BBQ Pork in a Crock Pot!

While I am not particularly proud of the lazy photos taken for this recipe, I was very proud of how easy this BBQ Pork crock pot recipe was.  I decided on a Saturday morning a few weeks back that the pork that had been defrosting needed immediate attention, lest it wastefully go bad.

We can't be wasting food round these parts.  I can't stand wasteful things.  Like not recycling.  Or not finishing a glass of wine.  Or people who don't finish a plate of nachos.  Seriously?

Me and BBQ Pork are tight.  If there is BBQ Pork to be had on the menu, there's a very high probability that that is what I am ordering.  So, after consulting a few recipes on the intrawebs, I threw the pork in the crock pot and started adding ingredients.  Now, I could have used a bottle of BBQ sauce, but I didn't have any on hand.  However, all you need is a few ingredients to whip up a homemade BBQ sauce:

•  Ketchup - 1/2 cup
• cider vinegar - 1/4 cup
• brown sugar - 1 or 2 tbsp
• spicy mustard (optional) - 1 or 2 tsp

Mix it all up in a bowl, tasting as you go along.  Maybe it's too tangy - add more brown sugar.  Too vinegar-ish?  Add some more ketchup.  The spicy mustard is optional, but I liked the way it blended together.  Once you have a preferred BBQ taste, pour mixture over pork and into crock pot.   If I had had them on hand, I would have chopped up some onions and thrown them in here too.

Turn on your slow cooker and walk away.  You can do high for 6 hours or low for 8.  That's right.  Walk away and let the magic happen all on it's own.  Trust the slow cooker, it is your friend.

This is what I came back to.  I have to admit.  I was scared.  It was so dark and scary and I hadn't done ANY stirring or anything.  I was shocked - the sauce had gone from scarily red to scarily over brown.

Take two forks and start shredding the pork apart.  This is easy.  As this was happening, the sauces started blending back to a less burnt looking color.  It started to look like a BBQ sauce color.

 Once you've shredded, add to a sandwich.  I picked up a loaf of country wheat from Panificio in Beacon Hill.  So good.

Here's the final sandwich:

Stop judging. I was hungry. And it was BBQ Pork. Next time I make it, you'll see the ultimate BBQ pork sandwich, with onions, maybe some apple slides and a tangy slaw. But I have to admit, this pork, as lovely and plain as it was, did not last long in my house.

Pork Medallions with Peppers

This one is going into my regular rotation.  I can't believe how fast, healthy and tasty this pork recipe was.  Pork has been my go-to meat lately and with recipes like this, I don't see that ending anytime soon!  It comes from a 20 minute cooking recipe, so this recipe is a multi-tasker. 

Pork Medallions with Peppers (Cooking Light, January/February 2011)

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into medallions (or two pork chops)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 1/2 ts chopped fresh rosemary, divided
• 4 canned anchovies OR 3 tbsp minced calamata olives (I used calamata olives in my recipe)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

 

 

This one is easy - get chopping.  Once you're all chopped, it's go time.

 

Heat EVOO in a pan, let it heat up and add in your pork chops (or medallions) and let them get a sear on them - about 5 minutes.

 

Flip and add in remaining ingredients (except for balsamic).  Let saute for about 7 minutes or until peppers are soft and pork is cooking all the way through.

 

 

And done.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and a bit of rosemary.  I was so hungry I didn't take anytime to really plate this in any sort of appealing looking way.  I let the porkchops sit to ensure the juices stayed in the meat (5 to 10 is appropriate), and below is the result.  

Awesome! 

 

Spicy Lemon-Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

I am on a huge pork kick lately.  I'm not sure where this sudden swap has come from, but it means that chicken is out and pork is in.  I'm so bored by chicken.... even when I try to make it exciting, it still fails to impress me.  I'm over it like a bad date. 

But pork... oh pork.  When done right, pork is just an excellent meat.  I used to buy pork because it was on sale.  I would then cook it all wrong and force my ex to eat it.  Then I would be upset when he didn't love it, or even like it, for that matter.  And I am all like, shut up. and eat the damn pork that I have served you. we're poor and it was on sale.  Except we weren't poor at all.  But it was definitely on sale.  And sista loves a good sale.  (Apologies and I owe ya a solid pork dinner kid....)

