Grilled Pork Loin

If you know me well, you know that I'm a huge pork fan. I just love the lean meat and the mild flavor as it allows you a lot of freedom to make it meld with any dish. I made this particular recipe to go with my Summer Succotash and it was a perfect match with the fresh vegetables. I also used a bit of chunky finishing salt at the end to really bring out the flavor of the pork and add a bit of crunch. So the crystals on the bottom picture are not snow!
I made this dish on my charcoal BBQ and used an indirect heat, slow cook method which was surprisingly easy, so make sure to give it a try!

Grilled Pork Loin

2.5 Pounds Pork Loin Roast
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Sweet Paprika
2 Teaspoons Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Oil
Finishing Salt, optional

Remove any excess fat off the pork roast. Mix all spices to create dry rub. Drizzle just enough oil over the roast to coat and cover with dry rub, cover and let sit at room temperature for one hour.
To create indirect heat on your grill, fill a chimney completely full of charcoal briquettes (do not use wood here it burns to hot and quickly). When charcoal is ready pour onto 1/2 of the grate and you are ready to BBQ.
Place pork roast directly over coals and cook just a few minutes on each side to brown the outside and create a crust. Next move the pork roast to the side of the grill without any coals, cover with lid and let cook without moving until it reaches 145 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 1 hour. Remove roast from grill and place on plate and tent with foil, let rest for 10 minutes (internal temperature will continue to increase to about 155 degrees).
Cut roast into desired thickness, sprinkle with finishing salt, and serve.

Pork Loin

I personally think pork should be illegal because it is so delicious! I think I could eat it every day, especially if it came in bacon form. I decided to do a more healthy pork lunch last Sunday that was really quick and easy to make. I simply roasted a pork loin with some herbs and it was amazing. The key to really good pork loin is to not over-cook it, as it dries out very quickly once it gets overdone. Also, giving it a good rest after cooking helps drive the juices back into the meat as well. Since I was making this for lunch I wanted an easy side dish to go along side, so I made my yummy Oven Fries and an arugula salad with my House Dressing. Enjoy!

Pork Loin

3 Pound Pork Loin
Olive Oil
Salt
Herbs de Provence

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously salt pork loin and then cover with herbs de provence. In a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat add enough olive oil to just coat bottom of pan. Add pork loin and sear on all sides until golden brown. Transfer the pork loin to the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reads 145 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Remove, cover tightly with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving (meat will continue to cook while resting).

Barbecue Pork Ribs

I don’t think there is anything better that a really good barbeque. I was craving pork ribs the other day so I invited some friends over and made them for dinner (not my friends, the pork ribs). I have tried doing a long indirect-heat grilling before but the meat tends to get a little too dry, so I decided to experiment cooking them in the oven and finishing them off on the grill so they would pick up a nice crust and smoky flavor…well they turned out perfect. The ribs were very moist and tender and the crunchy crust was absolutely wonderful. You can serve them like this or put a bowl of barbecue sauce on the table for people to add on their own.
I served this with a big pan of cornbread, my favorite pasta salad, white wine sangria, and a delicious lemon cake for dessert (I'll be posting that recipe very soon). I think I gained about 10 pounds during this meal, but it was definitely worth it. Oh, don’t forget the roll of paper towels at the table, these things are messy!

Barbecue Pork Ribs

2 Full Racks Pork Spare Ribs
2/3 Cup Chili Powder
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Salt
4 Tablespoons Pepper
2 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

Pre heat your oven to 275 degrees and adjust the racks so there is one towards the bottom and one rack in the middle of your oven. Place each rack of ribs on a separate baking sheet and remove the tough clear membrane from the back of the ribs using a butter knife (it is really stuck on there so it takes a bit of muscle).
To make the dry rub, combine all spices. Heavily coat the ribs on both sides with the dry rub, you should use all of this mixture, it will completely cover the meat.
Cover the ribs lightly with aluminum foil and place in the oven, one baking sheet on each rack. Bake for 3 hours, turning the ribs over and switching racks every 30 minutes.
Next pre-heat your grill to a medium heat, or let your charcoal briquettes burn for about 45 minutes if using a charcoal grill. Place the ribs on the grill and continue to cook for about 15 minutes on each side until the coating gets a little charred and crispy. Remove ribs from grill and place back on a baking sheet and cover tightly with foil, let rest for 10 minutes. Now cut into single ribs and serve!

Pulled Pork

I’m still getting into the swing of things with my new crock pot and decided to make pulled pork. If you don’t know by now, I’m a huge fan of any type of pork…just check out all my recipes for it. Once in a while I get a wild craving for BBQ and considering it’s been cold and raining like a shower here lately I thought I would give the crock pot a good workout and try a new recipe. This recipe is quick and easy and turned out pretty darn good. I think next time I will cut down on the sugar, as I thought it was a bit too sweet. You could also use a butt roast for this recipe if you can’t find the boneless country style ribs, just don’t use a pork loin as it would dry out and not be very good after cooking for so long.

Pulled Pork

4 Pounds Country Style Boneless Pork Ribs
1 Onion, skinned and quartered
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Cup Ketchup
¼ Cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
2/3 Cups Cider Vinegar
1 Cup Brown Sugar (I would recommend starting with half this amount and adjust to taste)

Liberally salt and pepper the pork on both sides. In the bowl of a food processor combine the onion, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and olive oil; process until very smooth. Combine the onion mix in a small saucepan with the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until just bubbling. Pour enough sauce to coat the bottom of your crock pot. Place one layer of the pork into the crock pot, then sauce, then another layer, then the rest of the sauce. Cook on high heat for 4 hours or on low heat for 8-10 hours. Remove the fat from the top with a spoon and discard. Remove the pork and shred with two forks, place back in pot with the sauce and stir to combine, serve alone or on a hamburger bun for a pulled pork sandwich.

I saw this beautiful magnolia tree in my neighborhood and had to snap a few pictures, spring may actually be coming soon!

Carne de Puerco con Chile

This dish was the star of our meal, as pork should always be! I love nothing better than really good, tender juicy pork carnitas, and this was the real thing. I usually don’t do well frying meat in lard, but I do have to admit this was really amazing! You can stop at that point if you want, but you can also infuse the meat with a lot of flavor after it’s cooked by braising it in sofrito, as this recipe shows. This recipe is really spicy, if you like a more mild dish, just reduce the amount of peppers, or remove the seeds.

Carne de Puerco con Chile

4 Pounds Pork Loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tablespoons Salt
¼ Cup Beef Stock
2 Cloves Garlic
¼ Onion
4 Jalapeno Peppers, charred and stems removed
2 Roma Tomatoes, halved
1 Cup Water
1 Pound Lard (For Frying)

Place the pork loin in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt, stir to coat and let sit for a couple of hours.
To make the sofrito, combine all remaining ingredients in a blender and puree.
Heat the lard in a very large wide deep pan and fry the meat over medium heat until very tender and just barely starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Remove the meat and drain on paper towels. Next pour lard from pan and wipe out, place meat back in, add sofrito and cook for one hour over low heat. Serve with tortillas and beans.

Pork Carnitas

I’m sorry if I’ve bored you with the last few postings, I know that salsa’s and chips aren’t too exciting, even to the novice cook. I was actually just trying to get those out of the way to post this yummy recipe. I love pork carnitas and this is the easiest recipe ever. True pork carnitas is pork fried in fat the entire time and I just couldn’t get into that as it really grosses me out a bit thinking about cooking meat in fat for a couple hours.
A friend from work made this and recommended it to me because it was such a good recipes, and I had seen versions of this before but never tried it out, but will put it in my top 10 favorite Mexican recipes for future use. Oh, can I also tell you how amazing the house smells while this cooks? Definitely need a little snack to tie you over until the meat is done!

Pork Carnitas

4 Pounds Country Boneless Country Ribs, or Butt Roast
6 Cloves Garlic, peeled
1 Orange, zested and juiced
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Quart Chicken Stock
¼ Cup Brandy

Trim large pieces of fat from the ribs, and reserve. In a large heavy dutch oven or 12 inch deep skillet add the pork, fat, garlic, orange zest and juice, ground cumin, salt and enough chicken stock to just cover the meat. Cover pot with lid and bring to a low simmer, cover and cook until meat is very tender, about 2 hours.
Uncover, turn heat up to medium and boil until liquid is reduced by half, add the brandy and continue cooking stirring often, until liquid evaporates and the meat starts to get browned and crispy, about 15 minutes.
Let cool slightly remove any large pieces of fat, and shred with a fork, should be very easy to shred at this time, and serve on tortillas with salsa. I served mine with a pico de gallo and the Avocado & Tomatillo Salsa.

Cochinita Pibil

I fell in love with this recipe at a Christmas Eve Party-my friend Andy made this recipe and it was love at first bite!
I was in Sunriver over Memorial Day weekend and made this for all of my friends staying with me at the condo. This recipe makes a ton, so invite lots of people over. There were five of us we had at least half of it left over. I love the tanginess of this recipe and it also has a really nice depth of flavor, with an intense citrus undertone from the lemons. I used the rest of the meat for pulled pork nachos which were equally delicious.

Cochinita Pibil

5 Tablespoons Annatto Seeds
2 Tablespoons Cumin Seeds
1 Tablespoon Whole Peppercorns
8 Allspice Berries
½ Teaspoon Whole Cloves
3 Jalapeno Peppers
½ Cup Orange Juice
½ Cup White Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Salt
8 Cloves Garlic, chopped
Juice 5 Lemons

5 Pounds Pork Butt

Heat all of the spices in a frying pan until fragrant. Place into a mortar and pestle and grind into a fine powder (or you can use an electric coffee grinder.)
Remove the seeds from the jalapeno peppers and chop coarsely.
Process the orange juice, vinegar, jalapenos salt, garlic and the spice powder in a blender until liquefied. Add the lemon juice and tequila and puree until incorporated.
Cut the pork into 2 inch chunks. Leave the fat on the meat, to keep the pork moist. Place in a large self sealing plastic bag with the marinade. Seal the bag and turn to evenly coat the meat. Refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Add the meat to a large dutch oven lined with parchment and fold parchment over the top of the meat to completely cover. Cover the top of the dutch oven with foil and then place on the lid, to seal in the steam. Roast for 4 hours. Open packet carefully; the meat should shred easily with a fork if done.
Serve over rice or shred and serve on tortillas to make tacos.

Herb Crusted Pork Chops

I am a huge fan of pork, but only like it when it has a lot of flavor. In this dish I use herbs de province, one of my favorite seasonings, to bring out all the delicious flavors. The key to really good pork chops is not over cooking them, there is nothing worse than a tough dried-out pork chop! You can also substitute chicken if you are not a huge pork fan. I usually serve a simple mashed potato or mixed green salad with balsamic dressing to make a quick and easy meal.

Herb Crusted Pork Chops

4 Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops, 3/4-1 inch thick
Kosher Salt
Coarse Ground Black Pepper
Herbs de Provence
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper, next coat generously with Herbs de Provence. Heat Olive Oil in pan over medium-high heat in heavy bottomed skillet, add pork chops. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side, or until dark golden brown, and an instant read thermometer reads 150 degrees. Let rest covered for a few minutes to re-absorb juices and serve.

Pork Braised in Chile Sauce

Wow, this meal was super delicious! I love pork in any form and with this mixture of chilies, and charred vegetables, it was simply amazing. I was actually surprised that it wasn't that spicy, next time I make it I will add a fresh jalapeno pepper with the seeds to give it a little kick. This is great meat for a rice dish, tacos, or in a burrito.

Pork Braised in Chile Sauce

4 Pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder or Butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 Bay Leaf
10 Dried Ancho Chile Peppers
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Large Spanish Onion, peeled and cut in half through the middle
3 Plum Tomatoes, cut in half
¼ Cup Oil
2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour

Put the pork in a heavy Dutch oven large enough to fit it comfortably. Pour in enough old water to cover the meat by 2 inches. Add the salt and bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. Skim off the foam from the surface as necessary.
Meanwhile, remove the stems from the chilies and tap out the seeds. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add half of the chilies and toast them, turning with tongs until they start to change color and crisp up a bit, about 4 minutes. Heat them gently so they don’t burn. Lift them out and place in a bowl. Repeat with the remaining chilies. Pour enough boiling water over the toasted chilies to cover them. Soak until completely softened, about 20 minutes. Drain well.
While the chilies are soaking, wipe out the skillet with paper towels. Place the onion and tomatoes, cut sides down, in the skillet. Cook turning the vegetables as often as necessary, until the tomatoes are blackened on all sides and the onions are blackened on both flat sides.
After the pork has been cooking for 1 hour, remove 2 cups of the cooking liquid and pour it into a blender jar. Add the onions and tomatoes, and puree until smooth. Add the chilies and blend until smooth. Remove another 2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside. Drain the pork, discarding the remaining liquid, and wipe out the pot. Set the pot over medium-low heat and add the canola oil. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Pour the chili sauce into the pot slowly. As it comes to a boil, it will thicken. Stir well, especially in the corners, to prevent the sauce from sticking and scorching as it thickens.
Add the pork and return the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot and cook until tender, about 1 hour. While the pork is cooking, there should be enough sauce to keep it moistened. If not, add the reserved pork cooking liquid as needed.
Serve over rice, or in a tortilla with shredded cabbage and sour cream for a delicious taco.

Recipe From “Daisy Cooks” by Daisy Martinez

Pork Chops with Fennel and Caper Sauce

This is one of my favorite recipes. It has a ton of flavor and is an easy quick meal to make. I had a few people over last week, served this and everyone loved it. I served a fresh tomato salad with a rice-vinegar dressing and basil to start, and then served this with a generous helping of my yummy mashed potatoes; we ended the night with a 3 layer pumpkin cake, yummy! I got this recipe from Giada from the Food Network and changed a couple things.

Pork Chops with Fennel and Caper Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil
6 boneless (2-inch-thick) pork chops (about 3 pounds total)
Herbs de Provence
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning meat
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning meat
2 fennel bulbs with fronds, thinly sliced (about 8 ounces or 2 cups)
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1/3 additional cup
1 cup white wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
1/2 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and lightly chopped

In a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt, pepper and a generous amount of Herbs de Provence. Add the pork to the pan and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the pork from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.
Add the fennel, shallots, and 1/3 cup parsley to the pan and cook over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the pork back into the pan, nestling the chops between the fennel and tomatoes so they are mostly submerged in the pan juices. Cook until the fennel is tender and the pork is done, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Place the pork on a serving dish. To finish the sauce, add the lemon zest, remaining 1/3 cup parsley, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Spoon over the pork chops and serve immediately.

Honey Mustard Glazed Ham

I think ham is one of my favorite treats. I don’t make it very often, but when I do I am in hog heaven! I got this recipe from my friend Doug and have never enjoyed a juicier and more delicious ham in my life. Everyone at my birthday party agreed and wanted left-over’s to take home with them, being my birthday and all I felt completely confident in saying NO without even the slightest guilt in my consciousness.
This recipe is super easy and takes hardly any prep time.

Honey Mustard Glazed Ham

1 Large Smoked Ham, with bone in.
1 Cup Honey Dijon Mustard
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 Liter Ginger Ale

Trim any excess fat and any skin off ham, you will want to leave about 1/4 inch of fat to keep the ham tender. Score surface of ham with a sharp knife into ¾” diamonds. Mix honey dijon mustard and dark brown sugar in small bowl. Place ham into large baking dish and completely cover with mustard/ sugar glaze, pour remaining glaze over the top of the ham. Pour 1 inch of ginger ale into the pan. Cover ham with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove foil, baste ham with pan sauce and continue cooking for about 2-3 hours more, while basting with pan sauce every 20 minutes, adding ginger ale as needed to keep liquid at 1 inch. Cook until ham reaches 160 degrees. Remove ham from oven, cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Place on large platter and serve. If you would like a sauce to serve with the ham, pour pan juices into saucepan and reduce by half and serve.