Just tasty tender pork chops here, coated with a great dry rub.
This is my go-to rub, a good blend of aromatic herbs and spices: Hungarian sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, seasoned pepper and oregano. It’s everyday ingredients most of us have on hand.
These delicious savory fork-tender chops are topped with stuffing and gravy, they’re right up Bill’s alley!
Bill is a huge fan of pork chops and I’m always thinking of new ways of preparing them. If stuffing is involved, that’s all the better in my way of thinking!
A chilly winter-time day calls for comfort food:
potatoes and cabbage roasted alongside
pork tenderloin for a tasty meal.
I’m a big fan of pork tenderloin, it’s an excellent cut of meat for cooking, simply because it’s versatile, fairly inexpensive, tasty and friendly with a wide variety of spices...
The star of this recipe is the gravy, it’s so delicious, it’s liquid comfort!
Here’s another good Trisha Yearwood recipe, from her grand comfort food cookbook, Home Cooking. I’ve tried many of her recipes and haven’t been let down once...
The Empress of Soul, Gladys Knight, sings with her heart and soul, and it seems she cooks the same way, judging by this recipe!
If you haven’t watched "Harry," the TV show that's a blend of talk, music, comedy, and variety, starring Harry Connick, Jr., you’re in for an entertaining hour. There isn’t much this guy who was born and raised in New Orleans can’t do!
There’s no avoiding winter here since we’re just 40 miles northwest of Chicago. Winter barely started when Mother Nature wasted no time in putting us in the deep freeze and keeping us there for 2 weeks with highs in the single digits, not counting bone-chilling wind chills way below zero ~ it's about unbearable! A warm-up is on the way today ~ that translates, SNOW!
All of this cold weather leads me to dishes like this stuffed cabbage leaves, a great comforting winter dish!
I have a ton of food memories from when I was growing up, but stuffed cabbage rolls isn't one of them. I don’t recall ever eating them back then, and Bill says the same.
While the direct origin of cabbage rolls cannot be certain, its lineage can be traced back some 2,000 years ago to Jewish cooking, according to Gil Marks, author of the 2010 Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. Cabbage is not mentioned in the Bible, but it is referred to in the Talmud, he says where the rabbis praise the cabbage for “sustenance.” Though no one knows where the tradition of filling leaves originates, it appears in cultures around the world stretching from Europe and the Middle East to the jungles of the Amazon.
For example, the following names and some of the differences in their recipes…
Jewish “holishkls” is served during the fall harvest festival. The dish is made with raisins, brown sugar, lemon and tomato for a sweet and sour taste.
Lithuanians call it “balandeliai,” translating to “little doves.”
Ukrainian “holubtsi” is made with sauerkraut, and usually no meat, served with perogie.
The Polish version is “golabki,” meaning “little pigeon feet” and served with sauerkraut and sweet paprika.
Finland’s version is “kaalikaaryle,” and the cabbage rolls are browned before brazing.
But today in America, it is just simply stuffed cabbage, the exemplary comfort food that makes a complete meal.
Here’s the version we eat: a savory meat and rice filling wrapped up in tender cabbage leaves that’s slow-baked in a sweet-sour tomato sauce.
While these cabbage rolls are pretty tasty straight out of the oven, there even better the next day, so here’s hoping you’ll be lucky enough to enjoy the leftovers, should you try this recipe!
Yield: 6 servingsAuthor: Pam
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
These cabbage rolls are stuffed with lean ground beef and lean ground pork and rice. It's a comforting winter dish!
prep time: 30 MINScook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 hours and 30 mins
Ingredients:
1 head cabbage
For the Filling:
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound lean ground pork
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1/4 cup milk
For the Sauce:
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
Instructions:
For the Cabbage: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove 10 to 12 whole outer leaves from the cabbage by cutting them off the core. (Reserve the remaining cabbage for another use.) Add the leaves to the boiling water and blanch until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the leaves to a colander to drain.
Make the Filling: Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl. Scoop out approximately 1/3 cup of meat mixture and form into a log shape. Place filling in a cabbage leaf close to the core. Fold once, then grab both side and fold in, like a burrito. If the leaves are too small, overlap 2 leaves. Arrange cabbage rolls snugly next to each other in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Make the Sauce: Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl and pour evenly over the cabbage roll.
Cover with foil and bake in 350° oven for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until meat is cooked through.
Here you go, if you’re craving a spicy taste of the islands…
Most Cuban’s make Cuban pork roast, Lechón Asado con Mojo, by roasting a whole pig that has been slow-coked in a pit or a Caja China over charcoal, with skin that is nice and crispy.
For most of us, it is much easier to use a smaller cut of pork, such as the traditional pork shoulder or picnic cut and roast it in the oven.
I went even further and swapped the fatty pork shoulder with a boneless pork loin roast to cut the large amount of fat and roasted it on a roasting pan rack in the oven.
