#112 :: Cornbread Stuffed Crown Roast of Pork

Hello again! The end of the year got awfully busy for me, so I got out of the habit of coooking at home. However, the holidays are all about cooking a nice big dinner so I finally have new recipes to share! :) One of my New Year's resolutions is to get back to cooking at home more, so this blog will become active again soon!

Ingredients

Pork Roast:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (5-pound) crown of pork, rib ends frenched
• 
  

Stuffing:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 cups crumbled cornbread
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Paula Deen's Hot Sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

For the pork roast: In a blender, puree the oil, garlic, and sage until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Rub the mixture over the pork roast, making sure to cover the areas between the chops. Transfer the pork to a roasting pan and cover it with foil. Refrigerate it for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Turn the roast upside down (rib bones down) in the roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and roast until an instant-read thermometer reads 155 degrees F when inserted 2 inches into the center of the meat, about 1 1/2 hours more.

For the stuffing: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green pepper, onion, celery, and garlic and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the vegetable mixture with the crumbled cornbread. Add the eggs, broth, rosemary, cilantro, hot sauce, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Slowly stir in more broth, if needed, until the stuffing is moistened. Press the stuffing into a 2-quart casserole.

Thirty minutes before removing the roast, place the stuffing in the oven. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes.

When the roast is done, remove it from the oven, tent with foil, and let stand for at least 15 minutes. When the stuffing is done, mound half of it on a serving platter. Flip the roast upright on top of the stuffing. Fill the center of the roast with the remaining stuffing. Slice at the table.

Makes 6-8 Servings

Recipe from Paula's Best Dishes on Food Network

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

#106 :: Memphis Dry Rub Ribs

Jamie works tomorrow, so we had our 4th of July celebration today. We made ribs, Red Potato Salad with Bacon and grilled corn, and as soon as it gets dark we're heading out to see some fireworks. What a delicious meal for the 4th of July! At first I was looking to make a BBQ sauce, but we didn't have any molasses or brown sugar (and several other several key ingredients) so I went for a dry rub instead. Jamie actually said these were the best ribs he ever ate!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds pork ribs

For the Rub:

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (*we chose to add this, it wasn't in the original recipe)
• 1/4 teaspoon onion salt (*we chose to add this, it wasn't in the original recipe)
• 25 grinds fresh black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat over to 300 degrees F.

Mix the rub ingredients together well in a small bowl.

Remove the membrane from the bone side of the ribs, then rub the vegetable oil onto the ribs. Pour the rub over the ribs and work the rub fully and evenly into the ribs. Spread the ribs out evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake until tender and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Makes about 13-15 ribs

Recipe from Good Deal with Dave Lieberman on Food Network

Star Rating: 5+ out of 5 stars

#91 :: Pork & Peppers Mexican-Style

Wow, it's been a long few weeks since we cooked! Jamie and I have both been super busy with work and other activities, so cooking dinner together has been on the back burner for a while. But, last night we were both home and decided to get back on track! This is a recipe Jamie found online and it turned out wonderful. I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch today!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 3/4 pound lean pork, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 each red, yellow and green bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper (optional)
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add green onions; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add pork; cook and stir 5 minutes or until browned. Add bell peppers and garlic. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until bell peppers begin to soften.

Season mixture in skillet with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms, cumin, chili powder and chipotle pepper, if desired. Cook and stir 10 to 15 minutes until pork is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Top each serving with shredded cheese and sour cream and roll it up in a tortilla, burrito-style.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe from TLC Cooking

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

#90 :: Cinco de Mayo! :: Shredded Pork Tacos

We had quite the fiesta for Cinco de Mayo! We started with some fresh guacamole and fresh warm tortilla chips, then we had Tortilla Soup (which we made before during our Mexican cuisine week). Finally, we had Shredded Pork Tacos! Oh, and we can't forget the margaritas and Dos Equis!

These Shredded Pork Tacos were absolutely delicious, but they were also a bit spicier than I expected. I only put one chile in, just like the recipe said, but these little guys are apparently hot enough to spice up the whole pot! Be wary if you're sensitive to spicy foods....this is a spicy one! (Though I'm sure you could remove the chipotle chile and make a non-spicy version.)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in juice
• 1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from a small can), minced (about 4 teaspoons)
• 16 (6-inch) toasted corn tortillas
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco, feta, or goat cheese
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. In a large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add pork, tomatoes (breaking them up) and their juice, chipotle, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves.
2. Using tongs, transfer meat to a large bowl; shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat or gristle. Return meat to pan, and simmer until sauce is thick, 30 to 45 minutes more. Season, if necessary, with salt and pepper. Proceed to next step, or cover and refrigerate, up to 1 day.
3. Spoon pork and sauce into toasted tortillas, using 2 tortillas for each serving; top with queso fresco and cilantro. Serve with Crunchy Slaw with Radishes , if desired.

Makes 8 servings

Recipe from MarthaStewart.com

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

#19 :: Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I was a little nervous about this one. I was counting on Jamie's help, and then he called to say he was working 2 hours late. I had to do it on my own! My first problem was that I thought we had a beef tenderloin. Turns out it was pork. Not sure if that made it any better or worse, but the recipe definitely called for beef. Also, about halfway through the recipe I realized that we didn't have any twine to tie the tenderloin with. I had a quick panic attack. Then I saw the toothpicks. They seemed to do the trick, so I was able to finish the meal all by myself after all.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots or yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) beef tenderloin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Soy sauce, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium skillet, melt the butter and cook the shallots or onion over low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook over low heat about 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Let cool.

Butterfly the beef tenderloin by cutting the beef lengthwise down the center to within 1/2-inch of the other side. Set the beef aside.

To stuff the tenderloin, open the beef and sprinkle in the inside with salt and pepper and rub with soy sauce. Spoon the mushroom mixture down the center of the tenderloin. Bring the 2 sides of the tenderloin up and around the filling to meet. Using butcher string, tie the tenderloin together at 2-inch intervals. Place the tenderloin in a roasting pan.

Roast for 40 minutes for medium rare. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Recipe from Paula's Best Dishes on Food Network.

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars