"Smoked" Pulled Pork

Versatile pulled pork with good flavor.  I used bone-in, which typically gives more flavor in the cooking process (and it's cheaper), and the bones easily pulled right out.

• 3 1/2 lbs pork carnitas meat, shoulder or butt roast
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (I used Liquid Aminos)
• 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

1. Quarter the pork and then place pork in bottom of Instant Pot or the slow cooker. Pour all the other ingredients over the top of the pork.
2. For the Instant Pot: Cover and make sure valve is on “sealing.” Set the manual button for 70 minutes. When the time is up let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Release any extra pressure by gently pushing the valve to “venting.” For the Slow Cooker: cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours, or until meat is very tender.
3. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and shred with a fork. It should be ultra tender.  You can also put the meat in a Ktichenaid bowl and use the paddle attachment to quickly shred.
4. Serve meat plain, on sandwiches, in a salad, in a taco or however you want! If you want to add bbq sauce to make it more flavorful you can do that too.

Cinnamon and Chili Pork

 This has been a family favorite for years!  

For the Pork:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin

For the Apple Salsa:

• 2 cups crunchy sweet apples, like Fuji, cored and diced (about 2 medium apples)
• ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice, from about 2 limes
• ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch baking dish with foil and coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk together the 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large shallow bowl or pie plate. Add the pork and turn each piece to coat with the cinnamon mixture.
• In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat another tablespoon or so of olive oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the pork and brown on all sides, 2-3 minutes per side.
• Transfer the browned pork to the prepared baking pan (if your skillet is oven-safe, you can simply pop it into the oven and save having to clean up an extra pan). Bake for 16-18 minutes (more or less) until an instant read thermometer registers 145 degrees in the thickest part of the pork. Cover the pork with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the apple salsa.
• For the apple salsa (this can be prepared while the pork is cooking), combine all the apple salsa ingredients, stirring well to coat the apples with the lime juice and other ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Slow Cooker Pork Posole

 Long after we finished eating, my husband walked by and said, "That posole is a keeper."  That's my cue to record the recipe so I don't forget what I made!  I've used a different posole recipe for years, but decided to try something a bit different and, as Ryan stated, it's a keeper.

• 2 ½ pounds Boneless Country Pork Ribs (or pork butt)
• salt and pepper
• 3 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white or yellow hominy, drained (do not rinse)
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes with juice
• juice of 1 lime

• Trim any visible fat from the pork and cut into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the pork pieces to the pan and cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add the browned pork to the slow cooker. Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan and once shimmering, brown the remaining pork. Remove to the slow cooker.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the last teaspoon of oil to the pan. Once heated add the chopped onions. Sauté the onions until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano to the onions. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic mixture to the slow cooker.
• Add the minced chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, hominy, chicken broth, bay leaf and fire roasted canned tomatoes to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until the pork is very tender, about 6 to 7 hours on high or 7 to 8 on low.
• Turn off the slow cooker and remove the bay leaf. Skim any fat from the surface of the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the juice of 1 lime. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Braised Adobo Pork with Polenta

Dinner the playbook has a lot of simple, family-friendly meals that aren't boring.  The flavor of the meat, and polenta, from this recipe was great!  But next time I will the same amount of meat and double everything else (except polenta) to have more sauce.  The meal seemed a little dry, but I'll give it another try soon.

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 2½-pound pork loin, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 chipotle in adobo (not the sauce, just the dripping single pepper; you can freeze the rest)
• ½ cup cider vinegar (or store-bought vinegar-based barbecue sauce such as Shealy’s)
• 2 garlic cloves, halved
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt
• 1 cup medium or fine cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• Handful chopped fresh cilantro leaves
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the pork on all sides in the hot oil, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the pork and add the tomatoes, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, chipotle, cider vinegar, garlic, onions, and ¼ cup water to the pot; it should be about two-thirds immersed in liquid. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours. (The pork should be practically falling apart when finished.)

While the pork is braising, make the polenta: Bring 4 cups salted water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Pour the cornmeal into the pot slowly, whisking as you go. The mixture will thicken after 2 or 3 minutes. Reduce the heat and let the mixture bubble on the stovetop for another 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and adding water if it becomes too thick for your liking. Before serving, remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the butter and Cheddar.

Remove the pork from the pot to a cutting board or platter, shred with two forks, and toss back in the braising liquid. Remove the bay leaf.

Sprinkle the cilantro over the pork and serve with the polenta.

Tender Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Thanks to a Costco sale on pork chops, I had enough meat to make this meal twice in two weeks!  Mashed potatoes is a must.  The recipe couldn't be more simple, but you do need to allow three hours to cook, so plan ahead.

• 4 bone-in pork loin chops (at least 1/2-inch thick) (I used boneless both times)
• 2-3 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
• 1-2 yellow onions, sliced
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place the onion slices in an even layer over the bottom of the dish. Top the onion slices with the apples. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the apples and onions. Season the pork chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange the pork chops in a single layer on top of the apples and onions. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for three hours. Do not open the oven and lift the foil – the pork chops, apples and onions need to be tightly covered the whole time to work their magic (and not dry out).
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• Serve each pork chop with mashed potatoes and topped with the apples and onions.

Cauliflower Macaroni Cheese

Pasta, cheese, bacon, bread crumbs, and "hidden" cauliflower all baked in one dish.  What's not to love?  I did have quite the messy kitchen when dinner was ready, but that's not entirely abnormal when I'm cooking so I shouldn't blame it on the recipe.  The recipe I used can be found here.  Below are the approximate translated measurements I used =)

6 slices bacon

1 head cauliflower

12 oz. dried macaroni

olive oil

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 thick slices of bread

1 Tbsp dried rosemary

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

salt and pepper

parmesan cheese

Fill large pot 2/3 full with lightly salted water and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile . . .

Lay bacon in a 9x13 baking dish and place in cold oven.  Preheat oven to 425F with the bacon in the oven.  The next steps should take about 15 minutes - the approximate time you'll want the bacon to cook.  

Trim cauliflower, removing coarse outer leaves and the tough end of the stalk.  Break cauliflower into large chunks and place in boiling water.  Add dried pasta and 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Stirring to prevent sticking on the bottom, bring water back to boil.  Cook partially covered with lid.  Meanwhile . . .

In a medium bowl, mix cheese, sour cream, and yogurt.  Set aside.

When cauliflower and pasta are just cooked (a knife inserted into the cauliflower stalk should slide in easily), reserve 1 cup cooking water then drain in a large colander.

The bacon should be done by now.  Remove bacon slices from dish and set aside on paper towels to absorb the grease.  Tip pasta and cauliflower into the dish the bacon was cooked in.  Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved water.  Stir in cheese mixture, breaking up the cauliflower as you go.  If necessary, use a potato masher to break into fine bits.  If the pasta mixture now seems too dry, stir in more of the reserved water.  Season to taste.

To make the breadcrumb topping: place bacon, bread and rosemary in a food processor (my Vitamix did the job).  Process well until you have a breadcrumb topping texture you are pleased with, adding a drizzle of olive oil as necessary to help bind everything together.  Evenly spread breadcrumb mixture over pasta dish.

Cook 8-10 minutes.  Broil 1-2 minutes if you want to give the breadcrumbs extra texture.  The topping should be golden and the pasta sauce should be bubbly.  Grate parmesan on top for serving.  Enjoy!

Steamed Pork Dumplings

Happy Chinese New Year!  

Food is a fantastic way to celebrate any special holiday, right?!  So we are making sure not to miss the opportunity to celebrate the Year of the Monkey with some yummy Chinese food in my house this evening.  My oldest gingersnaps helped me make dumplings (which happen to be the food I miss the most from living in China) as part of our study of Ancient China last week.  But we planned ahead and made a double batch, knowing that we wanted to have enough for tonight's dinner also.  I buy the packaged won-ton wrappers from the store and go from there.  Maybe one day we'll try to make our own wrappers as well!

1 pound bok choy leaves or white chinese cabbage

1 pound ground pork

1 Tbsp finely chopped scallions

1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger

2 tsp salt

1 tsp light brown sugar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine

2 tsp sesame oil

Blanch or steam the bok choy until soft (it doesn't take long!).  Drain well, squeezing any extra liquid from the leaves, and then chop finely.  Mix the bok choy with the pork, scallions, ginger, salt, sugar, soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil.  An older Chinese woman taught me to use clean hands for this step to make sure everything is mixed really well.

Place about 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each plain wrapper.  Dip your finger in water and lightly wet the edge of the wrapper.  This will help the dumpling seal together.  Pinch the edges firmly so that the dumpling is tightly sealed.  You could easily find images or a tutorial video online of how to accomplish this step well.

Fill a large pot half-way with salted water.  Bring to boil.  Add the dumplings and one cup of cold water.  As the water returns to a boil, gently scrape the bottom to ensure that the dumplings are not sticking.  As the water begins to boil again, the dumplings will float to the surface.  When the water is boiling, add one cup of cold water.  Do this step two more times, adding one cup of cold water to the pot each time the water boils.  The older Chinese woman who taught me to make dumplings gave me these "highly scientific" instructions, which have always worked for me!

After you have brought the pot of water to boil four times, your dumplings should be ready to enjoy!  Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping sauce:  

soy sauce

red chili oil

finely minced garlic

fine chopped scallions

vinegar

mix all or some of the above ingredients to create the dipping sauce you prefer.  I like equal parts of soy sauce and vinegar with some chili oil and garlic.

Crockpot Crispy Caramelized Pork Ramen Noodle Soup

I've saved my favorite meal from the menu swap to share with you last.  This, right here, is some real deal sophisticated ramen soup.  Jessie said this was her favorite meal from 2015, and I immediately understood why after my first bite.  The broth is full of fantastic flavor.  Add in some unique toppings (curried miso roasted squash?!) and good 'ol ramen noodles, and you have yourself a bowl of goodness that you'll slurp to the very last drop.  Take the extra ten minutes to caramelize and crisp the pork.  It's totally worth it.

• Soup
• 2-3 pounds pork shoulder roast (or butt)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, plus more of needed
• 1/4-1/2 cup + 2-4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 
• 1/4 cup + 2-4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional)
• 2 tablespoons thai red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chili paste) (or to taste)
• The juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 cups wild mushrooms, left whole - or button mushrooms, sliced
• 4 packs Ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
• 4 soft boiled or fried eggs, for serving
• Chopped carrots, sliced jalapenos, cilantro + green onions, for serving
• Curry Roasted Acorn Squash
• 1 medium acorn squash, seeded + diced
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (I use spicy curry)
• 1 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Pepper, to taste

Add the pork to the bowl of a crockpot. Pour the chicken broth, 1/4-1/2 cup soy sauce (depending on your taste), 1/4 cup rice vinegar and fish sauce over the pork. Add the thai red curry paste, ginger, sambal oelek, juice of 1 lime, Chinese five spice powder, black pepper and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours (I recommend going low and slow).

About 40 minutes before you are ready to eat, roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together the melted coconut oil, curry powder, miso, brown sugar and a good pinch of pepper. Add the cubed squash to a greased baking sheet and pour the curry mixture over the squash. Toss well. Bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing a couple of times during cooking. You want the squash to be lightly browned and crisp.

Meanwhile, remove the pork from the crockpot and add the mushrooms. Cover the crockpot and crank the heat up to high. Lightly shred the pork with two forks or your hands.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame oil. Once hot, add enough pork to cover just the surface of your skillet, do not over crowd the skillet. Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the pork, add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, toss. Allow the pork to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir and allow the pork to continue to caramelize, about 3-5 minutes total. Remove the pork from the skillet, repeat with the remaining pork. Keep the pork warm.

Add the Ramen noodles to the crockpot and allow them to cook 5 minutes. Once the noodles are cooked, stir in only half of the pork. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with extra caramelized pork, curry roasted acorn squash and an egg. Season the egg with salt and pepper, Add the carrots, jalapeños, green onions and cilantro if desired. Happy slurping!

Apple Squash Bacon Pizza

Since Jessie introduced me to spaghetti squash pizza, I have ventured off into the world of pizza toppings.  What goes well paired with bread and cheese?  A lot of things!  Of the combinations we've tried recently, this is our current favorite.  It's pretty much taking this soup, and turning it into a pizza (or two!).  The combination of apples, butternut squash, bacon, and cheddar cheese is delicious either way if you ask me!  What are your favorite pizza toppings?

5-7 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (Have you ever used kitchen shears to cut your bacon into 

                                                               pieces before you cook it?!)

1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped roughly into 1-inch chunks

1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced (I didn't use my corer-peeler-slicer because I wanted super thin 

                                                   slices, but in retrospect, I think the thicker slices would have worked 

                                                    just fine and the prep would have been much easier!)

10-16 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated (depending on how cheesy you like your pizza!)

2 balls of pizza dough

olive oil

black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450.  If using a stone, make sure you preheat the stone a good thirty minutes.

Cook bacon in a large frying pan.  Remove to a paper towel and set aside, leaving the grease in the pan.

Saute squash cubes in bacon grease over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.  You don't want to cook the squash completely.  It will finish cooking on the pizza.  But give it just enough time in the pan to start softening and take in the yummy bacon flavor.  

Roll out one pizza dough.  Brush lightly with olive oil.  Spread half the apple slices on dough.  Sprinkle just a little cheese over apples.  Then top with half the squash, more cheese, and finish with bacon crumbles.  Sprinkle with black pepper (if you want to) and bake for 12-15 minutes.  

I had enough toppings to make two large pizzas.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Honey Pulled Pork

Truly, how many variations of pork cooked in a crock pot can there be?  I don't know, but this is another good one worth trying!  The author had me when she said this was one of her husband's most favorite meals while he was in law school.  I can relate to luring a man away from his study books long enough to enjoy a delicious meal.  And my husband was definitely a fan of this meal (while thankfully not having to study as much these days!).  I regret not making the cornmeal pancakes to serve with the meat, but my gingersnaps acted as though the Hawaiian sweet buns were like manna, so it all worked out.

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add less for less heat - I only used 1/4 tsp for the kids' sake, but they probably could have handled a bit more)
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced with white and green parts divided
• 1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) pork loin, trimmed of excess fat
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal Pancake Mix (or your favorite cornmeal pancake recipe)
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• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, garlic, cayenne, and white part of the scallions (reserve the green parts for serving).
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• Spray insert of a 5-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork loin in the insert, then pour the honey mixture over the top. Cover and slow cook for 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high, until the pork registers 165 degrees F on a thermometer and is no longer pink in the center. With tongs, gently remove the pork from the slow cooker and transfer it to a large plate, reserving the pork juices in the slow cooker. With two forks, shred the pork. Set aside.
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• Transfer the pork juices remaining in the slow cooker to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water, then add to the cooking liquid. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Return shredded pork to the slow cooker and pour the thickened sauce over the top. Toss gently to combine, then turn the slow cooker to low to keep the pork warm.  
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• Place rack in the center of oven and preheat oven to 200 degrees F. When ready to serve, prepare the cornmeal pancakes. As you cook the pancake batches, transfer them to a baking tray placed in the oven to keep them warm if needed.
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• To serve: Top cornmeal pancakes with pulled pork. Garnish with reserved green onion tops and serve warm.