So here's a new favorite pork recipe of mine:

Spicy Lemon- Rosemary Pork Tenderloin (from 2011 Food and Wine Cookbook):

• 6 tbsp EVOO
• 3/4 fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 rosemary leaves
• 2 tbsp crushed red pepper
• 6 garlic cloves
• four 1 pound pork tenderloins
• salt and pepper

You can't get any easier than this.  Take all the ingredients above and toss into a plastic bag for overnight marination.  Flip a few times.


Add caption

It'll come out looking like this.  And it will smell amazing.  This is raw meat, no tasting.  Though it's tempting, this I know.  Scrap a majority of the marinade pieces off.  This will feel wasteful, but it's not.  The meat has already absorbed all the amazingness.

Heat up a pan with a little EVOO and get ready to sear up the sides of these pork loins.  Also, heat your oven to 400.

 

 

Sear both sides for about five minutes per side.  Don't disturb the meat, let it get a nice char to it.  Once both sides are nicely seared, toss onto a baking sheet and pop into the oven for about 15 minutes or until the center is no longer pink. 



please excuse the disgustingness of my baking sheets.



Once the pork is fully cooked, remove from the oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.  I know you want to get into it, and fast, but letting the meat rest makes sure that the juices stay in the meat.  You don't want dried out pork now do you? 

I ate this on the run, so it was a protein dinner, but this meat is flexible enough to serve with a range of sides.  Maybe a fresh cous cous? Or some spicy green beans?  Or even some creamless corn?

Bon Appetit!

 

 

Marinated Pork with Mango Salsa

I posted this as a guest blogger for Meghan over at Travel, Eat, Love, while she traveled Ireland with her husband.  Check out my post here.

I don't reserve my best cooking for the weekends, I love to find easy to prepare, healthy dishes on the weekdays too.  There's something so satisfying about coming home and cheffing something from scratch, rather than having to rely on leftovers.  I came across this Caribbean Pork with Mango Salsa in Real Simple's January 2011 issue.  Amidst a ton of other pork recipes, this one called my name for it's simplicity and it's inclusion of Mango Salsa.

I know, I know.  Mango salsa isn't entirely in season right now.  But amidst all the winter kale and squashes and over kill of pumpkin and peppermint from the holidays, it feels so good to go against the grain.  So fresh.  So summer-y.  Wouldn't you like a taste of summer right now?

Caribbean Pork with Mango Salsa (as adapted from Real Simple)

• 1 mango, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• salt for tasting
• 1 pound of pork tenderloin, or chops
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground corriander
• salt to taste

 As usual, I was hestitant to think the Mango Salsa was going to have any flavor as the ingredients seemed too simple.  For some reason, I can't get over it in my head that sometimes less ingredients really can blow your socks off.  It's true though.

These simple, simple ingredients came together to make one of the most refreshing mango salsa's I have had.  I love the flavor and was ready to just eat a bowl of it straight up.  I know it's wrong, but sometimes a girl can't help herself.   

As for the pork, it's easy to throw together.  The recipe calls for broiling, but I am huge on pan searing lately.  So, at nearly room temperature, I patted my chops dry and seasoned as the recipe called for.  I heated 2 pans on medium high and added a bit of EVOO. (I don't have a pan large enough for two porkchops without crowding. If you crowd, you could lose the chance for them to get a sear.)  Once fired up and heated, I tossed the porkchops into the pans. 

You'll be tempted to touch.  To peek.  To check.  Resist.  Resist harder.  Have faith that four to five minutes untouched on each side with create a delicious sear.  Once they were seared, I tossed them into the oven at 450 degrees and cooked futher another 10 minutes or so, until the middle was no longer pink.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before slicing to preserve the juices in the meat.  If you slice too soon, they juices all run out and you lose some of the moisture.  Just say no to dried out meat.  Especially pork.  Pork gets a bad rap for being boring, but I think when it's done right, it's amazing.

Slice pork and top with Mango Salsa.  Serve with a freshly made salad, side of roasted veggies or some brown rice.  Dive in.  There's so reason you can't have a freshly made, healthy meal on busy weekdays!

Pork

Watch and learn. Did you know that pork is being used in these ways? Part of me thinks that it's respectful of the animal to use all/many of its parts, and part of me feels deceived that animal parts are in products that I use on a daily basis, without realizing it.