The SRC Reveal: Braised Country Style Pork Ribs in Ginger Ale & Hoisin Sauce

It's once again time for The Secret Recipe Club reveal.  This month I was assigned The Keenan Cookbook.  The blog is run by couple Chris and Rachel.  They use their blog as a way to archive their family recipes, old and new.  While perusing the blog I bookmarked these Peach-Upside Down Muffins and this Caramelized Onion & Spinach Olive Oil Quick Bread to make at a later time.  However, I wanted to cook a dinner and ended up making this Braised Country Style Pork Ribs in Ginger Ale & Hoisin Sauce.  I wanted to fit in another cool weather, comfort food type dish while I'm waiting for the warmer weather to arrive.  (Yes, it's technically spring, but it's still feeling pretty chilly here in NY!)  I've braised ribs before in the Dutch Oven and I've cooked with hoisin sauce.  I thought that the ginger ale sounded like an interesting addition to this recipe.  Being a stay-at-home mom I had the luxury of being able to make this meal for a weeknight dinner for us.  However, Chris and Rachel left make-ahead directions, which I've also included.  Otherwise, this would be perfect meal to make when you have a nice, relaxing weekend.  This was super easy to put together.  The longest time was spent shredding the pork (I didn't use boneless ribs!).  I doubled the sauce, as suggested, because we also are a sauce-loving family!  We all enjoyed this dish a lot!  When my son eats all of his dinner and asks for extra sauce on his rice, it's a winner! 

Braised Country Style Pork Ribs in Ginger Ale & Hoisin Sauce
Recipe from The Keenan Cookbook via The Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients:
2 lbs. country-style (boneless) pork ribs
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup good-quality ginger ale
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp water

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.Season pork ribs with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch Oven pan over medium-high heat. Brown the pork, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the pork to a plate and set aside.

3.Turn the heat to medium and remove all but 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add chopped ginger and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds. Add ginger ale, chicken broth, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce. Stir with a whisk until the hoisin sauce dissolves. Add the pork ribs to the pan and turn to coat. Put the lid on the Dutch Oven and cook in the oven until the meat is very tender, turning occasionally, about 2 hours.

4.Lower the oven heat to 200 degrees F. Remove the ribs from the braising liquid, place in an oven-proof dish, and keep warm in the oven.

5.Skim fat off the surface of the liquid. Set the saucepan with the braising liquid over medium heat and boil until the sauce reduces by half. In a small bowl, stir together arrowroot or cornstarch and water. Whisk into the sacue and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

6.With two forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces and stir into the sauce. Serve over rice. Garnish with sliced green onions.

7.Make-ahead: Once the ribs are cooked, let cool completely. Cover the Dutch Oven and store in the fridge for up to two days. When ready to use, uncover and skim off the fat. Reheat the ribs over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the ribs from the pan, keep warm, and follow the directions above for finishing the sauce.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Pork Chops with Maple Sauce

Almost every day I try making a new recipe.  As I was debating whether to purchase a dirt-cheap subscription to allrecipes magazine I looked at my collection of cookbooks and recipes torn out of magazines that I already get (not to mention the tons bookmarked from blogs to try!) and decided that I have enough recipes that I haven't made yet to last me for years!  On a side note, with the staggering amount of recipes out there, we both concluded, how can people say, "I always make the same thing!"????!!!!  Which made my husband also point out that the recipes in the magazine are already free on the website and do I really need another magazine??  I don't have enough time to read the tons I already get!  So in the end I decided not to order the magazine. 

I have to say that when I menu plan, I always keep in mind whether I think my son will eat it.  My daughter is really good about trying everything and eating enough to get a treat.  My 4 1/2 year old son is really picky though.  I knew that these pork chops were a winning dish when he told me how much he liked them and then finished all of his dinner.  I made these awhile ago, and it's hard to remember, but I think he even ate the onions! Caramelizing the onions is the lengthiest part of making this recipe, but well worth it! This was a dinner that we all enjoyed!

Pork Chops with Maple Sauce
recipe from For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients:
3 tsp olive oil (divided)
1/2 sweet yellow onion, sliced
4 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup of diced yellow onion
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/4 cup of water
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbsp flour, to thicken

Directions:
To make caramelized onions: Place 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a large oven proof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, for 20-30 minutes, or until caramelized and golden brown. Season with sea salt, to taste.  If the skillet gets dry, add a tablespoon of water or two. Remove from the Dutch oven and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper.  Add the pork chops to the HOT pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown then flip; cook for 1-2 minutes then remove from the Dutch oven to a plate. Cover with a tin foil tent.
Add the butter and the last teaspoon of oil to the Dutch oven and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until tender and golden brown; add the chili powder; cook stirring constantly for 1 minutes. Add the vinegar, maple syrup, water, Worcestershire sauce, and sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Stir well then add the pork chops back into the Dutch oven uncovered and place into the oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Remove from the oven.

