Char Siu Pork

 Char Sui Pork

Ingredients:

• 1 Pork Should Roast, bone, skin, excess fat removed
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Mirin
• 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
• 2 Teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
• 2 Tablespoons Miso
• 2 Cloves minced Garlic
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons honey

Instructions:

1. Slice the Pork shoulder into 1 inch wide strips.
2. In a small bowl mix together sugar, rice vinegar, Mirin, Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Peanut Butter, Chinese Five Spce, Miso, Garlic, Salt and Pepper. 
3. Pour 1/2 cup of the marinade mixture made in step two into a small, sealable container. Add the two tablespoons of honey and combine. Set aside.
4. Add the pork strips and marinade to a sous vide bag. Seal and marinate the meat at least 3 hours, but overnight would be better.
5. Follow sous vide instructions for pork, (long slow cook is better.)
6. After cooking in sous vide, line a baking tray large enough to accomodate a cooling rack with tin foil. Remove the Pork from the sous vide bag, place on rack, and broil for 3-4 minutes until pork is almost dry looking.
7. Brush the reserved marinade with honey glaze over the top and return to broiler, turning every 3-4 minutes, and brushing with more of the glaze.  Continue to broil until glaze is bubbling and there are some charred edges.
8. Rest for a few minutes, then thinly slice the pork and enjoy.

Sweet Mustard Glazed Ham

Sweet Mustard Ham

Ingredients:

• 1 Ham
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup prepared Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
• 2 Teaspoons Mustard Seeds
• Whole Cloves

Instructions:

1. Score the ham with shallow cuts about 1 inch apart, then again thw other way to create a diamond pattern.
2. Stick cloves where two score marks intersect. 
3. Place ham in a roasting dish with about 1 inch of water. Bake for 2 hours at 350°F.
4. In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, mustard, cider vinegar and mustard seeds. Set aside, this is the glaze. 
5. After ham has been roasting for two hours, remove from oven and glaze ham all over with 1/2 of the glaze. Return ham to oven for 15-20 minutes, then glaze again with remaining glaze mix.
6. Finish roasting ham for another 20 minutes.
7. Remove ham from oven, and let rest at least 20 minutes.
8. Remove cloves from ham before carving or serving. 

Garlic BBQ Pork Chop

Garlic Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 2 Pork Chops, bone in or boneless
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat  BBQ or a grill pan to medium high heat. While allowing the pork chops to rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
2. If you have a mortar a pestle, smash the garlic cloves into a paste. If you don't have your own mortar and pestle finely mince, grate, or crush the garlic cloves.  Add the olive oil, stir to mix and set aside.
3. Season Pork Chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
4. When grill is heated, place pork chops on grill and cook for about 4 minutes on the first side. Turn and baste cooked side with the garlic olive oil blend. Cook for an additional 4 minutes, turn and baste other side with garlic olive oil blend. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, turn and cooked for 2 more minutes.
5. Ensure Pork is cooked through, rest on a plate for 5 minutes before serving.
6. Cooking times may vary, these are the times I used when cooking a boneless pork chop that was about 1/2 inch thick.

Enjoy!

Crispy Pork Belly

Crispy Pork Belly

Crispy pork belly in a bowl of ramen. Yum. 

Ingredients:

• One slab of pork belly, skin on, roughly a pound
• Mirin
• Chinese Five Spice
• Salt and Pepper
• Rice Vinegar

Instructions:

1. Remove pork belly from package and place in a shallow pan, skin side up. Using the top of a sharp knife, a fork, or other sharp instrument to prick as many holes in the skin only of the pork belly. Try to not go into the fat layer below the skin.
2. Turn the pork belly upside down so that the skin side is now down. Lightly baste the pork belly with mirin, and season with Chinese five spice, salt and pepper, season only the flesh and not the skin.
3. Turn the pork belly over once again in the tray so that the skin side is facing up again. Pat the skin dry with paper towels and season the skin with salt. Place the prepared pork belly uncovered into the fridge overnight.
4. Remove the pork belly from the fridge, and wrap the flesh sides of the meat in tin foil snuggly, while leaving the skin exposed. Heat oven to 350°F. Place the foil wrapped pork belly in a roasting dish, skin side up, dry skin with paper towels, brush lightly with vinegar and season again with salt. Roast in preheated oven for 60 minutes.
5. After roasting, switch oven to a medium high broil setting. Remove pork from oven, unwrap from foil and return to roasting dish. Place the pork belly on the lowest rack possible under the broiler and broil for between 15-25 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
6. Allow pork to rest under a foil tent for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Slice thinly to serve.

Enjoy! 

Hoisin Garlic Slow Cooker Pork

Hoisin Garlic Slow Cooker Pork

Ingredients:

• 1 Pork Tenderloin
• 5 Cloves Garlic
• 1/2 Cup Hoisin Sauce
• 2-3 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 2-3 Tablespoons Soy sauce
• 1 Carrot
• 1 Red Pepper
• 4-5 Mushrooms
• Soy Sauce
• Mirin
• Sesame Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Cooking oil
• 1/2 Cup Sliced Green Onion
• Sesame seeds
• Rice

Instructions:

1. Serves three generously, or four adequately.
2. In the insert of the slow cooker stir together the hoisin sauce, Sesame oil and soy sauce. Finely minced the garlic and stir in as well.
3. Slice the pork tenderloin into thin 1/4 inch wide strips and add to slow cooker insert. Stir to evenly coat the pork in the sauce. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 4-6 hours.
4. When pork is almost done, prepare enough rice for the number of people being served.
5. Heat a skillet to medium heat.
6. Cut the pepper into thin strips, carrot into match sticks and dice the mushrooms. Keeping each separate.
7. Add about 1 Tablespoon cooking oil to heated skillet.
8. Cook the carrots with about 2 Teaspoons of soy sauce in the heated skillet for about three minutes, remove and set aside.
9. Cook the peppers with salt and pepper for about 5 minutes, set aside.
10. Add the mushrooms to the skillet, season with about 1-2 teaspoons each of soy sauce and Nitin, cook for about 3 minutes. Season with about a teaspoon of Sesame oil and cook for one minute more.
11. When ready to serve, spoon some rice into a bowl, top with some pork and sauce from the slow cooker and arrange some of the seasoned veg on top. Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!!

Notes:

If your kitchen isn't stocked with mirin like mine you can substitute honey or maple syrup without affecting the taste too much. If things get too sweet you can balance things out with some vinegar or more soy sauce.

Breakfast Sausages

Breakfast Sausages

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Ground Pork (a small percentage should be high in fat, like pork belly)
• 2 Teaspoons Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Sage
• 1 Teaspoon Thyme
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Rosemary
• 2 Teaspoons Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Allow ground pork to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl add the ground pork, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, rosemary, sugar and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly.
3. Shape meat mixture into small balls and press into flat disks. Cover in wax paper or plastic wrap and freeze until ready to serve.
4. To serve, heat a skillet over medium heat, fry 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.

Enjoy!

Notes:

You can do more traditional sausage and put this mixture into casings and form links, but I like my morning round sausage and so that is how I wrote it.

Stuffed Pork Loin

Stuffed Pork Loin

Ingredients:

• 1 Pork Loin Roast, butterflied and flattened to about 1/2 inch thick
• 10 Ounces Frozen, chopped Spinach, Thawed and drained of excess water
• 1/3 Ounces grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/3 Ounce Feta Cheese, crumbled
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Prosciutto, thin slices
• 1/2 Cup chicken or vegetable stock
• Butcher's twine

Instructions:

