Pork and Green Bean Stir Fry

 Apricot jam adds a touch of sweetness to this quick and easy stir fry dinner.

Ingredients

1/4 cup apricot jam

2 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

2 tsp. chili-garlic sauce

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 Tablespoons avocado oil

12 ounces green beans trimmed

1/2 red pepper, sliced thin

1/4 cup sliced scallions

2 Tablespoons  toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Whisk jam, soy sauce and chili-garlic sauce in small bowl.

Toss pork with cornstarch until no cornstarch remains at the bottom of the bowl.

Add green beans to boiling water and cook until crisp tender.

Heat oil in cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 - 8 minutes. Stir in green beans and red pepper and continue to cook, stirring often, until beans are cooked. Add jam mixture and cooking, stirring for 30 seconds to one minute or until all is well coated.  Remove from heat. Add scallions and sesame seeds. Toss to combine.

Serve over rice.

Pumpkin Harvest Chili

What could be more perfect for a fall dinner?  Pumpkin, chili and beer. This recipe from Simply Recipes combines it all in one hearty dish.

Ingredients

1-pound pie pumpkin (It is important to use a pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin and not a jack o'lantern pumpkin for this recipe)
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, diced
2 or more (if you like it spicy) jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed and finely diced
4 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound ground pork
2 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (12 ounce) bottle of pumpkin beer.
Your favorite chili toppings such as grated cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips.

Instructions

Peel the skin from the pumpkin with a potato peeler. Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and interior pumpkin "goo".  Cut away the stem. Cut the prepared pumpkin into small bite size pieces.

Heat oil in large pot. Add pumpkin, onion, garlic, jalapenos, chili power, cumin, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the ground pork and continue to cook, breaking up the pork as it cooks, until the meat is cooked thoroughly.

Add black beans, diced tomatoes, beer and 1 more teaspoon salt to the pot.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Serve with your favorite toppings.
The flavor of this chili improves overnight.
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pork Tenderloin with Figs and Olives

This might be my new all time favorite recipe from the Simply Recipes blog.

Ingredients

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 Tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon caper juice
3/4 cup California green ripe olives, pitted and drained, halved
6 dried figs, quartered
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 cup white wine
2 Tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

Combine red wine vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved.
Add minced garlic, oregano, pepper, capers, caper juice, figs, olives and bay leaves.  Stir to combine.
Cut pork tenderloin in half crosswise. Place in plastic freezer bags. Pour marinade over top and coat well. Chill for 2 - 24 hours. The longer, the better.

Remove the tenderloins from the marinade, wiping off any excess. Reserve the marinade.
Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in large saute pan on high heat. Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels. Place in hot pan and sear on all sides until nicely browned. Remove from pan and place in a baking dish.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour half cup of white wine into skillet to deglaze. Scrape up any browned bits. Add the marinade to the pan with the wine and bring to a full boil.
Pour the marinade over the pork. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoon brown sugar.
Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Slice the pork. Serve with pan sauce.

Pork Tenderloin with Fig and Mushroom Sauce

Figs are one of my very favorite foods and here in Colorado, we rarely see fresh figs. So, we have to make do with dried figs. Still, they add a depth of flavor of any dish. In this recipe, they blend well with the flavor of porcini and shitake mushrooms.

Ingredients

1/2 ounce dry porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, wiped clean and tough stems removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat and silver skin - about 1.5 pounds
1 large shallot
1 cup red wine
3 dried figs, stemmed and chopped
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

Place porcini mushrooms in bowl and pour boiling broth over them. Let stand to soften, about 30 minutes.
Line a strainer with a coffee filter or cheesecloth and strain the  mushroom liquid through the filter and into a bowl or measuring cup. Squeeze mushrooms to extract any excess liquid.
Rinse the reconstituted mushrooms with cool water to remove any grit. Pat dry with paper towels. Finely chop.

In large skillet, heat one Tablespoon of olive oil and one Tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. Season pork on all sides with salt and pepper. Place pork in pan and brown on all sides - about 3 - 4 minutes per side.
Place pork in baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees while preparing the sauce.
Heat 1/2 Tablespoon of oil and butter in medium skillet. Add shitake mushrooms and cook until they release their juices and are tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat remaining half Tablespoon of oil and half Tablespoon of butter in small saucepan. Add shallot and cooked until softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine and reserved mushroom liquid and chopped figs. Bring to boil and reduce by half. Add wine reduction to skillet used to cook pork.  Bring to boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in thyme.
Add chopped porcini mushrooms. Remove pan from heat and swirl in final one Tablespoon of butter.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cut pork into 1-inch thick slices. Return them to the pan with sauce to heat through. Divide pork among dinner plates. Spoon fig and mushroom sauce on top of the medallions. Top each with a spoonful of mushrooms.