Place the pork on a serving plate with a tin foil tent and let the meat rest for 5 minutes. If you prefer a thicker sauce, heat the sauce over medium high heat then whisk in the flour until well combined and thick. Drizzle the sauce over the pork chops then serve with the caramelized onions on the side.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Smothered Pork Chops

Just the name of this dish sounds so warm and comforting.  I first feared that this dish might be time consuming....but it wasn't.  The seasoned flour made the pork chops really flavorful.  I used half the amount of cayenne that the original recipe called for because I didn't want to make it too spicy for the kids.  I'm gradually trying to get them used to a little spice though so I didn't elminate it totally.  These were really tasty and I'm sure the extra gravy would taste awesome on some mashed potatoes.  I had made some sweet potatoes that I had and my son requested, which didn't go as well.

Smothered Pork Chops
recipe slightly adapted from My Biscuits are Burning via Foodnetwork-Tyler Florence

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick, bone-in
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk

Directions:
Put the flour in a shallow platter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Dredge them in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess.

Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is nice and hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings. Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir in the buttermilk to make a creamy gravy and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

This recipe was shared at:
On The Menu Monday @ StoneGable
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box
Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home

Slow Cooker: Peking Pork Chops

I'm always trying out and looking for new slow cooker recipes.  I had just picked up some pork chops, so these caught my eye.  Now I know that my crock pot is tempermental and cooks things really fast.  So I adapt cooking times accordingly.  However, even shortening the cook time on these they still came out too dry.  They didn't get tender as they cooked longer....just drier. :(  The sauce was really tasty though and I spooned some on the rice that I served with these.

Peking Pork Chops
recipe slightly adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
6 pork chops
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon 5 Spice Powder
1/2 cup free soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion sliced

Directions:
Put pork chops in bottom of slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine sugar, 5 spice powder, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic. Pour evenly over the top of chops. Lay onion rings on top of pork chops.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for about 4. If your chops are frozen they will take longer to cook.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Asian Style Country Ribs

It's definitely time to bring out the slow cooker.  The weather is getting cooler and since school has started, our lives have gotten much busier!  The slow cooker is invaluable to us on those busy days when it's impossible to get dinner on the table in a timely manner AND drive the kids to their various after-school activties, some which run into our usual dinner time.  There are lots of different slow cooker rib recipes out there.  I found this one, which used ingredients that I had already in the house.  Now, I've made many slow cooker recipes and many have turned out eh, kind of bland.  Both my husband and I were surprised out how tasty and flavorful these ribs were.  My daughter was eating hers right up and even had seconds.  My son, the picky eater had a couple of bites of these.  I don't often repeat recipes but I would definitely make these again! Rice and veggies completed this quick and easy meal.

Asian Style Country Ribs
recipe slightly adapted from A Busy Mom's Slow Cooker Adventures

Ingredients:
3-4 lb. Country Ribs
1/2 cup low-sodium Soy Sauce
1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar

Directions:
Mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, sesame seeds and rice vinegar.
Place the ribs in the slow cooker.

Pour the sauce over the ribs.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

The last half hour, add some scallions.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Around the World: Chinese-Barbecued Pork Tenderloin (The Weekend Chef)

Again, I'm not sure if this pork recipe is authentic Chinese, but I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer and saw this recipe in Cooking Light.  Based on the ingredient list it definitely had Asian flavors so we went with it.  The Weekend Chef (my husband) prepared this dish to go along with the Vegetable Lo Mein that I posted yesterday.  This was quick and easy to prepare and was surprisingly flavorful!  The kids enjoyed this too and ate all of their pork.

Chinese-Barbecued Pork Tenderloin
from Cooking Light, July 2000

Ingredients:
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°.

Trim fat from pork. Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients (sugar through pepper). Rub pork with spice mixture.

Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; insert a meat thermometer into thickest portion of tenderloin. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Combine hoisin, orange juice, and oil in a small bowl; brush over tenderloin. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink).

Family Rating:  1 1/2 thumbs up.

