Pork

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BBQ Oven Baked Rib for Gloria

A long time ago I had to stop eating fatty foods they started to do a number on my stomach. A few things made me decide to go for it this year, 4th of July with Lyn asking what are we going to BBQ and Gloria who recently found my site and wanted to know if I had any good rib recipes.  To be truthful the last few times I made them I bought the precooked and just reheated, added my own sauce and there you had it quick and easy but I used to cook these and still had the how in my head.  Last year I won a contest with my pulled pork and root beer BBQ sauce so I still have it in me. Then Wholefoods had St. Louis Style ribs on sale and I grabbed a slab, gave it a rub down and let it sit in the frig until yesterday.  Cooking ribs are relatively easy just time consuming that being said there is a true art to cooking the perfect rib and I am still trying to master that I lift my smoker lid to all those that have satisfied my taste bud in my travels. I remember the road trip my brother and I took bringing Mom and Dad’s car down to Florida for them we had ribs all the way down each a different taste treat. I have to say there was a gap of eating ribs for me after that trip.

Ingredients

  • 1 Slab of St Louis style ribs about 2 lbs.
  • Rub – had a can of smoke house rub

How:

Remove the white membrane from the bone side of slab peeling it off with your hands (optional)

If you did not remove the membrane poke several holes in the bone side

Liberally apply the rub of your choice to all sides and give it a good rub, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours, I prefer 24+ in this case it was 48 hours.

apply the rub

I take two sheets of aluminum foil and join along the sides to make one large one, repeat and lay the 2nd on top.

Place the slab meat side down and fold the tinfoil to make an air tight package. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 225 to 250 for around 2 hours – until tender and the meat is pulling off the end of bones.

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Remove from oven, open foil and drain the liquid.

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Now brush BBQ sauce of your choice on all sides, you don’t need a lot.

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Here you can either turn heat up to 350 and cook for about 20-35 minutes or as I did move the slab to the cool side of the gas or gas grill and cook flipping once or twice for about 10-20 minutes

I cut the slab in half before the grilling, making it easier to flip and remove.

I was grilling some swordfish also and one of the apple smoke chip cans smoking away. (Drives the neighbors up wind crazy)

Remove cover loosely with aluminum foil and let sit for about 5 minutes, goes for the swordfish also.

Server up take a snap chat and send to you Mike and Laurel who were driving to Indiana enjoying rest stop food.

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Related articles
Everything is better with bacon
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Everything is better with bacon

My Sister sent this to me today and I had to shareWoman-skating-in-a-skillet-with-slabs-of-bacon-tied-to-her-feet-2-620x468

Woman-skating-in-a-skillet-with-slabs-of-bacon-tied-to-her-feet-1

Pork Carnitas in a Pita Pocket
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Pork Carnitas in a Pita Pocket

With the warm weather sneaking in everyone started to talk about ribs, pulled pork and the likes. I love pulled pork, saw this recipe and pinned it for another time. Well today my last day of vacation was that another time. I am so glad I did, I did to have any taco or tortillas but we did have some pita pockets worked just fine. I will warn you this is a slow cooking meal and the smell is like a brisket on a cold winter day it fills the air and it is hard to keep your stomach quiet.  I made the double mistake of doing some outside choirs then walking into the house.

 Ingredients

  • 4 pound boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 onion, peeled and halved
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 2 Tb fresh lime juice
  • 2 C water
  • 1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves

ingredients

How

1.  Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 300 degrees.  Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, including the spent orange halves and juice.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered.  Once it simmers, cover pot and transfer it to the oven.  Cook until the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2 hours.

cut into 2 inch chunks add all ingredients to dutch oven

2.  Remove the pot from the oven and turn on the broiler.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan and place it on a large foil-lined jelly roll pan.  Remove and discard everything from the pot except for the cooking liquid.  Place pot over high heat on the stove and boil until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.  You should have about 1 C of liquid remaining when it is finished.

simmer for about 2 hours break into 3 eaqual parts

3.  While the liquid is reducing, use two forks to pull each cube of pork into three equal sized pieces.

reduce to about 1 cup break into 3 eaqual parts

Once the liquid has become a syrup, gently fold in the pieces of pork into the pot.  Try not to break up the pork any further.

fold meat back into sauce

Taste and add additional salt and pepper.