1. Butterfly the pork loin and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick. Season all over with salt and pepper.
2. In a medium bowl stir together the spinach, Parmesan cheese and feta cheese along with the cloves of garlic, minced. Season with salt and pepper lightly and stir to blend together.
3. Arrange slices of prosciutto, just over lapping each other across the open face of the butterflied pork loin. Pour the spinach mixture over the prosciutto and gently press the filling into an even layer over top of the prosciutto.
4. Starting from one side, tightly roll the pork loin into a log shape and tie with butcher's twine. Wrap entire thing up in plastic wrap tightly and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
5. After 30 minutes, remove from fridge and let stand 10 minutes at room temperature. While meat rests, heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add a small amount of olive oil to heated skillet. 
6. Preheat oven to 375°F.
7. Sear pork loin all over until lightly browned on all sides. Add the 1/2 cup of stock and transfer skillet to the oven and roast until center of pork is cooked through, roughly 40 minutes.
8. Remove pork from skillet to serving platter, cover with foil and rest 10-15 minutes.
9. To serve slice the roast into 1 1/2 inch slices, and pour some of the remaining stock from the skillet over the slice to keep the pork moist and tender.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Balsamic Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

Slow Cooked Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

Spice Rub

• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Teaspoon Sage
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Glaze

• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
• 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Water or Vegetable Stock
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

Other

• Tin Foil
• Water or extra Stock
• Bay Leaves

Instructions:

1. Pour enough water or stock to have about 1/2 inch of water in the slow cooker insert.
2. In a small bowl mash together the minced garlic and spices for the spice rub. Add the olive oil and stir to create a paste.
3. Rub the spice blend all over the pork tenderloin, leaving a little bit of the rub to press into the top. Place the prepared tenderloin in the slow cooker. Add a few bay leaves.
4. Cook on low for about 5 hours.
5. In a small sauce pan whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze. Bring to a boil over medium heat and reduce for about 5 minutes, until thickened and like a syrup.
6. Remove from slow cooker and transfer to a foil lined baking sheet and turn oven to broil setting.
7. Glaze the tenderloin generously with the prepared sauce. Place under broiler for about 3 minutes. Remove from oven, glaze again and broil for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from oven, glaze once more, and broil for 3 minutes.
8. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Garlic-Miso Pork

Garlic-Miso Pork

Pictured with some Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 2-4 Pork Chops or 1 Pork Tenderloin
• 4 Tablespoons White Miso Paste
• 4-6 Cloves Garlic
• 2-3 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• Pepper
• 1 small Onion
• 1-2 Cups Beef or Vegetable Stock

Special Tools:

• Cast Iron Skillet, or Stainless Steel that is oven safe will make life a lot easier.
• Also a mortar and pestle will be helpful to make the garlic paste.

Instructions:

1. Heat a large cast iron skillet or regular skillet over medium heat. Oil the skillet once heated.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Dice the onion, set aside.
4. Crush the garlic into a smooth paste, stir in the miso paste and rice vinegar. Stir until evenly blended and smooth.
5. Rub about 1/2-2/3 of the miso paste mixture over the entire surface of the pork chops or pork tenderloin. Cover the entire surface in a thin, even layer. Season well with pepper. Allow pork and miso to marinate together for between 5 and 10 minutes.
6. Add the onion to the heated skillet and stir fry gently until onions are translucent and beginning to soften. Move the onions to the edges of the pan.
7. Add the pork to the skillet and fry for about 5 minutes on each side, getting a nice sear on all sides of the pork.
8. Once the pork is seared on all sides, add the stock and the remaining miso-garlic mixture to the skillet and transfer the whole skillet to the oven to finish cooking the pork all the way through. Usually takes at least 25 minutes to finish cooking the pork through or upwards of 45-60 minutes. I recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure.
9. When pork is cooked through, transfer to a plate and tent with foil to rest for about 5 minutes. Serve with some of the remaining liquid from the skillet drizzled over the top of the pork.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Savagely good. I had even accidentally slightly over cooked the pork but I didn't even mind because the miso-garlic glaze is so good on it.

Also I plan to try this recipe on some chicken breasts soon, I will let you know how that turns out.

Other Places:

How about something seasonal/ What was cooking last year?

