and sour glaze, combine balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve pork chops immediately with sweet and sour glaze.

Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This recipe does not disappoint! It is a super easy, set-it-and-forget-it-recipe for the crock pot.  Perfect for busy weeknight dinners. I found the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens and slightly adapted it to be a bit more spicy.  I should also note that this is not my picture.  They were so delicious that I forgot to take a picture of the actual thing - twice! That should tell you how delicious they are! I served mine on whole wheat buns with broccoli slaw. I will take a picture next time, promise!

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 6 hours on high, 12-13 hours on low
Makes: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1.5lb boneless pork shoulder roast
1 medium sweet onion, cut into thin wedges
3/4 cup chili sauce (you can add more spice depending on your preferences. I like sriracha)
1/2 cup cola
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
8 hamburger buns, split and toasted

DIRECTIONS:
Trim fat from meat.  In a 3.5 or 4 quart slow cooker combine meat and onion. In a small bowl combine chili sauce, cola, ketchup, mustard, chili powder, vinegar, cumin, garlic, paprika, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Pour over meat mixture in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 12-13 hours or on high heat for 6-61/2 hours.

Transfer meat to a cutting board. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onion to a medium bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Thinly sliced or shred meat. Add meat to onion; stir gently to combine.

Toss meat mixture with enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten. If necessary, return meat mixture to cooker. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Cover and cook about 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve meat mixture in buns.

Pork and Greens Skillet Pie

This is another Food Magazine recipe that is a great winter dish. It's homey and also healthy. I didn't used a cast iron skillet because ours is too small to fit all the ingredients.  If you don't have one, simply omit the last step of putting it in the broiler and make sure you pan is heat safe for the oven.  I also opted to use Polenta instead of Cornmeal and it turned out just as great.  As always feel free to add more cheese!

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
1lb ground pork
1 medium yellow onion, diced 
1 large bunch Swiss chard, trimmed, stems and leaves separated and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp fine cornmeal, divided
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided (or more to taste)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a cast iron skillet, cook pork over medium heat, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes.  Add onion and Swiss chard stems, increase heat to medium high, and saute until translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in Swiss chard leaves and cook until wilted, 2 minutes.  Stir in 2 tablespoons cornmeal, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook until liquid thickens, stirring occasionally, about 14 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.

In a small saucepan,  bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Whisk in remaining 3/4 cup cornmeal and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan, season with salt and pepper,and spoon over pork and greens. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan, transfer to oven, and bake 20 minutes. Heat broiler and broil until top is golden brown and mixture is bubbling at edge, 2 minutes.

Tomatillo Green Chili

Prep time: 40 mins

Cook time: 2 hours 10 mins

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs tomatillos, husks removed, washed

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large white onion, diced small

2 poblano chiles, diced small

3 jalapenos, diced small

coarse salt and ground pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, puree tomatillos until smooth.  In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat oil over high.  Add pork and cook until browned, 9 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer pork to a plate.  

Add onion, poblanos and jalapenos to pot and cook until onion is translucent, 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. 

Return pork to pot and add tomatillo puree and 2 1/2 cups water.  Bring to a boil over high.  Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer until pork is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cuban-Style Pork and Sweet Potato Stew

This stew is both a little spicy and a little sweet. Serve with black beans and rice for a complete meal. 

 

Prep time: 15 min
Cooking time: 7 hours

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 lbs lean pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces

14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with green chiles

1 clove garlic cloves, minced (medium)

1/4 cup orange juice

2 medium scallions, chopped (green parts only)

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp cumin seed

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped DIRECTIONS: Place potatoes, pork, tomatoes, garlic, orange juice, scallions, salt, cumin and pepper in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 7 hours. Stir in lime juice and cilantro; cover slow cooker and cook for 5 minutes more. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving (including some cooking liquid).

Wonton Soup

Serves: 8                                                                            

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time:  10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

¾ lb ground pork

1 tbsp crushed fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic

1/8 cup soy sauce

Wonton wrappers (phillo squares)

4 qts chicken broth

2 cups baby bok choy

1 cup spinach

3 green onions

Salt and soy sauce to taste.

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the pork, ginger, garlic and soy sauce in a medium sized bowl.  Roll a small ball of the mixture and place it into the center a wonton wrapper.  Wet the outside of the wrapper with your finger, by dipping it in water and tracing around the edges.  Fold the wrapper in half to form a triangle, and then push either side up to meet the top so it forms a teardrop. 

Place the wontons into boiling chicken broth.  Boil for 2 minutes.  You know the wontons are cooked when the wrapper has shriveled up around the filing and they become slightly translucent.  Add bok choy, spinach, green onions, salt and soy sauce to taste