Succulent Braised Pork

We like to watch The Next Foodnetwork Star and this recipe came from the winner this past season. I have never braised anything before and this was so easy. The pork came out very tender and because it calls for pork shoulder it was very inexpensive. I also made her black bean recipe and it was very good served with the pork.

Succulent Braised Pork
courtesy Melissa D'Arabian

2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 6 large chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine (you can use a cup of water instead of the red wine)
1 1/2 cups beef stock or broth
1 bunch parsley stems, tied with string
2 bay leaves
1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and working in batches brown the meat on all sides until a golden crust forms. Transfer the pork to a plate. To the pan add the onion, celery, and carrot and sweat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes to cook off the raw flavor and caramelize it. Sprinkle with the flour and cook another 2 minutes to cook off its raw flavor. Whisk in the wine and reduce it by half. Return the pork to the Dutch oven, then stir in the beef stock, parsley stems, and bay leaves. Add the water if liquid does not come up to the top of the pork. Do not cover the pork with liquid. Cover the pan and place it in the oven to braise until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Slow Cooked Pork Roast

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I initially made the pork to put in enchiladas. They were good, but the pork on it's own is so good, we felt that the enchilada sauce covered it up. So we used the left over pork for sandwiches and put a little BBQ sauce on it. They were wonderful. I think the pork would also be really good on rice or as pork tacos. We will be trying those options the next time I make this.

Slow Cooked Pork Roast
adapted from Everyday Insanity

Pork shoulder roast
salt
pepper
cumin
dried oregano
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small can diced green chilies

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy pan. Season pork shoulder with salt, pepper, cumin, and dried oregano. Brown the roast on all sides. Add the chicken broth, cilantro, garlic and chilies. Bake covered at 200 degrees for 5-6 hours. Turn the roast half way through. Roast is done when meat is tender and shreds easily.

Remove pork from pan and shred. Drain the drippings, remove fat, discard. Drizzle drippings over shredded pork. At this point the meat can be made into a sandwich or used for enchiladas, tostadas etc. It can also be frozen in 1 or 2 cup portions.

Crunchy Pork Chops

I tried this recipe awhile ago and liked it, but my pork was a little tough. I wasn't able to follow the instructions exactly because I didn't have a thermometer. This time I made it and had a thermometer and the pork was great! My husband kept talking about how much he liked it and was excited when we had leftovers for the next day. The topping wasn't as crunchy the 2nd day. They were definitly better right out of the oven.

Crunchy Pork Chops
courtesy The America's Test Kitchen

1 (5-ounce) box plain Melba toasts, broken into rough pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp sugar
6 Tbsp mayonnaise
4 boneless rib pork chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the Melba toasts, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, and sugar in a zipper-lock bag. Seal the bag and pound to coarse crumb, leaving some crumbs the size of small pebbles.
Add 2 Tbsp of the mayonnaise to the bag and work the mayonnaise into the crumb mixture. Transfer the Melba crumb mixture to a large plate,
Working with one chop at a time, coat with 1 Tbsp mayonnaise using your fingers, then coat thoroughly with the crumb mixture. Press on the breadcrumbs to make sure they stick, then lay the chop on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. (I sprayed the wire rack with Pam).
Bake the pork on the wire rack until the coating is golden brown and the center of the chop registers 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 16-22 minutes. (Mine took a little longer). Transfer the chops to a clean plate and let rest until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145-150 degrees before serving, 5 to 10 minutes.

"Cafe Rio" Style Pork

This recipe comes from my friend Heidi Maxfield. Being so far from Cafe Rio - we love making this recipe so we feel like we get a little taste of it from time to time until we can go home and get our real fix!

1 lb pork roast or loin
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 Cups brown sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cilantro, chopped
1 can Coke
1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine tomato sauce, brown sugar, cilantro, coke and garlic. Pour over top of pork in crockpot. Cook on high 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours. When pork is cooked, remove from crock pot and shred. Put back in sauce. Serve in burritos, enchiladas or in a salad. Once again Brad's favorite is pork nachos.
Also serve with Mexican Lime Rice -

Chile Verde

Recipe Courtesy Sisters Cafe
For Christmas Brad's mom gave me a Cast Iron Pot that I was excited to use. I decided this would be a great recipe to try it out on. The pork was great - it was very moist and tender.