Around The World: Pork and Black Bean Stew

This recipe was made on a night when I was making two other dishes -Brazilian Collards and Brazilian Potato Salad (see upcoming posts!).  It was a little crazy in the kitchen that night.  I spent about an hour and a half cooking only to have my kids....okay, mostly my son, not eat anything.  I was also going to the gym that night after my husband got home from work so I only took a taste of each dish when plating for the kids, since I didn't want to work out on a full stomach!  So I ended up eating dinner at around 9 PM.  This dish turned out more like a soup than a stew.  The flavors were good, even with the black beans, which I'm not a huge fan of.  I liked the addition of chorizo, since I don't often cook or eat it.  I could see this being a good meal on a chilly fall or winter day. Over the summer in 90+ degree heat.....not so much!

Pork and Black Bean Stew
recipe from allrecipes.com by MICHELLE0011

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 (12 ounce) pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 (19 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 chorizo sausages, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, stir in garlic and onion, and cook a few minutes until the onion softens and turns translucent. Remove the onion, and place into a saucepan. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into the skillet, and place over medium-high heat. Add cubed pork, and cook until well browned.

2.Meanwhile, pour 3/4 of the black beans along with 1/4 cup water into the bowl of a blender, and pulse until finely chopped, but not quite smooth. Pour whole beans and bean puree into saucepan along with pork cubes, chicken stock, chorizo, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

The Weekend Chef: Memphis-Style Baby Back Ribs

Happy Father's Day!  I hope everyone is enjoying this day with their families.  We will be enjoying a bbq with one of my daughter's school friend's and her family and then having some family over for our own little bbq. 

In honor of Father's Day, I thought that I'd post a "manly" dish.  I had a rack of ribs in the freezer that I had been wanting my husband to make for awhile.  I had thought he'd grill them but he wanted to slow cook them in the oven.  What's nice about slow cooking them in the oven was that after the initial preparation, he was free to do other things.....like powerwash our shed, mow the lawn, etc.  We don't eat ribs very often, so these were a tasty treat.  We ended up having a spur-of-the-moment bbq with our neighbors that included hotdogs, grilled corn-on-the-cob, these ribs, cole slaw, baked beans, and sauteed zucchini.  The sauce was a little spicy, which my daughter didn't enjoy.  But everyone else thought that these were great. 

Memphis-Style Baby Back Ribs
Every Day With Rachael Ray, Ocotber 2008

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
2 racks pork baby back ribs (about 5 pounds total)
2 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
1/2 onion, finely chopped
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 275 degrees . In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Run a paring knife down the length of the bone side of each rack to split the skin, then season all over with the rub.

2.Arrange the ribs, meaty side down, in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast, turning halfway through, until very tender, about 3 hours.

3.Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the tomato sauce, onion, vinegar, brown sugar and hot sauce to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the racks into individual ribs and serve with the sauce on the side.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumb up.

Orange-Apricot Pork Chops in the CrockPot

I haven't used the slow cooker in awhile.  It's been slowly gathering dust in the upstairs closet.  When I was looking for a pork chop recipe to use up some that I had in the freezer I found this.  I love how quick and easy this recipe was.  My slow cooker tends to cook things super fast, so I ended up cooking this recipe on low for 4 1/2 hours, but I left the original cooking time from Stephanie's recipe below.  It's really difficult for me to give a recipe two thumbs up.  It means that everyone in the family loved it (or sometimes just my husband and I, but we LOVED it if we give it two thumbs up!).  So, mostly desserts make the two thumbs up rating.  This recipe was so close though!  When my son eats all of his dinner and tells me what a good cook that I am, then I know that I have a winner.  Unfortunately, my daughter, who loves fruit, has a thing about "warm" fruit and so, she only thought that this dish was okay.  She ended up giving her oranges to her brother, who was more than happy to eat them for her.  I served this with rice and veggies.  This was a super quick and tasty dinner!

Orange-Apricot Pork Chops in the CrockPot
recipe adapted from Stephanie O'Dea - A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
6 pork chops
1 cup apricot jam
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, undrained

Directions:
Use a 4-6 quart crockpot. Put pork chops into your crockpot. In a small bowl, combine jam, brown sugar, and spices. Spoon over pork chops. Add the entire can of mandarin oranges evenly over the top. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or on high for about 4.

Serve with rice to soak up the juice.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Crockpot: Asian-Style Country Ribs with Black Bean Garlic Sauce

I'm always on the lookout for quick, easy, and tasty slow cooker recipes.  I saw this one and immediately bookmarked it so I could make it one day.  Well, that one day finally came.  I haven't cooked a lot with black bean garlic sauce.  The jar in the fridge with the markered date of last February can attest to that! (Yes, after we open almost anything refrigerated we write the date that we opened it on it with marker.  I'm a little anal about not eating things past a certain amount of days after opening...unlike my husband!). So, I bought a new jar of black bean garlic sauce and made these.  I didn't cut up the ribs as the recipe calls for, since I forgot to defrost them.  Instead I just put them in the slow cooker frozen. The ribs ended up having a nice flavor and it was very kid-friendly since the sauce had no spice/heat to it.  Now I still have at least half a jar of black bean garlic sauce sitting in the fridge.  Any recipe recommendations before it ends up getting chucked?!

Crockpot:  Asian-Style Country Ribs with Black Bean Garlic Sauce
from One Perfect Bite

Yield:  6-8 servings

Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs, cross cut in 1-1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons prepared black bean garlic sauce from a jar (i.e. Lee Kum Kee)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy salt
1/4 cup mirin or chicken stock
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chopped scallions (white and tender green)

Directions:
1) Spray interior of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place pork cubes in slow cooker. Combine black bean garlic sauce, soy sauce, mirin, honey, ginger, garlic, pepper and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir to dissolve cornstarch. Pour over ribs.

2) Cook, covered, on LOW setting for 5 to 6 hours until ribs are tender but still hold their shape. Transfer ribs to a rimmed serving platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Strain liquid into a small pan. Bring liquid to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until mixture begins to thicken and is reduced by half. Stir in sesame oil. Add sauce and 1/4 cup scallions to pork cubes. Mix well. Garnish with reserved 2 tablespoons scallions.
 
Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Schnitzel and Veggies

Schniztel is an Austrian dish, traditionally made with veal, that is pounded thin and then fried.  I have to say that I don't normally eat veal.  Dating back to when I was in high school and realized where veal came from I became a vegetarian.  That lasted for probably a week or two (I can't help it, I cannot give up bacon!) but nonetheless, I still don't eat veal very much.  This recipe calls for a pork tenderloin, where you slice and pound the pork into thin slices.  I was in the grocery store though and found already pounded thin pork cutlets.  It was definitely a time saver!  I posted the original recipe for the Schnitzel and Veggies.  I followed the recipe for the pork, however, I am not a big fan of fresh, cooked tomatoes.  I ended up sauteing the zucchini with some garlic and then adding a little bit of leftover canned tomato sauce.  This brought back memories of a zucchini side dish that my mom made growing up that was very similar, and which I liked a lot!  Overall, this was a quick an easy meal.  I ended up serving it with mashed potatoes, which take a little time in the prep work.  Everyone enjoyed it....except my son, as usual!

Schnitzel and Veggies
EveryDay with Rachael Ray, October 2007

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 8 even pieces and pounded
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 large tomato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 250 degrees . In a wide shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan and 2 pinches each salt and pepper; set aside. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Turn each piece of pork in the crumbs to coat well, then coat with the eggs and again with the crumbs; transfer to a plate.

2.In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add 4 pork cutlets and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with 2 more tablespoons olive oil and the remaining cutlets.

3.In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

4.Serve 2 pork cutlets per person with the zucchini and lemon wedges.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Pork Chops with Hoisin-Molasses Barbecue Sauce

I hate when I buy an ingredient, usually a sauce or condiment, for a recipe and then have it sitting in my refrigerator and it's never used again.  Molasses is usually one of those ingredients, so I was very happy to find this recipe. My only criticism was that the sauce was a little on the sweet side. Not only did it taste good but it was also super fast and easy.  It was perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. 

Pork Chops with Hoisin-Molasses Barbecue Sauce
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, March 2008

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
3 cups hot cooked white rice

Directions:
1. Combine sugar and molasses in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes or until sugar melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in hoisin, vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and garlic; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and keep warm.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper over pork. Add pork to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add pork to hoisin mixture, turning to coat. Serve with rice.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Pork and Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry

I love brussels sprouts.  I like the cabbagey-sweet flavor of them.  Unfortunately, my kids aren't the biggest fans of them and just from the name of this recipe, they play a big role in this dish.  If you are a brussel sprouts fan than this recipe is for you.  It is so quick and easy making it a perfect weeknight meal.  I served it over rice, as shown below.

