baby back ribs

Ok so technically we cheated, I bought ribs that were already cut up, partly due to price and partly due to convenience.  They were still easy to work with but maybe a bit drier than if we’d cooked a slab instead.  Whatever, they were delish in the end!  Great for a Saturday evening at home.  I served it with chipotle ranch pasta salad (from a box, heh), and grilled corn on the cob.  YUM but you definitely need to floss afterward!  This was our first time making ribs at home and I’m so glad we did!  They are surprisingly easy to make, just messy to eat.

Baby-Back Ribs with Honey-Mustard Glaze (from Real Simple)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 pounds baby-back ribs (2 to 3 racks)
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey

Directions

1. Heat oven to 275° F. Make the rub: In a small bowl, combine the sugar, paprika, dry mustard, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
2. Place the ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Rub the ribs with the spice mixture and tightly cover the baking sheet with foil. Bake until tender and the meat easily pulls away from the bone, 2 to 2 ½ hours.
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, vinegar, and honey. Transfer ½ cup of the sauce into a small bowl for serving.
4. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill the ribs, basting with the remaining sauce and turning occasionally, until just beginning to char, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with the reserved sauce.

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Pulled Pork Sandwiches

God bless my husband, he has been cooking regularly since I went back to grad school and is all about trying new recipes, which is great.  He wanted to make pulled pork sandwiches for the superbowl (we had our own little watch party with the pugs).  He found a recipe, shopped for the ingredients, did all the prep, and then put it in the oven…at 2:30 pm.  Friends, this was an EIGHT POUND PORK SHOULDER.  God love him, but the roast wasn’t done until 10pm.  I ordered a pizza a halftime, I just couldn’t wait any longer!  So we had the pork on Monday night, and froze the many many many many leftovers in little baggies so whenever we are in the mood for a sandwich we can quickly make one.  This recipe was great though, it just takes a long long time to slow roast a pork shoulder in the oven!

Slow Roasted Pulled Pork (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• PORK:
• 2  tablespoons  dark brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon  smoked paprika
• 1  tablespoon  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2  teaspoon  dry mustard
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground chipotle chile pepper
• 1  (5-pound) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed
• Cooking spray
• 2  cups  water, divided
• 1/2  cup  apple cider vinegar
• 1/3  cup  ketchup
• SAUCE:
• 3/4  cup  apple cider vinegar
• 1/2  cup  ketchup
• 3  tablespoons  dark brown sugar
• 2  teaspoons  smoked paprika
• 1  teaspoon  chili powder

Preparation

1. To prepare pork, combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub sugar mixture evenly over pork. Let pork stand at room temperature 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 225°.

3. Place pork on the rack of a roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Pour 1 cup water in bottom of roasting pan. Place rack in pan. Bake at 225° for 1 hour.

4. Combine 1/2 cup vinegar and ketchup in a medium bowl; brush pork with ketchup mixture (do not remove from oven). Bake an additional 3 hours, basting every hour with ketchup mixture.

5. Pour remaining 1 cup water in bottom of roasting pan. Cover pork and pan tightly with foil. Bake an additional 3 3/4 hours or until a thermometer registers 190°. Remove from oven; let stand, covered, 45 minutes.

6. To prepare sauce, combine 3/4 cup vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Boil 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Shred pork with 2 forks. Serve with sauce. Serve shredded pork on hamburger buns with pickle chips, if desired.

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Pork Stir Fry

This was a FABULOUS meal.  Granted pork loin isn’t the cheapest, but if you find it on sale this would be a great alternative way to cook it.  I loved the sauce and how tender the pork was.  This was great over jasmine rice.  We will absolutely be making this again.  We might add more veggies next time too, I’m thinking red pepper and mushrooms would be an excellent addition.

Black Bean Pork and Zucchini Stir Fry (from Cooking Light, seen in their new Way to Cook cookbook)

Ingredients

• PORK:
• 3/4  pound  pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1  tablespoon  Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine), dry sherry, or sake
• 1  tablespoon  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  cornstarch
• SAUCE:
• 1/2  cup  water
• 2  tablespoons  Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine), dry sherry, or sake
• 1  tablespoon  black bean and garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
• 2  teaspoons  cornstarch
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• REMAINING INGREDIENTS:
• 1  pound  zucchini
• 2  tablespoons  canola oil, divided
• 1  tablespoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced green onions
• 3  cups  hot cooked short-grain rice

Preparation

1. To prepare the pork, cut pork crosswise into 3-inch pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices; cut slices into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Combine pork, 1 tablespoon wine, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch; cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. To prepare sauce, combine 1/2 cup water and next 4 ingredients (through salt); set aside.

3. Cut zucchini crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices; cut slices into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

4. Heat a 14-inch wok over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add zucchini and ginger to wok; stir-fry 1 minute or just until crisp-tender. Spoon into a bowl.