Apple Crisp

Deep Fried Pork Kebabs With Red Sauce

These were unreasonably good. Which once again is why there are no pictures, I ate them all before a camera was found. . .

Deep Fried Pork Kebabs

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 1/3 Cup Brown Sauce/ A1/ Steak Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Ketchup
• Salt and Pepper
• 1-2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, or more to taste

Kebabs:

• 2-4 Boneless Pork Loin Chops or a small Pork Loin
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 Cup milk
• Flour to coat pork
• Panko Style Bread Crumbs
• Wooden Skewers

Special Tools:

Deep Fryer

Instructions:

1. To make the sauce, mix everything listed in a small bowl until evenly blended. Cover and chill until ready to use.
2. Heat Deep fryer to about 340-350°F.
3. Trim any fat from the pork and slice into 1 inch cubes. Season well with salt and pepper.
4. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk and eggs.
5. Place some flour in a shallow dish to dredge the pork in.
6. Place some panko crumbs in another dish for coating.
7. Skewer the pork 3-4 per skewer.
8. Dredge each skewer in flour.
9. Dip each skewer in the egg wash, then coat with the panko crumbs. Place coated pork kebabs on a tray until ready to fry.
10. Place the skewers in the basket of the fryer without over crowding. Lower into oil and cook for 5-7 minutes, shaking well half way through to ensure everything cooks through.
11. Serve hot with sauce on the side.

Enjoy!

Notes:

I would like to say again just how amazingly good these were, plus that sauce is excellent. Would be great with other fried chicken or pork things as well I think.

Other Places:

How about one of my favorite recipes?

Pasta Sauce

Pork Bánh Mì Sandwich

A Thai sandwich made popular in New Orleans and on Top Chef. The pickles and marinade can take some time but it is well worth the wait and thinking ahead.

Pork Bánh Mì Sandwich

Also pictured, Thai Sesame Peanut Ramen Noodles

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Sausage Rolls, or a Baguette divided into 6 inch sections
• Leaves of Crisp Lettuce
• Green Onions
• Chopped Cilantro
• Finely diced Jalapeno Pepper, seeds removed to reduce heat.
• Mayonnaise
• Pickled Carrots and Rashish
• 1 Recipe Thai Marinaded Pork Loin

Instructions:

1. The day before or as short as 30 minutes before meal time, prepare the pickled carrots and radishes as per recipe. Also prepare the pork loin and marinade as per the recipe provided. Allow Vegetables and pork to sit in fridge until ready to make the meal.
2. To prepare the pork loin for sandwiches, follow the cooking instructions and shred the cooked pork. If desired you can return the shredded pork to the skillet over very low heat to keep warm while you finish prepping everything else.
3. To assemble the sandwich, gently toast the buns if desired.
4. Spread mayonnaise on the inside of the bun and line both sides with a thick layer of crispy lettuce leaves.
5. Place some of the shredded pork loin into the roll.
6. Garnish with jalapeno peppers green onion and cilantro to your taste.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

What was cooking one year ago?

Spicy Mexican Beef filling for Tacos

Thai Marinaded Pork Loin

Thai Marinaded Pork Loin

Ingredients:

• 1 Small Pork Loin
• Cooking Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Seed Oil
• 2-4 Cloves Garlic
• 1 inch Fresh Ginger Root
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Green Onion
• Pepper to Taste

Instructions:

1. Measure out the fish sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, and sesame seed oil into a medium bowl.
2. Peel and finely mince the cloves of garlic as well as the inch of ginger root. Stir into the sauce. Stir in the chopped green onion. Season with a bit or a lot of pepper to your usual liking.
3. Ideally, freeze the pork loin for about 10 minutes to make slicing easier. Slice the pork loin into long thin strips, then use either a mallet or your hand to flatten the strip further between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap.
4. When entire pork is sliced thinly, transfer to marinade bowl, and turn to coat.
5. Allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes, or up to as long as overnight.
6. When time to cook, Remove pork from marinade and let stand on a plate for 10 minutes, Drain any excess marinade.
7. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet, or a grill to a medium high heat.
8. Quickly sear each side of the thin strips of pork of the grill or skillet, about 2-3 minutes a side, watching carefully to make sure they do not burn.
9. Once cooked through remove from heat and transfer to another plate.
10. Serve as is (sliced over rice or noodles), or shred and return to skillet to make a stir fry. Or you can also fill a sandwich.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

What's for dinner tonight?

Sushi! 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Very easy recipe, but does take some time. You have been warned!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Is it sweltering where you are? Because myself and my fat fluffy cat are both overcome by the current temperature situation.  So expect more slow cooker and oven free recipes in the future.

Ingredients:

• A Fresh Pork Shoulder Picnic Roast*
• 1-2 Cups Beef or Vegetable stock
• 2 Onions
• 3-6 Cloves Garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• Sandwich or Burger Buns
• One Bottle Smokey BBQ Sauce**

*Do not get a cured picnic or shoulder roast, we want a fresh light pulled pork, not a cured/salty ham pulled pork. This is very important, as I once made the mistake of getting the cured pulled pork and let me say that it does not make for a good sammy.

Instructions:

1. Cut the picnic roast into four chunks, season each with salt and pepper, set aside.
2. Chop or dice the onions and garlic, add half of each to the bottom of the slow cooker insert, add the cups of stock to the insert.
3. Arrange the four chunks of pork on top of the onions in the stock inside the slow cooker insert. Arrange the remaining half of the onions and garlic over top. Most of the pork should be submerged in the stock, if not add a bit more water.
4. Turn slow cooker on low for at least 6 hours, but up to as long as 12. Or high for at least 4 hours, but up to maybe 8, not 100% sure because I usually just do this step over night.
5. After cooking the roast, allow to cool for about 10 minutes with lid open and slow cooker turned off. Using a slotted spoon remove all of pork roast from the insert, transfer to bowl and set aside to cool a bit longer.
6. Strain the slow cooker insert through a strainer and collect the liquid in a large pot or bowl.
7. **In a medium sauce pot over a medium high heat, reduce the pot liquid strained from the insert on the stove for about 20-40 minutes, until concentrated.**  You can skip this step if you like, this just really intensifies the flavor of the final result.
8. Once the cooked pork roast isn't burning hot anymore, use two forks to shred and literally pull it apart, which it should do pretty easily. 
9. Remove any bits that are all fat or not palatable. Return the pork to the slow cooker insert.
10. Pour in about 1 cup of the pot liquid you saved, stir well, the pork should look nice and juicy but not be soupy.
11. Pour in about half of the BBQ sauce, stir well to evenly coat, add more BBQ sauce if needed.
12. Continue to heat over low for about 30 minutes until ready to eat or leave for up to several hours on low. If the pulled pork dries out add more of the pot liquid or BBQ sauce, to your taste.
13. Serve on a toasted bun.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

What was cooking one year ago?

Herb and Citrus Chicken

Baked Pork Dumplings

Similar to my other recipe for Baked Veggie Dumplings, but less healthy since now I have added pork! But still better than a deep fried dumpling for the waistline. . .

Baked Pork Dumpling

Ingredients:

• Won Ton Wrappers
• About 1/4 Pound Ground Pork
• 5-6 Mushrooms
• 2 Cups Cole-Slaw Blend*
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3-4 Green Onions
• 1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seed oil
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seed oil
• 1 Egg White
• 1 Recipe Dumpling Sauce

*There should be a variety of cole-slaw blends in the fridge of the produce section in your grocery. I saw Broccoli blend, carrot, cabbage, or even a shredded stir fry blend will work. Just try and get something a good blend of veggies. Also cabbage helps give the dumplings some crunch and texture, for once cabbage is a good thing.

Special Tools:

A large cast iron wok or a real big skillet. It doesn't sound like a lot of ingredients, but this recipe filled my large red wok and used up almost an entire pack of won ton wrappers. I only had about 3 left when I was done. (Which of course means I made crunchy won ton fries with cherry sauce dip)

Instructions:

1. Heat up skillet or wok over medium high heat. If using cast iron make sure to season the pan with oil before starting.
2. Scramble fry ground pork, onions and mushrooms until pork is just cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl whisk together rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame seed oil, garlic and ginger. This is our seasoning for the dumpling filling.
4. Once Pork is cooked through add the cabbage/cole slaw blend and pour the small bowl of seasoning over top of everything. Stir, cover and cook about 3 minutes. Add sliced green onions stir again and remove from heat.
5. Stir together sesame seed oil and egg white.
6. Line a large pan with parchment paper and spray well with cooking spray.
7. Open won ton package and fill center of won ton with about 1 tablespoon of filling. Fold in half to make a triangle, dampen fingers in a water bowl, dampen edges of won ton and press well to seal.
8. Lay folded dumpling on prepared pan. Use a silicone basting brush to lightly glaze the top with the egg and sesame seed oil mixture.
9. Repeat filling, folding, sealing and glazing until you run out of filling or wrappers.
10. Bake at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes, until crispy and golden. 
11. Serve warm with dumpling sauce with a meal, as a snack or an appetizer.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

Something useful to know:

Learn to use and love your cast iron cookware!

Butter-Thyme Ham Glaze

Butter-Thyme Ham Glaze

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons fresh Thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan heat the cider vinegar over medium heat until it has reduced to about 1 tablespoon in volume, takes less than 10 minutes.
2. While that is happening, melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Add the thyme, stir to mix.
3. Once cider vinegar has reduced add the melted butter/thyme mixture to the warm pot, and the rest of the ingredients. Stir to mix.
4. Brush about 1/3 Mixture onto ham at start of cooking and re-glaze periodically. Bake ham at 375°F until cooked through.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Made for a delightful little ham dinner and even more delightful add in to a white-cheddar mac n' cheese I made the following night. Left overs are always best when they are transformed to a completely different meal.

Other Places:

Something to go with dinner:

Biscuits

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

A simple pasta dish with a creamy egg based sauce. Made even more delicious by the addition of salty pancetta.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Spaghetti, dried or fresh
• 4 Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Milk or Cream
• 1/4 Cup shredded fresh Parmesan Cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
• About 500 grams Pancetta or 8-10 slices Bacon

Instructions:

1. If you are making fresh pasta get that all done and then pasta rolled out ready to be cut before starting the sauce.
2. Preheat oven to about 200°F , or the warming setting.  Place 4-6 bowls in to warm up.
3. This is an easy recipe but you must listen to my words or else you will end up with scrambled eggs and pasta.
4.  It is also impressive for a dinner party if you have the pasta ready to be cut, and have all the ingredients pre-measured in cute bowls on the counter and then whip it up in about 10 minutes. People love it.
5. Get a large pot of well salted water on the stove and on a pretty high heat to get it to a rolling boil.
6. In a large skillet or sauce pan, Cook the pancetta or bacon until the fat renders and is slightly crisp. 
7. Drain the fat from the skillet. Chop up the bacon if not already done. 
8. In a small bowl gently whisk the eggs and milk/cream. Season well with salt and pepper.  
9. Fold in the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
10. The large pot we set to boiling should be ready to go by now.
11. Add the noodles and cook according to their package or recipe. If you are using fresh pasta it's cooked when it floats and only takes a minute. Turn off the burner.
12. Once pasta is cooked, quickly drain the pasta and return it to the pot. 
13. Add the cooked pancetta to the pot and the whisked egg mixture. 
14. Using a large wooden spoon, gently turn the pasta or cover the pot with a lid and gently toss the pasta to coat the pasta in the egg sauce. Continue to stir/toss the pasta while moving it on and off the hot burner until the pasta looks glossy and there isn't much runny egg mixture left on the bottom.
15. Serve immediately in the pre-warmed bowls we set up at the beginning, garnish with some extra Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

Something Asian instead:

Tonkatsu 

Sundried Tomato Sausages

Sundried Tomato Sausages

Ingredients:

• About 2 Kilograms Ground meat, I used a combination of sirloin tip, pork chops and pork belly.
• 3+ Tablespoons Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Pepper
• About 3-4 Tablespoons Tomato paste
• About 1/2 Cup chopped Basil
• About 1/2 Cup chopped Oregano
• About 1/2 Cup chopped Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons dried flaked onion
• 100-150 Grams sundried tomatoes in oil
• 3-4 Cloves Garlic

Instructions:

1. In a small food processor bowl fitted with the blade attachment, add the salt, pepper, basil leaves, oregano leaves, parsley leaves, flaked onion, garlic cloves and sundried tomatoes. 
2. Pulse until well chopped and is an even paste like texture.
3. Cube and then Grind the meat as needed according to your sausage maker's instructions.
4.  Prepare the sausage casings according to their instructions as well.
5. Add the tomato paste and the herb mixture to the ground meat and evenly mix with your hands.
6. Run the meat mixture through the sausage maker, trying to stuff evenly. I found it helped to knot the end and fill slowly.
7. Twist into sausage shapes as long as desired and let chill in fridge over night to help set the sausage shape. Then freeze or cook.

Enjoy!

Chinese BBQ Pork

Yet another future-husband approved at home Chinese recipe!

Chinese BBQ Pork

Ingredients:

• 1 Pork loin
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic
• 2-3 Tablespoons Rice vinegar, or white wine
• 2-3 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
• 2-3 Tablespoons Ketchup
• 2-3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1-2 Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar or Mirin
• 2-3 Tablespoons Chinese Five Spice

Instructions:

1. Peal and finely mince the cloves of garlic and smash them slightly with a spoon in a medium sized stainless steel or glass bowl.
2. To make the marinade, measure out the rice vinegar/wine, Hosin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, honey, and sugar/mirin, add them to the bowl with the garlic and mix well. 
3. Stir in about 1-2 Teaspoons of the Chinese Five Spice blend.
4. Season the pork tenderloin with salt, pepper and the remaining Chinese Five spice blend all over. 
5. Add the pork loin to the marinade and turn to coat.
6.  Cover and let the pork marinade for about 3 hours, turning occasionally to ensure the flavors penetrate evenly.
7. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
8. Remove the Pork loin from the marinade and place in a shallow baking dish. 
9. Hold on to the marinade for the moment. 
10. Place another shallow pan filled with about an inch of water on the lower rack in the oven. 
11. Roast the pork loin above the water bath. The water bath in the oven helps keep it humid in the oven so the delicate pork loin wont dry out. 
12. Roast the pork for about 15 minutes, glaze the pork loin with a bit more of the reserved marinade and return to oven and continue to roast until the pork is cooked through, about another 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the pork loin. Use a meat thermometer my friends, food poisoning isn't pretty.
13. Let the pork rest for about 15 minutes after it has cooked under a tin foil tent. 
14. To serve slice thinly against the grain of the meat, and serve with rice and maybe some dumplings if you have them!

Enjoy!

Notes:

The original recipe I used for this suggested adding some red food coloring if you want the pork to look more like the take out variety. But I don't like to add colors if I don't really have to, this recipe has great flavor and almost looks just like the take out version from our local Chinese take out place.