4.  Spread the pork back onto the foil lined pan and evenly spread the meat around so there is a single layer of meat.  Place the jelly roll pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and broil until the top of the meat is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes.

remove from pot to cookie sheetUsing a wide metal spatula, flip the pieces of meat and broil the other side until well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes.  Serve immediately in a tortilla with all your favorite toppings.

Serve2

I intially thought it would be too dry but that was not an issue this was moist and tender no topping required.

Note: I squeezed some extra lime juice on it just before serving.

Pork Chops with Cider, Horseradish Glaze
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Pork Chops with Cider, Horseradish Glaze

I was shocked that Lyn choose bone in pan fried pork chops for her free meal this week. I always loved the taste of pan fried pork chops and the added treat of a bone to munch on it was like a dessert for me. Maybe she had too many of these growing up but being a nice Jewish kid pork did not make it to our table that often, we were reformed reformed Jews. There is something about pork and winter that go together.

Ingredients

forgot to leave out the horsradish for picture it is shy

forgot to leave out the horseradish for picture it is shy

Serves 2-4

Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup hard or pressed apple cider
  • 2 Tbsp. freshly grated or prepared horseradish
  • 1/2 tsp. table salt
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper

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Chops:

  • 4 bone-in loin pork chops, 1/2-inch thick, about 1 1/2 pounds total, at room temperature
  • Table salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Pork chops with Cider, horse radish glaze

Garnish

  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

1. Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Trim any excess fat from around chops until you only have about 1/8 inch of fat. Pat chops dry with a paper towel and generously season them with salt and pepper.

3. Heat oil in a heavy, 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until oil starts to smoke. Add pork chops to the skillet and cook them until they are well-browned, about 3 minutes. Turn chops and cook 1 minute longer, then transfer them to a plate and pour off any fat in skillet.

4. Pour glaze into the skillet and bring it to a simmer. Cook until mixture thickens enough that your spatula leaves a trail when scraped across the pan, 2 to 4 minutes.

5. Return chops and any juices to the skillet; turn to coat both sides with glaze. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the center of the chops registers 140 on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

6. Serve chops with glaze drizzled over them and sprinkled with dill.

Recipe adapted from “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” by Deb Perelman.

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Jerod Mayo Sandwich
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Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Jerod Mayo Sandwich

Jerod Mayo was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round (10th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft … Signed by the Patriots (7/24/08). This Thursday we play the Jets again we need him to play as he did the first meeting with I believe 11 Tackles – 10 Solo and 1 Assist and caused 1 fumble. He hits often and hard, maybe too hard sometimes. Here is a sandwich that hits you hard in a good way. This came from Scup’s In the Harbor the restaurant my sister and her husband used to own and operate in east boston, now they live on the opposites coast in Washington state but still root for the patriots. We even Skype some of the games for them if not on national TV. They are still keeping some stuff a secret so I had to wing it, gee my own sister go figure. Kind of like your Mom a little of this and handful of that.

 

Oh if you want a Thanksgiving Day recipe try my Buttermilk Marinated Turkey but marinated at least 8 hours or overnight turning once start breast side up.

 

Ok It’s half time let’s eat!

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Jerod Mayo Sandwich

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of Grilled Italian Bread
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Oven roasted cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half length wise. (Roast at 450 for about 10-15 minutes) – You do not have to roast them if you do not want to or just can’t wait.
  • Crispy Smoked apple wood “thick” bacon
  • Sliced cheddar (optional)

Basil Mayo ( this is my recipe not theirs, secrets you know)

  • Whisk all ingredients together
  • 1 cup good mayonnaise
  • 10 to 15 basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon good olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Serve:

Make sandwiches cut in half and stake on platter or serve all ingredients on a platter and have a build your own sandwich.

The Ultimate BLT

 

 

Wendy says: I Hope Mr. Mayo enjoys his namesake sandwich.

 

Alternative sauce chili-mayonnaise

 

nepatriotslife life Mayo mentions

Video: Mayo goes down with shoulder injury.