5. Add 2 teaspoons oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add half of pork mixture to wok; stir-fry 2 minutes or until browned. Add cooked pork mixture to zucchini mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and remaining pork mixture. Return zucchini mixture to wok. Stir sauce; add sauce to wok. Stir-fry 1 minute or until thickened. Spoon into a serving dish. Sprinkle with onions. Serve over rice.

Approximately 8 WW pts per serving.

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Apple-Stuffed Tenderloin

Tyler has been exploring pork tenderloin recipes in recent months and this was last night’s dinner.  It was less labor intensive than I imagined it would be and so delicious!  It may not look very attractive, but believe me, it was good!

Apple-Stuffed Tenderloin with Praline Mustard Sauce (from Southern Living)

Ingredients

1/4  cup  raisins (we used craisins as we had them on hand)

1/3  cup  bourbon or apple juice

2  (3/4- to 1-pound) pork tenderloins

1  medium-size cooking apple, thinly sliced (we used granny smith)

1  medium onion, thinly sliced

2  to 3 garlic cloves, halved

1  tablespoon  chopped fresh rosemary

1/4  cup  maple syrup

2  tablespoons  dark brown sugar

2  tablespoons  prepared mustard

Preparation

Combine raisins and bourbon in a bowl; let stand 1 hour.

Cut tenderloins lengthwise down center, cutting to but not through bottom. Alternate apple and onion slices down center of each tenderloin. Top slices evenly with raisins, garlic, and rosemary.

Close tenderloins over filling, and tie at 1-inch intervals. Place on sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Stir together syrup, sugar, and mustard; brush half of mixture over tenderloins. Close foil, and fold to seal. Place in a 13- x 9-inch pan.

Bake at 325° for 25 minutes. Open foil, and brush with remaining syrup mixture. Close foil, and bake 20 to 25 more minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion reaches 160°.

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Grill Master (in training)

We purchased our first gas grill earlier this summer and Tyler has been learning the ropes.  Lots of burgers, some chicken, some steak (some burned…), and now pork!  I was not so sure about this recipe when he showed it to me but humored him and it was worth it!  The pork was tasty and the sauce had lots of great flavors that paired well with the pork.  Excuse my sloppy photo, I was quite excited to eat and my couscous was attempting to take over the plate!

Pork Tenderloins with Smoked Paprika Rouille (from Weber’s Way to Grill)

Ingredients:

Rouille
2 medium red bell peppers
2 to 3 small garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain bread crumbs
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Grill the peppers over direct medium heat (350°F to 450°F), with the lid closed as much as possible, until the skins are evenly charred and blistered, 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 3 or 4 minutes. Place the peppers in a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam for 10 to 15 minutes. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the charred skins, stems, and seeds.

2. In a blender or food processor, mince the garlic first, and then add the roasted peppers, salt, and bread crumbs. Add the lemon juice and paprika and, with the motor running, slowly add the oil. Blend until very smooth and orangey-red in color. If rouille is too thick, add about 1 tablespoon of water. Season to taste with more salt, if needed.

3. Trim the tenderloins of any surface fat and silver skin. Lightly brush with oil and season evenly with the salt and pepper. Allow the meat to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.

4. Grill the tenderloins over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the outsides are evenly seared and the centers are barely pink, 15 to 20 minutes, turning about every 5 minutes. The internal temperature of the tenderloins should be 150°F when fully cooked. Cut the pork crosswise into thin slices. Serve warm or at room temperature with the rouille.

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A little bit of Giada

I decided to try a couple of recipes out of one of my new cookbooks, Giada’s Family Dinners
They did not disappoint! In fact it’s one of the better meals we’ve had in a long time, then again I have been living on frozen pizza for what feels like weeks now, so I’m starved for real food

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops
2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces) (I actually used 5 pork chops and didn’t increase anything else, there was plenty of coating for them all)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving
Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet (or 2 medium/large skillets) over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. (After 5 minutes on each side the pork chops were getting browned on the outside but still pink in the middle, so I transferred them to a baking sheet and stuck them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, they still came out juicy, flavorful, and actually cooked all the way though!) Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs
1 tablespoon butter (I used cooking spray instead)
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used 5 big potatoes, not sure how many lbs it was)
1 cup whole milk (I subbed with skim milk!)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted (I think I only used half a stick, figure it won’t kill us as soon)
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (used one of those bags of Kraft Italian cheese blend)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (see above, Italian cheese blend again)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs (used Progresso Italian bread crumbs)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter (or cooking spray!) and set aside.

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return the potatoes to the same pot and mash well. (Note, I transferred it all to my Kitchenaid Mixer instead of doing it by hand) Mix in the milk and melted butter. Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Stir the bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes. Recipe can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead of time; cover and chill.

Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

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