Pork and Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry
Every Day with Rachael Ray, October 2011

4 Servings

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 pound boneless pork loin chops, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
2 scallions, whites and greens sliced separately
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:
Heat 1 tbsp. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pork and cook until golden; transfer to plate. Add remaining 2 tbsp. oil and sprouts to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add scallion whites and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, brown sugar and 1/4 cup water; cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Return pork to pan and toss to coat. Top with scallion greens.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

This post was shared at:

Things That Make You Say: "Mmmm"!
Our Delightful Home
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The Weekend Chef: Soy and Cola-Braised Pork Shoulder

We have wanted a Dutch Oven for the longest time and finally got one as a Christmas present from my in-laws.  Knowing we had the oven, I saw this recipe and thought it would be a perfect time to try it out.  I just picked the recipe and bought the ingredients, then left the rest for The Weekend Chef.  We opted for the Asian-style tacos and served the shredded meat in soft tortillas with marinated match-stick cucumbers (in rice vinegar).  This really is a weekend type recipe because it cooks for almost two hours and requires occasional turning.  However, depending on the size of the pork shoulder and the size of your family, you may have leftovers which can either be eaten as lunch or another dinner.  We served ths with some roasted potato wedges.  All I can say is YUM!  The tenderness of the pork with the sweetness of the sauce.  Amazing!  The Weekend Chef is now pysched to cook up some more deliciousness in the Dutch Oven, so stayed tune for more recipes!

Soy and Cola-Braised Pork Shoulder
Cooking Light, October 2011

Serve this East-meets-West pulled pork on hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls with shaved cucumber and carrot ribbons tossed with rice vinegar. Or stuff it into tortillas for Asian-style tacos with matchstick-cut cucumber and carrot.


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 (3 1/2-pound) bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cola (such as Coca-Cola)
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
1 cup diagonally sliced green onions

 Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 300°.

2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt. Add pork to pan; sauté for 8 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove pork. Add ginger and garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in cola and the next 3 ingredients (through soy sauce); bring to a boil. Return pork to pan; cover. Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 50 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Remove pork from pan, and let stand for 10 minutes. Shred pork with 2 forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid.

3. Place pan over medium-high heat; bring cooking liquid to a boil. Cook 15 minutes or until reduced to about 2 cups, stirring occasionally. Combine pork and 3/4 cup sauce in a bowl; toss to coat. Top with green onions. Serve pork with remaining 1 1/4 cups sauce.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Slow Cooker Pork

I had a pork shoulder in the freezer that I wanted to use and found this recipe.  I love using the slow cooker, especially on those days when I don't really feel like cooking.  Once the pork was cooked, I shredded it and served it in tacos.  I had both hard and soft shells for variety and served this with yellow rice and frozen veggies.  My kids love tacos so this was a hit with them.  This was also their first time having hard taco shells which they loved.  Their was very little hands-on cooking for this recipe.  We served it with mexican blend shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa.  I am giving it two thumbs up though because everyone enjoyed the meal, and that doesn't happen very often!

Slow Cooker Pork
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com - by 2obies

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork shoulder
1 (1 ounce) package low-sodium taco seasoning mix
chili powder to taste

Directions:
1.Place pork shoulder in a slow cooker.  Rub with taco seasoning. If desired, add chili powder. Place lid on pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

2.Remove pork shoulder from pot and shred.

*Note:  I did not add any water to this recipe.  As the pork cooks it provides enough liquid.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

Garlic Sesame Pork Tenderloin

Today was a slowcooker day.  I made Garlic Sesame Pork Tenderloin in the slow cooker and served it with Peanut Noodles and Oven Roasted Broccoli (recipes to follow). I found two of these recipes over on the Cooking Light message boards.  Thanks to little_bopeep for posting the Garlic Sesame Pork Tenderloin recipe (originally posted by amcleod).  I cooked the pork on low for five hours but it was way overcooked for my liking.  I shredded it up as best as I could so it could gather up more of the sauce.  I even marinated the pork overnight, but didn't find it absorbed much of the flavor.  The sauce had great flavor though. 

Garlic Sesame Pork Tenderloin
Cooking Light Message Boards - little_bopeep (originally posted by amcleod)

Ingredients:
1 t honey
4 T soy sauce
2 T sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T brown sugar
1 T dry sherry (I usually use whatever wine I have open)
3-4 scallions, chopped

Whisk all ingredients together. put in ziplock bag w/the pork tenderloin and marinate 3 hours + (sometimes I do it overnight, just depends on how organized I am).

Cook on high for two hours and low for another two, or if you have time, low for five hours. Flip it over halfway through.
Family Rating: One thumb up.