The flavor here comes from the mojo, the citrusy sauce, marinade…
This mojo is a great combination of tangy and savory flavors. It’s a mishmash of several different, similar recipes I saw while surfing the internet ~ basically citrus juices, spices and oil.
It’s Cuban mojo pork loin roast with unbelievably tender meat and crisp, crackly skin!
Make Cuban sandwiches out of the leftovers!
Yield: 4-6 servingsAuthor: Pam
Cuban Mojo Pork Loin Roast
Try this pork recipe for a taste of the islands.
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds boneless, pork loin roast
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon each, salt and pepper
3 teaspoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup sherry
INSTRUCTIONS
Place pork roast in a zip top bag.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, pour mixture over pork.
Marinate in refrigerator for a couple of hours, or overnight.
When ready to roast, place meat in roasting pan or rack, reserving marinade.
Roast until completely cooked (145°), about 1½ hours, basting occasionally.
Let roast rest for 10 minutes, then slice.
You may remember way back in the day, back in 1965, when “Shake ’n Bake” first appeared on the grocery shelf… Shake ’n Bake provides a healthier, less-greasy alternative to frying.
Vintage 1976
Manufactured by Kraft Foods, the flavored bread crumb-style coating for pork and chicken mimics the texture on the outside of fried foods. It comes with its own baggie for you to shake the meat in order to cover it with the breading mixture.
My homemade version is a copycat of the classic dish, only a hundred times better than the packaged version!
If you like crispy, savory chops, the crunch of these baked pork chops will be just the thing for you.
No marinating needed ~ all that’s required is a resealable bag for covering the chops in the panko breadcrumb coating, made from ingredients right out of your pantry.
Serve the chops with rice and vegetables for an easy, delicious weeknight meal!
Yield: 4Author: Pam @Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner
Crispy Shake 'n Bake Pork Chops
This homemade Shake 'n Bake is easy and cheap to make. It makes a great crispy breading for your pork chops that is utterly satisfying.
INGREDIENTS:
4 pork chops, about ¾” thick
1½ panic bread crumbs
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400° and set wire rack on baking sheet.
To a large resealable plastic bag, add panko and remaining ingredients, blend well.
One at a time, place pork chop in bag and shake until evenly coated in panko mixture.
Place chops on wire rack.
Bake until pork is cooked through and bread crumbs are golden, about 25 minutes.
Growing up on the farm, Sunday dinner at noon was always a feast, many times withAunt Jessie, Aunt Lucy and Ronnie joining us at the table.
I remember it all with good memories, except this one time:
Aunt Jessie, actually Dad’s aunt, my great aunt, was a tiny proper little lady, who wore pince-nez glasses…
Neither oneAunt Jessie, but the glasses are similar
On this particular day, Mom made roasted pork for our Sunday meal, and I got to sit at the dinner table beside Aunt Jessie.I liked to talk a lot, and this one time I became more than a little animated in the story I was telling. I swung my hand with a fork in it, right up toAunt Jessie's glasses ~ hooked the side of them ~ and hurled her pince-nez glasses clear across the table.
Not a good moment, but then I was probably only around 7 or 8 years old.
Mom always went the limit with meals of fried chicken, roast beef or roast pork like this.
I carried the Sunday dinner tradition on until the boys got older, and life carried on, ball games, etc.
This pork roast is delicious, with the simple blend of seasonings flavoring it, particularly thepungent taste of ground mustard to complement the pork.
It’s juicy and tender on the inside with good crunchy meat on the outside.
Easy, peasy and good eating for Sunday dinner or anytime!
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine seasonings in a small bowl. Liberally pat seasonings onto roast. Place meat on a rack in roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, 2 to 2½ hours, until thermometer registers 155°. Allow pork to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve Printable recipe Enjoy!
They’ve have been around forever, they’re almost older than dirt…
Along with cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi, they were all cultivated from the same prehistoric plant between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago.
After all this time, since first eating them years ago, I chose to try the sprouts again. Maybe they just needed a different method of cooking ~ like being roasted instead of boiled ~ a proper cooking!
What developed was a good sweet roasted flavor, they tasted pretty good this go around, especially along side the chops and potatoes!
The secret for these pork chops is in the Italian salad dressing marinade. Using the shortcut marinade in this recipe, the meat turned out tender and delicious on the inside. On the outside, the crumb coating delivered a good crunch, almost like the breaded chops Grandma used to make.
And who doesn’t like roasted potatoes?
This is a perfect comfy dinner for a snowy day…
Our winter here in Cary, has been a bit weird this year! Warmer than usual, with no more than a trace of snow in January and February. This morning we have 4” snow on the ground, more on the way tomorrow.