This dish is excellent with baked sweet potatoes.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 racks baby back ribs

Instructions

Make sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients in medium saucepan over medium heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for 45 - 60 minutes, or until sauce is thick.
This can be made ahead and refrigerated.

On the morning that you plan to serve the ribs, prepare the ribs.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Remove the membrane from the ribs. Brush the entire surface of the ribs with some of the sauce. Wrap each rack tightly in aluminum foil. Arrange packets on baking sheet with foil seam facing up.
Bake for 2 - 2.5 hours or until meat on the ribs has pulled away from the cut end of the bone by about 1/2 inch. Remove from oven.
Preheat the grill to medium heat. Remove ribs from foil. Grill them on the barbeque for 4 - 8 minutes per side or until the surface of the rib is starting to char.
Brush sauce over both sides of the ribs a few  minutes before you remove from the grill.
Be sure not to brush sauce on  them too soon or it will burn.
Serve ribs with extra sauce.

Asian Pork Stir Fry

Stir fry meals are quick to put together and tasty to eat. This is one of my favorites.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons sherry
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
3 green onions
3 large carrots
1 yellow squash
1/2 pound mushrooms
1/4 pound pea pods
2 Tablespoons oil
White or brown rice

Instructions

In medium bowl, combine sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch and ginger.
Cut pork crosswise until thin diagonal slices. Cut green onions into thin short pieces. Add pork and green onions to soy sauce mixture.
Peel carrots and cut into thin diagonal pieces or match-stick thin pieces. Cut yellow squash into thin slices or match-stick pieces. Slice mushrooms.
In wok or skillet, add 1 Tablespoon oil. When skillet it hot, add pork and green onion. Cook, tossing, until it is done. Transfer to dish and set aside. Add remaining oil to wok. Add carrots and yellow squash. Stir fry until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and pea pods. Continue to stir fry for several minutes. Add 2 Tablespoons water. Cover and cook vegetables until crisp tender. Return pork to wok and mix with vegetables.
Serve over rice.

Pork Fried Rice in a Flash

Ingredients

2 eggs
8 chopped green onions
1 Tablespoon oil
1 cup cooked diced pork
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
4 cups cooked rice
4 Tablespoon soy sauce

Instructions

Saute green onions in oil in large skillet until softened. Place eggs in small bowl and whisk to combine yolk and white.
Add to skillet and cook until set. Cut eggs into small bite-size pieces.
Add cooked pork, peas and carrots and rice to skillet. Add soy sauce. Stir over low heat until heated through.

Roadhouse Grill Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

2 large racks baby back ribs
Coarse salt and black pepper

For the Sauce:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Worchestshire sauce
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon whiskey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

Instructions

Cut each rack in half, making 8 half-racks. Remove the white sheath on the back side of the ribs, by inserting a knife in the corner and pulling it off. This material will not tenderize while cooking and your ribs will be much more fall-off-the-bone tender if it is removed before cooking.
Sprinkle each half-rack with a generous portion of salt and pepper. Wrap the ribs in foil, place the foil-wrapped ribs on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours.
As the ribs cook, make the sauce by heating the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes or until they start to brown. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, uncovered or until sauce is the right thickness. Set aside until the ribs are ready.
Light the grill and preheat it. Remove the ribs from the oven and all them to rest for about 10 minutes. Then, remove the foil and put the ribs on the grill. Grill ribs for five minutes on each side. Brush sauce on the ribs during the final minutes of cooking and just before you serve them.
Serves 6 - 8 people.

Pork Medallions with Cognac Dijon Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

5 teaspoons butter
1 shallot, finely chopped (about 2 Tablespoons)
1 (4.5 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon oil
3/4 - 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 3/4 inch slices
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Cognac
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup whipping cream

Instructions

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add remaining butter and oil to skillet. Add pork and cook 8 - 10 minutes or until browned and no longer pink. Turn slices 1/2 way through cooking. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from skillet and cover to keep warm.
Gradually add cognac to skillet. Stir in  mustard and cream. Bring to boil. Boil for 1 - 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Add  mushrooms mixture and cook 1 minute more.
To serve, arrange pork slices on plate and top with sauce.

Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce

Ingredients

1.5 pound pork tenderloin
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup seedless blackberry jam
2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
Flour

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse pork and pat dry. Brush with olive oil.
Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and turn to medium-high heat. When pan is hot, brown pork well on all sides, approximately 9 minutes.

Set pan in oven and bake until meat to no longer pink in the center, approximately 45 minutes. Transfer to a platter to keep warm. Place pan with drippings from pork over medium-high heat. Add beef broth, blackberry jam, vinegar and orange peel. Bring to a boil, If sauce is too thin, thicken it with flour.
Slice the pork. Place on place and pour sauce over it.

Teriyaki Pineapple Pork Chops

Ingredients

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounce can pineapple slices
4 center cut boneless pork chops - about 1 inch thick

Instructions

In glass baking dish, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder and juice from canned pineapple slices. Mix well to dissolve sugar. Add pork chops to marinade. Turn to coat all sides of the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.
When ready to grill, drain pork chops and reserve marinade.
Place pork chops on grill and cook for 20 - 30 minutes or until no longer pink inside.
Brush often with marinade. Cook less time if pork chops are thinner.
Place pineapple on grill during last 5 minutes of cooking, turning pineapples once.
To serve, place a pineapple slice on top of each pork chop.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Barbeque Sauce

Ingredients

For the Meat

1 (2 lb) pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon oregano

For the Sauce

1/2 cup blackberry preserves
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/8 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blackberries

Instructions

In small mixing bowl, combine all spices. Sprinkle the pork tenderloin with the spice mixture and rub in the spices. Let the rubbed meat rest for at least one hour in the refrigerator.
Prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until combined.
Prepare grill.
Cook tenderloin, turning once, half way through cooking. When pork is almost done, brush blackberry sauce over the meat.Remove from internal temperature of the meat is 150F for well done.
Slice the tenderloin and serve with remaining blackberry sauce.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 4-lb pork butt or shoulder roast
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup cider vinegar
4 teaspoons Worchestshire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Crusty rolls
Barbecue sauce

Lime-Ginger Mayo (optional topping)
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

Instructions

Rinse pork under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Layer the onions in the bottom of a roasting pan or slow cooker.
In small bowl, combine the brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper,
Mix thoroughly and  rub the mixture all over the pork roast.
Place meat on top of the onions.
In medium bowl, combine vinegar, Worchestshire sauce,  and remaining spices.
Drizzle one-third of the sauce over the roast. Reserve the remaining.
Cover roast. Cook in preheated oven at 275 degrees of 5-6 hours or in crockpot on low for 10-12 hours. Drizzle an additional one-third of the vinegar mixture over the roast during the last 1/2 hour of cooking.
When meat is tender, remove meat and onions from cooker. Drain and allow to cool enough to handle easily. Shred the meat using two forks.
Place shredded meat in large bowl. Mix in final one-third of vinegar mixture.
Add additional prepared barbecue sauce if desired.

Serve on crusty rolls with lime-ginger mayo.

Pork Carnitas

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast (or 2.5 pound bone-in)
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed
1 orange, cut in half
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

Rinse and dry the meat. Salt and pepper liberally. Mix the oregano and cumin with olive oil and rub all over the pork. Place pork in slow cooker and top with onion, garlic and jalapeno. Squeeze the juice of the orange into the crock pot and add the both halves.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Once the meat is tender, remove from the slow cooker and let cool slightly before pulling apart and shredding with two forks.
In large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Press the meat into the pan and fry until crispy on one side.

Serve.

Dr. Pepper Ribs

Love these ribs on a summer day. Serve them with sweet potato fries and coleslaw for a perfect meal.

 Ingredients

2 racks baby back ribs
1 2-liter bottle Dr. Pepper
Salt and Pepper
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 cup water
1/2 Tablespoon canola oil
1/2 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons Worchestshire sauce
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Instructions

Place ribs in large baking dish. Pour enough soda to cover them, saving 1/2 cup for the barbeque sauce. Add 1/4 cup salt to the rib mixture and soak in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350F. Remove the ribs from the liquid. Discard the liquid. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the ribs with chili powder and return to the baking dish. Add one cup water and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 hours or until meat is tender. Allow to cool slightly before grilling.

Meanwhile, make the barbeque sauce. Heat the oil in medium saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add ketchup, Worchestshire sauce, vinegar, cayenne and reserved 1/2 cup of soda. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until sauce thickens.

Heat the grill, Brush ribs with the sauce and grill for 10-15 minutes, bone side down on a cooler part of the grill. Flip over and grill until lightly charred and smoky.  Remove from grill; brush with remaining sauce and serve.

This recipe comes from "Cook This, Not That"