Cajun Rubbed Grilled Pork Chops

Shoe-leather pork!  

That’s what we had for dinner one evening years ago, after grilling pork chops on the Weber for the first time ~ they went straight from the packaging to the grill to the garbage.

Then I learned about rubs and brines to tenderize pork before grilling.  Pork is the one of the most versatile meats that can hold its own with bold seasonings. 

Purchase chops of about 1” thickness, no thin or frail chops.  Then rub them with the Cajun spices and let set in the refrigerator for at least an hour, before grilling them to perfection.

The flavors of this Cajun rub are spicy, with a touch of sweetness for moist and delicious chops.

We were amazed how tender and delicious the chops turned out ~ we ate Succulent and Smoky Chops for dinner last night!

Cajun Rubbed Grilled Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 (1” thick) center-cut loin pork chops, with excess fat trimmed

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Method:

Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl, 1-8 hours before grilling.

Coat the chops with the rub and place in a Ziploc bag.

Refrigerate 1 to 8 hours.

Transfer chops onto the grill over medium heat.

Cook for 18-20 minutes to 150 degrees internal temperature, turning once or twice.

ENJOY!

Shrimp with Andouille and Angel Hair Pasta

For a change of pace, Andouille sausage is delicious ~ add some shrimp and seasonings and you’re sure to enjoy a tasty meal!  

Andouille sausage is French in origin, having a unique spicy flavor, being made primarily from pork, garlic, red and black peppers, wine and onions.  It is cased in a blackened skin, and then is heavily smoked over pecan logs and sugar cane.  It can be served cold, in slices, as an hors d’oeuvre; however, it is mainly used in Cajun and Creole dishes such as jambalaya and gumbo. 

Cajun cuisine is one of our favorites and always reminds us of NOLA ~ actually, I can’t get enough of either of them.  Serving it over angel hair pasta is pretty great!

Shrimp with Andouille and Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients:

8 ounces angel hair pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ pound Andouille sausage, cut into ¼” slices

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup salsa verde

4 teaspoons flour

1½ cups chicken broth

¼ cup heavy cream

1 pound shrimp, deveined and peeled

3 green onions, sliced into thin rounds for garnish

Method:

To a large skillet, add olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add Andouille sausage and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add garlic to skillet and cook for 30 seconds.

Stir flour into drippings until dissolved.

Whisk in broth and cream and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, drain well and set aside.

Add salsa to broth mixture in skillet and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer sausage to skillet.

Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are opaque, about 3-5 minutes.

To serve:  Place pasta on a plate, top with shrimp mixture and sprinkle green onions over all.

DELICIOUS!!!

Go visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for excellent tips and recipes.  This is the last day to enter her great giveaway for “Joy Bauer’s Food Cures” book!

Cajun Pepper Steak

 

I don’t know about all of you good people out there but, I love bell peppers and could eat them about every day, raw or cooked.  And steak is delicious also so this dish is the perfect combo.

I decided to cook the Cajun pepper steak last night for dinner after hearing a neighbor mention it.  It’s a colorful, tasty medley of steak and green and red peppers, loaded with spices.  I favor spicy food, not the case so much with Bill.  So depending on your taste, adjust the spices accordingly; especially the Cajun seasoning. 

Round steak is a tougher cut of meat and takes a longer cooking time but, that is what I like about this recipe.  It has ample cooking time to bind the flavors.  Use sirloin steak for a more tender meat that gets this savory dish to the dinner table quickly.

Cajun pepper steak is the best, especially when served over a mound of rice!

Cajun Pepper Steak

Ingredients:

1½ pounds boneless round steak, fat removed, cut into strips or cubes

1-2 tablespoons canola oil

1 (14½ ounce) can beef broth

1 (14½ ounce) can Cajun-style tomatoes, undrained

½ cup onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried basil

1 to 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, depending on taste

1/8 teaspoon salt, optional

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

Hot cooked rice

Method:

In large skillet, cook beef in oil over medium heat until browned.  Drain.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat.

Cook and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add bell peppers.

Continue cooking for 15 minutes or until meat is tender.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth.

Stir into meat mixture.

Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until thickened.

Serve over rice.

It’s a Cajun delight!  Uuummmm!!!

Be sure to enter the CSN Stores giveaway that I posted on October 8^th!

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and giveaway!

Sautéed Shrimp over Creamy Grits

I first had this dish in Savannah, Georgia and this is as close to it as I can get. 

Even though it is a traditional Southern dish, it is extraordinary to this Midwestern girl.  How wonderful it would be to live along the Southern coastline ~ do some fishing, go home and cook up a little shrimp fresh from the water and serve it over creamy grits!

Shrimp and grits is an easy recipe.  Just have all the prep work done before you begin.  Then it will be a snap to cook up the dish.  And, you can even make the grits a little bit ahead of time as they will stay hot for a while.

This is one of the most satisfying grits dishes!  I could eat grits with just about anything ~ especially shrimp. 

Sautéed Shrimp over Creamy Grits

For the grits: 

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups water

1 ½ cups hot chicken or vegetable stock

¼ cup butter

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup stone-ground grits

Method:

In large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cream, water and hot stock, bring to a boil.

Add butter, salt and pepper.

Add grits slowly, stirring constantly, scrapping the bottom of the pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low.

Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally so that they do not scorch.

The grits should have absorbed all the liquid and be soft.

If they are too thick, add a little water or warm stock. 

For the shrimp:

Ingredients:

1 pound raw shrimp
6-8 bacon slices

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

Hot sauce, optional

4 ounces amber beer

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Method:

Place shrimp on a plate and season with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning and paprika.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, fry bacon until nearly crisp.

When cooled, crumble into pieces.  Set aside.

Reserve 2-3 tablespoons bacon grease in the skillet.

Add onion, garlic and bell pepper, sautéing about 3-4 minutes.

Slowly add beer and Worcestershire sauce; cook down until onion is transparent and peppers are cooked about 10-12 minutes.

Add shrimp mixture and crumbled bacon.

Sauté 5-7 minutes until shrimp are opaque in center (cut to test).

Remove from heat.

Spoon hot grits onto serving plate; top with shrimp mixture.

Enjoy!