MARINATED PORK LOIN

After grilling the same country style pork ribs  for the past umpteen years, I wanted a change.  I wanted to find some cut of pork that didn't need pre-cooking (in order to get it nice and tender). So recently, we started grilling pork loin (not tenderloin). The whole loin is very tender, flavorful and unlike the country style pork ribs that have lots of ... what picky-picky husband calls "waste" (fat, gristle, bone), the loins have ZERO "waste".  I usually buy a 2 pound loin and that is perfect for three big eaters (or 2 of us plus lunch tomorrow).

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
4 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Put everything in a large zip lock plastic bag and squeeze it around to mix well.

Slice your 2 pound pork loin into 3/4" thick slices and put them into the bag with the marinade, making sure the liquid reaches all of the meat surfaces.  Put the bag in the fridge for 6-12 hours (I did it for 6 hours and it was perfect).

When you are ready to grill, remove the meat from the marinade (but save the marinade). Bring the marinade to a very gentle boil and cook it for 15 minutes. This cooking time will make the marinade safe to eat AND it will thicken the marinade so you can use it to baste the pork loin on the grill.

Grill your pork outdoors, basting the meat each time you flip it over.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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