Pork

A couple of friends came to visit yesterday, and I was able to fire up the grill for the first time in our new house.  (More on the move to come, once the place is fully unpacked and isn’t such a disaster area)

This recipe was adapted from one found on Tide & Thyme.

You’ll need:

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 tbs fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• black pepper, to taste
• ~2 lbs pork tenderloin

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the pork.  Rub the marinade all over the pork tenderloin.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes – 4 hours, until ready to grill.

Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire on your charcoal grill or preheat your gas grill to medium-high. Grill for 15-20 minutes, turning so all sides get browned, or until a meat thermometer reads at least 155 degrees F.

Transfer the meat to a serving platter, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Then slice into that bad boy and eat!

Everyone loves a good crock pot recipe, amirite?  Here’s another easy, tasty one that will make your life easier on days when you just really don’t feel like/have the time to cook.

This recipe came from Your Homebased Mom.

You’ll need:

• 2 lbs pork tenderloin (I used one that was like 4 lbs, and this amount of sauce was fine)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbs real maple syrup
• 4 tbs Dijon mustard
• 2 tbs honey
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbs cornstarch
• 1 tbs cold water

Put the pork in a slow cooker.  Salt and pepper the meat.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, maple syrup, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and thyme.  Mix well.  Pour over the pork, turning to coat.

Cook on low 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours.

Once it’s done, remove the pork from the crock pot and cover with foil.  Put the juices in a small sauce pan and simmer 8-10 minutes.  Combine the cornstarch and water.  Add this to the simmering juices and whisk, cooking for a minute or so longer.

Pour the thickened juices over the pork.  Shred a bit and enjoy!

My husband and I, along with a group of friends, recently spent a long weekend at a cabin in West Virginia.  We had such a good time that we’re already talking about staying there again next year.  Our time was spent catching up with one another, walking around in the woods, feeding some nearly-tame deer, and doing a lot of eating and drinking (of course).  I made these sandwiches for the group for lunch one day.  I just wanted to share a few pictures from the trip with you, too.  It was really beautiful there.

They came right up to our cabin!  We even had the doe eating out of our hands a few times.

So, this may not be news to some of you, and I didn’t initially realize this but apparently ham barbecue sandwiches are a regional thing!  It first occurred to me when a friend from South Carolina had no idea what I was talking about when I offered her one.  If you aren’t from the Western PA/Ohio/etc. area, and have never heard of them, please give ham barbecues a try!  They’re great at a picnic.

I got this recipe from my Grammy, who will often make these for family gatherings, especially in the summertime.

You’ll need:

• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
• 1 bottle ketchup
• 1 bottle’s worth of water*
• Chipped ham**, as much as desired
• Sandwich buns

Sautee the onion in the butter until the onions are translucent.  Add the brown sugar and vinegar and saute for 3 more minutes.

Add the ketchup and water.  Stir to combine.  Heat through, 5-10 minutes.  Add the chipped ham.

I typically put the ham and sauce into a slow cooker and keep it warm that way.   It’s particularly convenient if you’re feeding a crowd, or if you’re serving them at a cookout/picnic.

To serve, add as much ham and sauce to a sandwich bun as you’d like.  Enjoy!

*You can always stretch the sauce by thinning it with more water

**For those of you outside of Western PA, just ask for ham that is sliced or shaved very thinly.

I’ve been pretty absent lately.  I’ve probably said this before, and I know I’ll say it again: things are really ramping up at school.  My workload is inversely proportional to my level of activity on my blog.  Sorry!  Hopefully this amazing recipe will help to make up for my lack of activity.  I won’t beat around the bush now, though.  Let’s get to the noms!


This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, by Ree Drummond.


You’ll need:


1 5-7 lb pork shoulder
1 onion, quartered
1 tbs chili powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1-2 tbs salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs white wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)


Begin by preheating your oven to 300 degrees F.  Combine all of the ingredients (minus the pork) in a food processor.  Pulse until everything is totally combined.  


Pour that mixture over the pork.  Rub it into the meat, making sure that you get into all of the nooks and crannies.  Place the pork in a roasting pan or Dutch oven.  Add 2 cups of water.  Next time I’ll try adding some beer, too.  I figure that could only improve the flavor.  Cover and roast for 6-7 hours.  Turn the meat over once every hour.


After the 6-7 hours, test to see if the meat is fork tender.  I’d also recommend breaking out your meat thermometer and making sure it has come up to 160 degrees F.  I’m pretty sure there’s no way it wouldn’t have by this point.  .


Leave the meat uncovered, and turn the heat up to 425 degrees F, roasting at this temperature for about 20 minutes.  Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.


Shred the meat (you can use two forks for this).  If you’ve moved the meat to a serving platter or other vessel, make sure to pour the pan juices down over the top of the meat.

This is definitely something that needs to be done on a weekend, or a day when you can work from home, since it requires turning every hour.  But don’t let that stop you.  The results are so worth it.  Enjoy!!

I am not entirely sure of this recipe’s origins.  I got it from my mom, who makes it every New Year’s Day.  I do the same now, but also make it at other times of the year.  It’s particularly good when the weather is at least a little chilly, since it’s pretty hearty.  Don’t let the weather limit you, though!  One year Sean requested that we have it for Easter dinner when we were spending the holiday here in Maryland alone.  This makes a lot of food and is really intended to be eaten with a group.  It also freezes pretty well, too!  So don’t feel obligated to only eat it when you have an army to feed 😉


You’ll need:


2 lbs kielbasa, cut into large pieces
1 small pork roast (1 – 1 1/2 lbs)
2 large cans sauerkraut, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 tbs caraway seeds, or to taste
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup monterrey jack cheese, shredded


This first part is optional.  I just like to give my pork roast a little head start before putting it in the crock pot.  It cuts down on the overall cooking time (which believe me, you’ll be happy about later when you smell the awesomeness emanating from your crock pot).  Plus, I’m a little paranoid about underdone meat.  Don’t ask why; I don’t really have a good reason.  Heat a large skillet with a little vegetable oil on medium high.  Sear the pork on all sides.  I then like to cut the roast up into a few big pieces.  Set the pork aside for a second.


Alternately, if you’re not a crazy trichinosis-fearing person like me, you can just cut your pork into a few big hunks and bury it in the other ingredients once you get them in the crock pot.


Combine the cream of celery soup, brown sugar, and sauerkraut in a crock pot (I used the 6 qt. insert).  Stir in the onion, caraway seeds, and kielbasa.  Nestle your pork down in the mixture, too.


Cover and cook on low for ~6 hours.  You can always jack it up to high for the first hour or so to speed things up if you’re impatient like me.  Either way, check that pork with a thermometer before serving!  It should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.  It will likely be falling apart after 6 hours, which is exactly what you want to see.  


Right before serving, stir in the 1 cup of jack cheese until it melts.  Dig on in!  I like to eat the kielbasa and pork, along with a little sauerkraut on a nice crusty bun, and then serve some mashed potatoes (no gravy, please) on the side.  Make sure to mix some sauerkraut into those potatoes, while you’re at it.  You won’t regret it.