pork – Page 2 – Fun Foodie Family

Spiced Rubbed Bacon Wrapped Brown Sugar Pork Loin

Epic dinner tonight, ya’ll! Well the title of this post pretty much sums it all. I found this End Boneless Pork Loin on sale and bought it figuring there was something I could do with it. I searched the Internet and my cookbooks and came up with this concoction. There is a little thing I have about pork. I am so scared of overcooking it. I actually would rather undercook it and then throw it back on the grill/oven/stove if needed. There is almost nothing sadder than overcooked protein. People are SO scared of undercooking that they go the opposite.

Have no fear! A cooking thermometer is here! I am still trying to get used to these devices. Digital is best, but just a regular one is fine to. Stick it in at an angle at the thickest part of your meat. I always want to stick it in straight, and that is a mistake. You want to make sure it goes through the entire thick part of the meat, just not straight to the bottom. You will not get a clear reading.

So here is my recipe for an amazing dinner. I served with mashed potatoes and peas. So good! I hope you give this recipe a try!

Spiced Rubbed Bacon Wrapped Brown Sugar Pork Loin

Ingredients and Directions

Pork Loin Roast

Spice Rub- 1 heaping teaspoon of chili powder, paprika, and cumin- 1/2 teaspoon each dried herb; oregano, thyme, marjoram, etc. use what you have. Add plenty of salt and pepper. Seasoning is a must, this is you chance for all the flavors to seep into the meat. Do not skimp. Spread on your pork.

Bacon- enough to cover the pork- I used about 8 pieces.

Roast in oven for about 25 minutes or until 115 degrees. Take out and add your glaze.
Brown Sugar Glaze- 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard powder, 1 1/2 tablespoon honey. Use a pastry brush to slather all over your pork.

Put back in the oven until it reaches 135. Take out and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Should be about 145-150. Perfection for pork. In general, you would cook pork 20-30 per pound of pork. Mine was a smallish boneless loin, so it took about just under an hour.

Potato Chip Crusted Pork Chops

Pork

You guys… for real… this was so delicious! The next time you do a breading of either chicken or pork cutlets, skip the bread crumbs and go straight for the bag of chips. This was so fast and easy…
Step 1- Find some chips- here are the ones I used…

Step 2- Salt and pepper both sides of your pork chops- bone in is best- they have more flavor

Step 3- Make your breading station- flour, 2 eggs whisked, and your potato chips, crushed- no need to salt and pepper…lots of seasoning in the chips and already seasoned pork

Step 4- Heat 2 skillets (I used cast iron) with enough bacon fat/veg.oil to cover the bottom (I used both)

Step 5- Coat each pork chop in this order- flour, egg, chips…When your oil ripples, it is ready. Fry each side until brown. I would say about 8 minutes or so on each side. If you are wondering about time, 145 is your go to time. The USDA recommends that pork be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The federal agency says it is lowering the recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160 degrees to 145 degrees and adding a 3-minute rest time.

I never really measure, I just go by color…red is bad, light pink to clear white is fine. Any more is going to be DRY! If it is too red once you cut in to it, just put it back in the oil for a few minutes. Make sure you let it rest for at least 10 minutes. Tent it…It will continue cooking for a bit outside the pan.

Crunchy and tender. Perfectly cooked. Those chips really help seal in the moisture. I wasn’t really sure how this would turn out, but it was so worth the gamble!

Ultimate Potato Salad

Crockpot /Make Ahead Meals, Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Pork, Sandwiches, Side dishes...veggies

Today has been a great day! The girls spent the night at my parents, so I got to sleep in a while. After I woke up, I put a pork shoulder in the crock pot to have for BBQ sandwiches. I went for a leisurely stroll through the farmer’s market with a nice iced coffee, had a nice long walk with my dog in the neighborhood, and read a few magazines, where I came up with the idea to make this potato salad. I made it and put it in the fridge until dinner. Then everyone came home and we spent the afternoon at the pool.

Ultimate Potato Salad

5 medium potatoes, boiled for about 25 minutes until tender, cut up in bite sized pieces
4 boiled eggs, cooled and sliced or chopped
about 1/4 of mayo
about 1/4 cup of honey mustard (I made mine- Add 3 tablespoons of stone ground mustard, a few squeezes of honey, and about 1/2 cup or so of olive oil in a Bell jar and shake it up. I just added a pinch of salt and pepper.)
1 cup or more of shredded cheese- I used a combo of cheddar/colby, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
6 pieces of bacon, chopped

I added the potatoes and eggs in a large bowl. I added the mayo and honey mustard and carefully folded in to the bowl. If it looks too dry, just add more mayo and honey mustard. Then I topped with cheese and bacon. Cover with wrap and refrigerate. This was a big hit at the table. Plates were cleaned!

Here is my recipe for easy crock pot pulled pork…
https://funfoodiefamily.com/2014/03/04/easy-crock-pot-pulled-pork/

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.

“Chilaquiles”

Breakfast and Brunch, Eggs, Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Mexican, Pork, Soups

Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish that typically contains green salsa (tomatillo), red salsa (tomato) or mole sauce that is poured over crisp tortilla triangles, called totopos. The mixture is simmered until the tortilla starts softening. Because this was mainly a dish to use leftover tortillas and salsa, sometimes leftover meat is added to the mix. Most recipes garnish it with sour cream or crema, shredded queso fresco, raw onion rings and avocado slices. Since chilaquiles is mostly considered a breakfast/brunch dish, it is usually topped with eggs.

I have read lots of different recipes on this and I believe that this is one of those things that some regions and families just make and hold true for themselves. Mexican dishes, regional and family variations are quite common.

My husband grew up eating this recipe that his mom made and called Chilaquiles. They are not from Mexico… I would consider this more of a pork soup, so technically, this is not a true chilaquiles… but don’t tell them that I said that =)

“Chilaquiles”

1 pork butt (this would work well for chicken) heavily seasoned with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Add a couple of cups of beef or pork stock. Cook all day in a crock pot on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Brown a diced onion and a few cloves of crushed and minced garlic in a large dutch oven.
Add your shredded pork/chicken.
Add one large can of diced tomatoes.
Add 4 small cans of diced green chilies
Add a few shakes of Worcestershire Sauce
Mix in more stock to your desired consistency.
Add in tortilla chips, leftover tortillas, or corn chips
Top with cheese, sour cream, avocado/guacamole, and possibly a nice runny egg for breakfast/brunch

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