Video: Jerod Mayo hates Tom Curran from CSNNE

Revitalizing The Dynasty Defense

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Boston Magazine 8-2009

Scup's in the Harbor

We admit it’s tough to make a bad BLT (there is bacon in there, after all). But it’s a genuine challenge to ace every element—crisp strips of meat, sweetly ripe tomato, lettuce with just the right crunch—and elevate this humble sandwich to warm-weather classic. Scup’s in the harbor rises to the occasion with cherry wood–smoked bacon and roasted cherry tomatoes nestled on red leaf lettuce. Sliced cheddar and a spot of pesto mayo add zing and texture without overpowering the key players, and sturdy slices of toasted wheat keep hands clean and flavor at the fore. Boston Magazine 8-2009

 

Lettuce Wrapped Pork with Pine Nuts in a Hoisin Sauce
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Lettuce Wrapped Pork with Pine Nuts in a Hoisin Sauce

Ok I have been absent for a little while, I have been cooking and taking pictures but just got into politics and maybe a little lazy. Ok mostly a little lazy. I am still on the fend for yourself diet so a lot of what I make is spur of the moment, open the Frig and see what’s in there. We did buy a new crock pot, do they still call them that? I did a quick beef stew in a red wine gravy which came out great but that’s another post to come.

Ingredients:

Remember I eyeball most times
  • 1 Tbsp. Peanut Oil.
  • About 1 lbs. of pork cutlet pounded then diced 1/8 to ¼” or smaller. If you partially freeze the cutlet it is so much easier to dice or mince.
  • 1 small onion 1 diced about 1/3 cup.
  • 1/2 red bell pepper minced
  • pinch or two of red hot pepper flakes cause spice is nice
  • 1/3 cup finely pan toasted pine nuts.
  • 1 ½ to 2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce.
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Romaine, Iceburg or Boston Bib Lettuce I suggest the Bib lettuce it wraps better. However, this was a spur of the moment meal. YA use what you’ve got.
  • 1 carrot diced small. I have a julienne which makes dicing so much easier

How:

In large skillet or WOK, heat the peanut oil until shimmering. Add the pork and stir fry over high heat until just cooked through about 3-5 minutes depending on the dice size. Use slotted spoon to remove the pork and put aside.

Add the onion, carrot and red bell pepper to the skillet cook over medium or slightly lower heat until soften about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts, and Hoisin sauce. Return the pork to pan stirring to coat evenly about 1 minute.

Spoon the mixture into lettuce leaves for wrapping.

Hint, you may have to remove pan from heat if it is too hot so it does not thicken up too much. You can always add a touch of chicken broth or water in needed but you want it semi thick not watery.

I served with Lyn’s homemade ginger pickled cucumbers on a bed of wide sliced carrots, now if she would only tell me how I could post.

Enjoy

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Lettuce wraps are turning up in restaurants across the country. First popular in Asian cuisines, lettuce wraps are now popping up on the menus of other styles of restaurants. In restaurants, they are most often offered as an appetizer, but I like them as my main course. Kids love them as they get to eat with their hands and it is ok. You don’t have to visit a restaurant to enjoy lettuce wraps. They’re quick and easy to prepare at home. This is also a great way to lower your consumption of carbohydrates by replacing the bread on a sandwich

Lettuce wraps are very easy to create with an almost endless array of ingredient variations. You can also use the same ingredients that you use in burritos, tortillas, pita bread, or spring rolls. Jut let your imagination and taste buds be your guide. They key to great wraps is the contrast of warm, flavorful fillings with the cool crunch of lettuce.

For a party, offer a variety of lettuces and a variety of fillings such as cold chicken salad, grilled beef teriyaki strips, Italian sausage, onions, shredded cheese, and water chestnuts.

Iceberg is the most common lettuce used, but the wide, strong leaves of romaine, red leaf, or slightly bitter escarole offer surprising changes of pace.

                                                                 

For best results, pick the largest, most pliable lettuce leaves. types to use are iceberg, red lettuce, radicchio and/or large spinach leaves. Dry lettuce well before using in the wraps.

To keep iceberg lettuce crisp, cut the core out. Fill the core with cold tap water, then drain for 15 minutes. It will stay crisp for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Lettuce wraps info from http://whatscookingamerica.net/Sandwich/LettuceWraps.htm

French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin
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French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin

Don’t you think that it is funny how when the leaves start to turn and cover the ground stews and roasts creep back into our diets? I suppose it’s because cooking something in the oven during the summer just heats up the kitchen and during the fall with windows closed the aroma fills the house. That is good because when you go out for the sweater weather walk and return to the house you are hit with that drool starting blast of goodness.   Pork Loin is one of my wife’s favorite cuts of meat, there is just so much you can do with it and we have. I saw this today and it reminded me of others I have tried and thought I would share it with you. Also included the how to double butterfly instructions on the bottom.

 

From America’s Test Kitchen

Why this recipe works:

Enchaud Perigordine is a fancy name for what’s actually a relatively simple French dish: slow-cooked pork loin. But given that American pork is so lean, this cooking method leads to bland, stringy pork. To improve the flavor and texture of our center-cut loin, we lowered the oven temperature (to 225 degrees) and removed the roast from the oven when it was medium-rare. Searing just three sides of the roast, rather than all four, prevented the bottom of the roast from overcooking from direct contact with the pot. Butterflying the pork allowed us to salt a maximum amount of surface area for a roast that was thoroughly seasoned throughout. And while we eliminated the hard-to-find trotter (or pig’s foot), we added butter for richness and sprinkled in gelatin to lend body to the sauce.

Serves 4 to 6

We strongly prefer the flavor of natural pork in this recipe, but if enhanced pork (injected with a salt solution) is used, reduce the salt to 2 teaspoons (1 teaspoon per side) in step 2. For tips on “double-butterflying,” see step-by-step below.

Ingredients

  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 1(2 1/2-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4-3/4cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add half of garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and refrigerate.

2. Position roast fat side up. Insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of roast along 1 long side and cut horizontally, stopping ½ inch before edge. Open up flap. Keeping knife parallel to cutting board, cut through thicker portion of roast about ½ inch from bottom of roast, keeping knife level with first cut and stopping about ½ inch before edge. Open up this flap. If uneven, cover with plastic wrap and use meat pounder to even out. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over both sides of loin (½ tablespoon per side) and rub into pork until slightly tacky. Sprinkle sugar over inside of loin, then spread with cooled toasted garlic mixture. Starting from short side, fold roast back together like business letter (keeping fat on outside) and tie with twine at 1-inch intervals. Sprinkle tied roast evenly with herbes de Provence and season with pepper.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add roast, fat side down, and brown on fat side and sides (do not brown bottom of roast), 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large plate. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, apple, and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, thyme, and bay leaf; cook for 30 seconds. Return roast, fat side up, to pot; place large sheet of aluminum foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until pork registers 140 degrees, 50 to 90 minutes (short, thick roasts will take longer than long, thin ones).

4. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. While pork rests, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup chicken broth and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf from jus. Pour jus into 2-cup measuring cup and, if necessary, add chicken broth to measure 1¼ cups. Return jus to pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. Whisk softened gelatin mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley into jus and season with salt and pepper to taste; remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Slice pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices, adding any accumulated juices to sauce. Serve pork, passing sauce separately.

How to “Double-Butterflying” a Roast

Steve says: I have tried this on a lot of different roast and my god does it enhance the flavor

When butterflying a narrow roast like pork tenderloin, a single bisecting cut will usually suffice. But to open up wider roasts like the center-cut pork loin used in our French-Style Pot-Roasted Pork Loin, we make two parallel cuts. This technique exposes more of the meat’s surface area to flavorful seasoning.

1. Holding chef’s knife parallel to cutting board, insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of roast and cut horizontally, stopping ½ inch before edge. Open up flap.

 

2. Make another horizontal cut into thicker portion of roast about 1/2 inch from bottom, stopping about 1/2 inch before edge. Open up this flap, smoothing out rectangle of meat.

Step-by-Step

Secrets to Juicy, Rich-Tasting Pot-Roasted Pork Loin

Thanks to their well-marbled pork, the French can get away with pot-roasting the loin, one of the leanest cuts of the pig, without drying it out. Here’s how we adapted their approach to super-lean American pork loin.

 

“DOUBLE-BUTTERFLY” AND SALT Opening up the roast like a tri-fold book creates more surface area for seasoning, ensuring that the salt thoroughly penetrates the meat.

ADD FAT Spreading garlic butter over the surface enriches this lean cut, bringing it closer in flavor and juiciness to well-marbled French pork. We then fold up and tie the roast.

 

 SEAR TIED ROAST ON 3 SIDES Browning only the sides of the roast that are not in contact with the pan during roasting prevents the bottom of the meat from overcooking.

COOK IN LOW OVEN Roasting the pork in a gentle 225-degree oven until medium guarantees that the meat will cook up tender and juicy, not chalky and dry.

 

ADD GELATIN Adding gelatin to the exuded meat juices replaces the body and richness lost by omitting the pig’s trotter used in the French original.

 

 

There is a good video of this recipe

 

Pork with Pineapple
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Pork with Pineapple

Never really understood coupons, always seems that they are for something I do not use. Switching to another brand just because I can save 20 cents made no sense, will I like it, and back in the day will the kid eat it. Don’t get me wrong I am not against using them for something we already use that would be foolish. Then there are the coupons that print out when you are checking out, you know the ones they are counting on you to forget about or leave at home. Save $7.00 on your next order of $70 or more. Can’t tell you how many times we have forgotten about them until we see them on the counter at home, after shopping. Why can’t they just add it to your non privacy store card and automatically deduct it, makes more sense to me.  Better yet why not get rid of those cards all together and give us lower more reasonable prices. So back to my point, we had one of these coupons and remembered it but had to go around finding things that we use to get the total up to take advantage of the coupon. We did it but one of the things was a buy one and get one free package of center cut boneless pork chops. I am still on the fend for myself diet so I figure I could put them to good use.  I decided with the suggestion from my wife that I could slip each chop and make cutlets. I know that the loin in the better cut for this but one makes do with what they have. So split and pound I did.

I made the following first and then some pan fried cutlets for salads and other meals.

Ingredients

  • ½ small pineapple or 1- 15oz can unsweetened pineapple.
  • 8 oz. of pork cullet slice thinly across the grain
  • 1 Tbsp. Cornflour
  • 1/ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. Ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. Light soy sauce
  • 2 Tsps. Sesame oil
  • 1 small clove garlic, crushed
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tbsp. peanut oil
  • 6 Spring Onions, slice
  • 1 green or red bell pepper cut into bite size pieces
  • Fresh coriander leaves for garnish.

Sauce:

  • 2 Tsps. Cornflour
  • ½ cup pineapple juice (either juice from other half or can).
  • 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce.

How

Skin the pineapple, clear all the eyes, and cut lengthways into triangles wedges. Trim away the core then cut across into slices.

Pound the pork until very thin and slice thinly across the grain

Toss Pork in a mixture of cornflour, salt and pepper until well coated.

Add soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic to pork and mix well

Heat peanut oil in wok or fry pan, add pork and fry just until the color changes. Add pineapple, bell pepper and  red pepper flakes reduce heat cover and simmer about 3 minutes. Give the sauce a quick stir and add to pork and stir until thicken, toss in spring onions and mix thoroughly. Spoon into serving dish.

Sauce: Add pineapple juice gradually to cornflour, mixing until smooth. Stir in soy sauce.

I prefer fresh pineapple rather than canned.

This can also be made with Chicken instead of pork, works well some might say better.

8 Healthy Facts About Pineapple

English: Pineapple on its plant, Costa Rica De...

From Webmd.comPineapple Discovery

In 1493, explorer Christopher Columbus found pineapples on Guadeloupe Island in the Caribbean. The fruit is also native to southern Brazil and Paraguay.

Pineapples in Colonial America

American colonists regarded pineapples as a luxurious treat because of their rarity and cost.

Pineapple Anatomy

A pineapple is the result of many flowers whose fruitlets have joined around the core.

Pineapple Nutrition

Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that may help arthritis pain by reducing inflammation. They are also a good source of vitamin C, which helps strengthen your immune system.

Pineapples in Hawaii

Some of the largest pineapple crops are in Hawaii, which produces 500,000 tons of the fruit each year.

Pineapple Selection

Pass over sour-smelling or bruised pineapples. Fruit from Hawaii or Central America tends to be freshest.

Pineapple Care

To make your pineapple softer and juicier, keep it at room temperature for one or two days before cutting.

Pineapple Calories

One cup of pineapple has 70 to 85 calories.

Pig Skins
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Pig Skins

You can assemble these game day pig skins ahead of time, if you like. For daintier eaters try pop in your mouth bite-size pig skins, make this recipe with 12 small potatoes instead. Or for a twist, substitute smoked turkey or chicken for the pork, heck make them all and pig out.

 Ingredients:

  • 6 medium Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • A couple of green onions slice thin for garnish
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce (I used my Root beer BBQ sauce but you can use your own)
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • 1 cup grated Monterey Jack
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded pulled pork (You can buy in store or make your own)

How:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick potatoes all over with a fork then arrange on a baking sheet and bake until tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh, leaving only about 1/4 inch of potato all around. (Save potato flesh for another use.)

In the meantime, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook until deep golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes more.

Preheat broiler. Divide half of the cheese among potato skins, then top with onions. Arrange pork on onions then top with remaining cheese. Broil until golden brown and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer potato skins to a platter and serve with BBQ sauce, sour cream, salsa on the side and what else BEER!

Go Pats!

Where did potato skins originate?

According to Yahoo Answers

Sorry to tell you, but they originated with TGI Fridays. But don’t worry, it wasn’t the original store in NYC. They were actually concocted by a hungry sous chef in the Atlanta store. The year was 1974.

I still think that Friday’s skins are the best. I was introduced to them in Cupertino, California around 1977, and every Friday night would go to the bar there for skins and beer (extra sour cream, please!). Got fatter than heck that summer.

Now that’s what Fridays would like you to believe is it true? Let’s hear from you?

Won a contest!
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Won a contest!

I have never entered a contest except with myself always trying to out do the time before if you know what I mean but I was told about this and said what the heck. And the Universe continues to rain on me, 4 dollar lottery winner, free desert and coffee last night at dinner and to return home to this. Hey it’s the small things in life that make it interesting.
Hi Steve,
I am very happy to announce that you have won my Barbecue Contest!
Let me tell you, your pulled pork kicks butt (no pun intended)!!!  And
I absolutely loved the root beer barbecue sauce.  It is so delicious
and kind of surprising too – I’ve used Coke in a marinade, but never
root beer as an ingredient.
So thank you so much for passing on that recipe.  I just need your
address and I can send you your gift certificate for $25 to Omaha
Steaks.  And we will be announcing your winning recipe in my latest
e-newsletter.
Deb

The winner is annoucement

www.homestarcuisine.com

Pulled-Pork with Vinegar-based and/or Root Beer BBQ Sauce recipe wins Home Star Cuisine BBQ Contest

 Steve Saver, of Milford, Massachusetts, took home the gold in Home Star Cuisine’s Ethnic and Family Barbecue recipe contest. His Pulled Pork with Vinegar-based and/or Root Beer BBQ sauce earned him a $25 gift certificate to Omaha Steaks.
The first and second runner-ups are Richard Radovsky, of Brockton, Massachusetts, and Jonathan Richmond. Radovsky submitted a recipe that originated in the Peruvian Andes, Steak Anticuchos. Richmond entered his Man O Man Barbecued Ribs. Both will also receive a $25 gift certificate to Omaha Steaks.

If you would like to try the winning recipe, go to the

Thanks to all who entered our BBQ contest………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Pulled Pork with Vinegar-Based and/or Root Beer BBQ SaucePulledPork
By Steve Saver,

Ingredients

3 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons sea salt

1 5-pound pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

12 hamburger buns or 24 slider size rolls for serving (we prefer whole wheat)

Directions

Mix the spices and salt together in a small bowl and then rub the spice blend over the pork. Cover with plastic wrap overnight in the refrigerator. If you are in a hurry, let stand for at least one hour.

Preparing the sauce – Vinegar-based or Root Beer

Two methods: Oven and Grill

Oven Method

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake, covered, until it’s falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees (about 6-7 hours). Keep in mind the pot you are using (my heavy cast iron pan can reach 250 degrees). Remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a large platter and let rest for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle (warm), use two forks to shred the pork. Put the shredded pork in a bowl, add barbecue sauce, and mix well to coat. To serve, place several ounces of pork on a hamburger bun and top with Spicy Slaw (see below).

Grill Method

Bring grill temperature up to high, then reduce to medium, looking to get temp between 180 to 250 degrees. Cook slow and low – I have a gas grill so I use indirect heat method.

Prepare as in Oven method. Place pork in disposable tin foil pan that has a couple of holes in bottom on the side without the heat. Grill, covered, until it’s falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees, about 6-7 hours. Turn once or twice during the cooking process. On the side with the heat, place your smoker tray. Optional: if you want you can wrap in tin foil and cook as above. This gives you moister meat but does not absorb the smoke.

Choices, choices, choices.

Why not both do meat for one hour unwrapped and then wrap and finish cooking (I like to experiment)?

Barbecue sauce (vinegar-based)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ cup hot water

1½ cups apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

In a small saucepan, stir the brown sugar into the hot water until completely dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low heat for approximately 5 minutes.

OK I like to make double the sauce ½ for pouring over the pulled pork and the other on the side. But I know some don’t like a vinegar sauce so I always have a bottle on the side.  Maybe, don’t do the vinegar sauce and just use the bottle. It’s up to you and the preferences of your guests.

Root Beer BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups root beer

2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

6 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

6 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine remaining ingredients; mix well and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes until sauce is reduced by half.

Serve with coleslaw, chips and grilled corn.