Snowed in All Day Ribs

Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients:

• 2-4 Small Ribs
• 1 1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce
• 2-4 Tablespoons Seasonings
• Honey
• 1 Onion
• 3 Cloves Garlic

OR use this Recipe for a nice Korean BBQ Sauce

Instructions:

1. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and any herbs or spices that you wish to use. Lightly drizzle some honey over the ribs as well.
2. Coarsely chop the onion and garlic cloves. 
3. Arrange the ribs on their sides (exposed bone end down if possible) inside the insert of the slow cooker. 
4. Toss the onions and garlic in between the rib racks. 
5. Pour about 1 cup of BBQ sauce all over the ribs and use a silicone brush to distribute the sauce evenly. 
6. Turn the slow cooker on low heat and leave it alone for about 6-8 hours.
7. After 6-8 hours, the ribs should be fall off the bone tender but not perfect.
8. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, and lightly mist with cooking spray. 
9. Transfer the ribs from the slow cooker insert to the baking sheet. 
10. Spread the remaining BBQ sauce over the tops of the ribs and broil for between 3-10 minutes, or until the freshly added BBQ sauce begins to bubble and cook under the broiler. 
11. Remove ribs from oven, let sit about 2 minutes and serve.

Goes great with Roasted Corn!

Enjoy!

Notes:

Ribs aren't my favorite food, I get a little OCD over my need to wash any any stickiness from my hands so saucy rich ribs are a bit of a nightmare for me to eat. However like a true man, my man friend of choice loves ribs maybe almost as much as he loves me. So I wont lie, I have tried ribs in the past and various methods but my ribs never ever got as lovely as they did with this recipe. I might not be the biggest rib fan, but this recipe was almost enough to convert me to a lover. Also when I made mine I accidentally dumped about four tablespoons of marjoram on my ribs, and just kind of went with it and the marjoram went really well with my sweet chicken and rib BBQ sauce. So be brave! Be bold! And when you are trapped all day at home, why not crack out the slow cooker and make some drool worthy, fall of the bone tender ribs.

Apple and Sage Pork Meatballs

Recipe for Tart Apple Sauce

Apple and Sage Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 Egg
• 1 Apple, I like Granny Smith, or Golden delicious for this recipe
• 1 small Onion
• 1-2 Cup Fresh Bread Crumb
• 1 Pound Ground Pork
• About 6-8 Fresh Sage leaves, or 3 Tablespoons dried
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 2-3 Teaspoons Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1 Teaspoon Allspice

Instructions:

1. Allow the ground pork to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. 
2. Place the pork in a large stainless steel bowl.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F
4. Finely chop the apple and the onion. Add the chopped onion and apple to the pork. Mix gently just to incorporate the two.
5. Season the mixture with the salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice. Finely chop the sage and also add it to the bowl. Stir gently to mix.
6. Lightly beat the egg and add it along with about 1 cup of bread crumbs. Using your hands combine everything together. 
7. If the mixture is too wet and not forming balls well, then add about 1/4 cup more bread crumbs at a time until the texture is right.
8. Form the mixture into about 1 inch in diameter balls, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
9. Bake the meatballs for about 20 minutes and check to see if they are cooked. 
10. Once cooked through remove from oven and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Found this lovely little recipe hiding in one of my old hand written cookbooks. I remember making them several times and loving them, and then I apparently must have forgotten about them. Must be trying out too many new foods lately to get bored and search through my personal archives for things to try and pull together for supper.

Also, I am in the full swing of Christmas; house has been cleaned from top to bottom, tree is up and decorations are all around. I have most of my shopping done but that still leaves me with about one hundred woman hours of crafting work to be done. So my cooking might take a turn for tried and tested favorites and less new and exciting things. But oh well, tis the season to get nostalgic for home and comfort foods you know and love!

So these are a simple little recipe that gives a big reward in flavor at the end. The onion and apple in the meat mixture help prevent the meatballs from drying out, and the reasonable low cooking temperature also helps keep moist and delicious. I usually serve these plain without any sauce, but they are excellent with some apple sauce or honey. They are also great because they can go well with almost any side from potatoes any way you want them, buttered egg noodles, rice, salads or even just alone for an appetizer or as a party snack with tooth picks so your guests can eat them easily. You can also totally freeze these and reheat them later.

Ps. The first step in this recipe is to let the pork stand at room temperature for a bit, that is because I find the ground meat is too cold to work with happily if it goes straight from the fridge.