We had some good eating in the last couple weeks before the freezer left, including this deliciously beautiful Fruit Pork Roast. When the freezer's predecessor died, I almost didn’t buy a replacement. But we just couldn’t do without – in less than a week we gathered up the spare change and went shopping for a freezer. This time we decided to list the little chest on Craigslist and buy a new one to fit the new space once we move. The people who bought it were super nice. Her sister and children were moving from Florida to live with them for the summer (and maybe longer) while the brother in law got settled in his new job and found a house in New York where he’d been transferred. I wouldn’t back down on the price (since I had a list of seven more inquiries after theirs), but when it ... [Read More]
pork
THE best Pork Barbecue Sandwich
Introducing Hoggers, THE best barbecue pork sandwiches ever. To get the irony of that statement in our house you have to know: Bytes was allergic to tomatoes. He outgrew the allergy somewhere around eighth grade, but I still don’t use many tomatoes in cooking. Barbecue sauce is not our thing either as the preference here is subtle seasoning for meat. So this recipe came about by pure accident! I was buzzing through the grocery with a short list and, as always, on the lookout for bargains. I noted a cart laden with fresh meat being pushed from the butcher shop. It stopped at the area of the cooler designated for markdowns. I picked up two items on the list between me and the meat section. By the time I got to the counter, a small mob had gathered and the cart pusher had given up ... [Read More]
Elegant Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Elegant Crusted Pork Tenderloin is quick and easy to make and perfect to serve guests. Holiday dinners don’t HAVE to be turkey or ham – especially if you aren’t serving a crowd. This recipe serves 6 (or 4 more generous servings). Be sure to buy the precut small tenderloin. Last time I bought a four pound package, thinking it had two tenderloins of two pounds each. It even looked like two. . . .but it was not. So I doubled the crumb portion of the recipe, got out the trusty really sharp knife and Bytes wandered through at the right time so this could happen: Pat the meat dry so the crumb and oil mixture will stick better. I usually add the seasoning to the crumb mix, but if you rub them directly on the meat instead of adding them to the crumbs the flavor comes through nicely. I make ... [Read More]
Baked Sausage Stuffed Peppers
Baked Sausage Stuffed Peppers are a favorite because the recipe does not have tomato sauce – just the flavors of meat, vegetables and cheese. This recipe is also versatile. It was 11 degrees out the day I made this. No way was I setting myself in that cold car so I used what I had on hand – sausage, Birds Eye Wild Rice (microwave in the bag mix with broccoli and carrots) and Colby Jack cheese. Using sausage eliminates the need for other seasoning, but you can also add your own seasonings to ground beef. For us that would be salt and pepper , maybe a bit of minced garlic. You can see that sausage is a flavor boost for our household! (Sad isn’t it?? I’m working on it!) I’ve not used the wild rice mixture before but the mixture did just fine and we had the benefit of the bits of ... [Read More]
Pork roast, sweet potatoes and fried apples
Pork loin roast, fried apples and sweet potatoes – a classic dinner. It is very simple, calling for only basic cooking skills, but looks fantastic and like you spent hours in the kitchen. My kind of cooking! Start with a crockpot that has been sprayed well with cooking oil or lined with a cooking bag. I put about a half cup of hot water from the superhot tap into the bottom to provide moistness and help heat the crockpot quickly. You can brown the pork loin in a skillet to deepen the flavor, but I often do not take the time. There may be a bit of fat on the loin. Pork has a tendency to be dry so don’t give in to the temptation to trim it because it will add moistness to the meat. Mix together the brown sugar, salt, pepper, mustard with enough orange juice to make a thick paste. ... [Read More]
Wicked Good and Easy Pork Chops
These pork chops are wicked good! My sister in law, Deb, is from New England and was the first person I ever heard say something was wicked good. We tease about her accent – being from the Midwest and all, WE speak with the correct accent. When Wheels and I visited, Deb told us that they would be taking us to a seafood restaurant called Newick’s. I kept looking for Newark’s – compensating for her accent. Guess what? It really did say N E W I C K on the sign. Maybe part of the accent is in the hearer’s ear! These pork chops were a surprise, too. Surprise that I ever tried them because I do not like mustard. Not as in I hate it and it would never cross my lips, but I won’t go out of my way to eat something with mustard in it. Not only did I voluntarily make this – but it has ... [Read More]