Spring is just around the corner…
Pan-Roasted Pork Chops w/Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:
4 boneless pork loin chops ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons lite Italian salad dressing, divided 4 potatoes, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges ½ pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved ½ cup Italian bread crumbs, or plain ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon seasoned pepper 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Method:
Place pork chops and ½ cup salad dressing in a large resealable plastic bag, turning to coat. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 400°. Arrange potatoes and Brussels sprouts on a large baking pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons salad dressing, toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes. Drain pork, discarding marinade. Stir vegetables, place pork chops over top. Roast 25 minutes longer or until pork is cooked through, thermometer reads 155°. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, salt and pepper, stir in melted butter. Top pork with crumb mixture. Place under broiler, 4 to 6 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown. Serve Printable recipe Enjoy!
* Throughout history, pork has been the most widely eaten meat in the world, and still is today.
* It has an impressive consumption rate of 40%, compared to 29% for chicken and 24% for beef.
* We evidently can’t get enough of bacon, since a third of pork consumed is via bacon. No surprise there!
* Most food folklore suggests that New Year’s feasts should include pork and sauerkraut to ensure good luck in the coming year. We concur!
* Cincinnati, Ohio celebrates its pork slaughterhouse heritage with the “Flying Pig” marathon each May.
* Around 20% of pork is made up of protein, making it an important muscle building meat.
* The record for the longest sausage ever made is 59.14 km (36.7 miles) long, people just love sausages.
* The average person will eat 28 pigs in their lifetime.
* Pork tenderloin cuts are almost as lean as skinless chicken breasts.
* The first recorded recipe for a pork pie was 1390 in the kitchen of the Court of King Richard and today’s pork pie is still a direct descendant of the medieval pie tradition.
* Scientists believe that pigs are one of the most intelligent animals, ranking close behind apes and dolphins.
* Pigs are truly a clean animal. They don’t have sweat glands and pale pigs sunburn; hence, they roll in mud to keep themselves cool. I grew up on a farm and saw my share of pigs rolling in the mud.
* The word “barbecue” derived from French-speaking pirates, who called this Caribbean pork feast “de barbecue et queue,” which translates “from beard to tail.” In other words, the pig roast reflected the fact that the hog was an eminently versatile animal that could be consumed from head to toe.
* The word “earmark” which we now use to mean 'to designate’ or ‘to set aside for a particular purpose’, actually has a very simple origin: for centuries, farmers marked their livestock with distinctive notches in the animals’ ears. Earmark in the figurative sense, 'to designate' arose in the last 19th century.
And if all that’s not enough, who could’ve imagined this:
* There are approximately 80 people in the United States listed on whitepages.com with the last name ‘Pork.’ I don’t know one of them, do you?
What I do know is that a good pork roast will never let you down, especially when it’s rubbed with herbs and then basted with a tangy sauce while roasting; it’s equally delicious cooked on the grill as in the oven.
This seasoned pork loin roast is affordable, elegant and perfect for your dinner, and any time you want to feed your guests well.
Bill and I were amazed how delicious it was. Leftovers for sandwiches? Now that's a bonus!
Preheat oven to 350°. Rub outside of the roast with oil. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl and liberally season all sides of the roast. Place the roast on a rack on top of a roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, 2 to 2½ hours, until thermometer registers 155°. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the basting ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Brush over roast occassionally while baking. Let roast stand 10 minutes before slicing. About 18 servings
Basting Sauce
Ingredients:
3 cups water 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons dried minced onion ½ teaspoon garlic salt ½ teaspoon seasoned pepper ½ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning ½ teaspoon lemon zest
’Tis the season for piquant boozy apple-flavored fare…
This delicious glaze is a couple of recipes combined. I had doubts about adding so much allspice but it complements the glaze perfectly, in fact, the allspice is what makes this recipe!
Apple cider has been around since about 55 B.C., when Romans conquered continental Europe and planted orchards in place of their native crab apples for hard cider production.
The cider was once more popular than beer in the days of English settlers in America, because barley and other beer grains were trickier to cultivate in New England soil.
Applejack is cider’s boozy cousin, and has been around as long as cider has. The spiked drink was used as currency in colonial New Jersey and was made by freeze-distilling, and therefore concentrating hard apple cider. It’s delicious!
Laird's Applejack and 1940's apple brandy bottlesPhoto credit: Patti Sapone/Star-Ledger
Dark, sticky molasses is not just for adding a sweet, almost smokey flavor; it packs serious nutrition, and is: 1) a diabetes-friendly sweetener, 2) a bone booster, due to its calcium and magnesium content 3) a good source of iron for the blood, plus 4) it’s packed with potassium, and 5) it’s a hair de-frizzer!
The glaze really flavored up the mild-tasting lean meat! It’s gourmet flavor that’s easy to prepare.
What I do know is that a good pork roast will never let you down, especially when it’s rubbed with herbs and then basted with a tangy sauce while roasting; it’s equally delicious cooked on the grill as in the oven.
