Category: Pork

Pork in Milk

Pork

meal

nutmeg

pork

potatoesLately Sunday has meant braised meat or slow cooking dinners. But spring is around the corner, and there will be no more long braises and comforting heavy meals to warm our bones. On to fresh, light dishes with fresh ingredients from the farmer’s market. Until then, I will be making dishes like these…

Pork in Milk

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 or 2 pork loins
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoons grated whole nutmeg- use the real stuff!!!
2 1/2 cups of whole milk

Directions

Heat your butter and olive oil in a pan over med. high heat
Brown meat on all sides
Add milk and spices Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover but leave lid ajar.
Cook slowly for about 2 hours turning and basting the meat every 15 minutes or so.

When your meat is cooked, the milk should be coagulated into smallish brown bits; Remove the meat. Rest the meat for at least 10 minutes.

Add 2/3 tablespoon warm water to the pot, turn in the heat to high and boil away the water while scraping and loosing all the leftover yummy porky bits. I served it with roasted potatoes and sauteed shaved brussel sprouts.

Leftover Pork Ragu and Orzo

Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Pork

It is another snowy night here in Atlanta! Tonight we had some leftover Pork Ragu that I pulled out of the freezer a few days ago. I added it on top of some buttery orzo. It was very comforting! Stay warm and safe out there! Tomorrow afternoon it is supposed to finally over freezing, so hopefully the ice will melt!

https://funfoodiefamily.com/2013/12/27/pork-ragu-and-cheesy-polenta/

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Bacon Jam

Appetizers and snacks, Pork

There is one thing that makes this former vegan shout out about the yumminess of meat; “Bacon is awesome!” There is no way in hell that I would ever be a vegan again. First of all, vegan cheese sucks ass. There. I said it. So gross! Don’t even get me started on rice milk. Vegetarian dishes have come a long way in the 6 years I have become a meat eater again. I still love tofu, beans, and a yummy bean pattie. Don’t call it a burger; A burger is made of meat. Anyways, vegetarian food can be good.

Enter Bacon Jam. Not just any old bacon jam. Martha Stewart’s bacon jam. I am sure her many food servants came up with this recipe. It is glorious! How can I get on her team? Here is her recipe, and I bow down to her and her team. Do this and be happy. I might only give this to you as a gift from now on…present for your birthday, house warming, host/hostess gift, holiday gift, etc.
Eat it on toast, with eggs, strait on a spoon, etc. This is total food porn, so I won’t judge you with your bacon jam choices. =)

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http://www.marthastewart.com/326881/slow-cooker-bacon-jam

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, diced small
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup brewed coffee

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.

STEP 2
Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.

Pork Ragu and Cheesy Polenta

Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Pork, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

Christmas Eve Dinner was pretty delicious, if I do say so myself! I made pork ragu with a nice big pork butt. I also made Giada’s cheesy polenta recipe. It was pretty spectacular! I had some again for dinner tonight, and I think it would be amazing for breakfast with a runny egg on top, naturally!

I have made the Ragu a few times. Here is one of the recipes I used from before…https://funfoodiefamily.com/2013/09/02/pork-rib-ragu/ I used a pork rib instead of a butt last time. This time I also added a few carrots, celery, and dried herbs to the mix (thyme, marjoram, and oregano). Since I also used a whole bone in butt, I let it cook for a good 6 1/2 hours. This is fool-proof. You can add whatever veggies and combinations of spices and let this baby slow cook all day long. Slow braising meat is one of the easiest and delicious secrets of chefs and home cooks out there!

Here is the Giada’s recipe I used for the Cheesy Polenta
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/cheesy-polenta-recipe/index.html
Ingredients
9 cups water
1 tablespoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
2 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal or polenta
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy pot. Add the salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, and parsley. Stir until the butter and cheese have melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.

If you have never had polenta, it is made from a yellow cornmeal. It is very similar to grits, which are a southern United States dish made of white cornmeal and served with lots of butter and salt at breakfast or as a “shrimp and grits.” In my recipe, I left out the parsley, so my middle girl would eat them. I called them polenta, but also said yellow grits, and she ate them right away. If it had parsley, she probably would be more wary. Grits never have anything green in them.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/cheesy-polenta-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

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