3 pounds pork roast, fat removed as much as possible (*If using a roast any larger than 3 lbs, I always double the remaining ingredients)
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 10oz can green enchilada sauce
1 4oz can diced green chilis
1 14oz can diced tomatoes with chilis
2 chicken bouillon cubes
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp pepper

In a large heavy pot, over medium heat, brown meat, then add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes. You can either stir in the rest of the ingredients if you are using a cast iron pot or you can place the meat and onion along with all other ingredients in a crockpot. In the crockpot cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. I cooked mine in the cast iron pot at 250 degrees for about 5-6 hours or you could cook at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours. When the meat is cooked, remove from pot and shred. Then put back in and mix with the juices. Serve with warm tortillas, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, diced tomatoes, lettuce and anything else that sounds good.

The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs
recipe courtesy America's Test Kitchen

2 slices high-quality white sandwich bread
1/3 cup buttermilk
3/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 large egg yolk
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
4 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
1 pound spaghetti

Remove and discard the crusts from the bread, then tear the bread into small pieces. Mash the bread pieces and buttermilk to a smooth paste in a large bowl, using a fork.
Add the beef, pork, Parmesan, parsley, yolk, garlic, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper to the mashed bread. Stir the mixture gently until combined and uniform. Form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch round meatballs (about 12 meatballs).
Pour the oil into a skillet until it measures a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a paper-towel-lined plate and discard the oil left in the skillet.
Place the skillet with any browned bits over medium heat and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce the heat to low and add the meatballs. Continue to simmer, turning the meatballs occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
While the meatballs are simmering, add 1 tbsp salt and the spaghetti to boiling water. Cook, stirring often, until the spaghetti tastes almost tender but is still firm to the bite.
Top the pasta with the spaghetti and meatballs and enjoy!

Mexican Lime Rice

This recipe is courtesy of Summer Perrero

3/4 cup Jasmine Rice
1 cup chicken broth
1 chicken bullion cube
1 tsp cilantro
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
2-3 tsp lime juice

Cook rice as instructed on the package with above ingredients.

I serve this with "Cafe Rio" sweet pork

Simple and Meaty Skillet Lasagna

courtesy My Kitchen Cafe



I really like lasagna, but don't make it much because it can be a lot of work, and the last time I made it it was dry. This recipe is so nice because it is all in one pot, is really easy, and is moist and delicious. I have made manicotti where the noodles weren't cooked first and it didn't turn out how I wanted it, so I was a little weary of this dish, but the noodles cooked perfectly. My husband requested that this recipe be put on our go to recipes - which means any time I am menu planning and need some ideas from him, this is what he wants me to make.


3 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (these do not add spice - just flavor!)
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
12 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 1 inch lengths
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (do not use fat-free)

Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a blender or food processor until they are coarsely ground and no large pieces remain.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking apart the meat, until it is lightly browned and no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.

Scatter the broken lasagna noodles over the meat and then pour in the ground tomatoes and tomato sauce over the pasta. Stir in the basil and oregano. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in half the mozzarella and half of the parmesan. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and let stand off the heat until the cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve.

Cafe Rio Chicken

recipe courtesy Jamiel Bailey

I have to admit I have never tried the Cafe Rio chicken because I love their pork - but this is a really good chicken recipe.

5 lbs chicken breast (boneless, skinless)

1 sm bottle Zesty Italian Dressing

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

3 cloves garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together in large crock pot. Cook on high for 5 to 7 hrs. (Jamiel cubes the chicken while barely frozen and then cooks it or you can shred it after it has cooked) Keep chicken in juice to keep moist and warm.

Lime Rice

This recipe is courtesy Jamiel Bailey.

This is my cousins copy cat recipe of Cafe Rio's lime rice. I had a rice I used to make when I did my Cafe Rio pork, but this recipe has replaced it. It is really good.




In pan sauté:

2 Tbsp butter, 1 yellow onion, chopped, and 4 cloves garlic, minced.

Add:

6 2/3 c. water
8 tsp. chicken bouillon
½ bunch cilantro, chopped well
2 tsp. cumin
2 sm can diced green chilies
1 Tbsp lime juice
½ tsp salt
3 c. long grain rice

Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes