Chili Colorado

I LOVE Chili Colorado..... Had it for the first time at a restaurant in California with my hubby's family... have craved it ever since... but wanted to make my own. I watched a you tube video on the Bon Apetit channel and gave it  a try. This uses dried chiles that you can find in the Mexican food section of most grocery stores or specialty stores. This is sooooooo good! you can serve in a bowl with tortillas or on a plate with Mexican rice and beans. We like to break pieces off the tortilla for a scoop... YUMMO!

Chili Colorado

5 dried Ancho chiles

2 dried pasilla chiles

2 dried guajillo chiles

3 cups chicken stock

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 " pieces

Vegetable oil

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 bay leaves

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh Mexican Oregano (if you have Italian oregano that's ok too)

5 cups chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

Take the dried chili's and remove the stems and seeds. You want soft pliable chiles, like a dried raisin. If they are dry and brittle they are too old and will be flavorless. (Throw those out.)

Bring the chicken stock to a boil then cover your chiles with it in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let steam for about 30 minutes until the chiles are plump and tender. 

Next you put the soaked chiles and all the soaking liquid into a blender and puree until very smooth.

Season your cubes pork shoulder with salt and pepper. In a large dutch oven pan, heat a couple of Tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 of the pork shoulder and brown all sides. You want to do this in two batches. If you over crowd the pan, the meat will steam instead of get a good brown caramel color on it. Remove the first batch to a bowl and do the same with the rest of the cubed pork. 

Add all the pork back into the pot, and add the garlic, bay leaves, cumin, chopped sage and oregano. Stir that around over medium heat until very fragrant (about a minute)

Next, add the 5 cups chicken stock and simmer uncovered for about an hour. Then add the chile puree and simmer another 45 minutes or until the meat is very tender and your sauce is a rich thick mahogany red color. 

Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve this in a bowl with tortillas on the side. I like to garnish with diced avocado and a bit of  plain cole slaw mix.  you  can also serve along side some Mexican rice. We like to use the tortillas like scoops by breaking off a small piece and scooping into the chili colorado... sooo goood. 

Sticky Asian Ribs

I know rib and grilling season is about over, but I didn't get a chance to post this until now. And who knows, you may get a nice Winter day and say hey, I need ribs today. This recipe also mostly cooks in the oven at a lower temperature and then I finish grilling at the last and baste with the sauce. I served mine with an Asian noodle salad, but it would also be great with "Rumbi" rice or an Asian cole slaw. I looked up "best ever Asian Ribs" and found quite a few recipes. I took what sounded good from those recipes and added a few ideas of my own and this is what I came up with. LOVED them!
Enjoy!

Sticky Asian Ribs
2 slabs meat baby back ribs, cut into 3 or 4 bone pieces
Hoisin sauce
Rub:
1/3 cup Brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice (more or less)

Preheat oven to 275.
Brush Hoisin sauce over both sides of the ribs, then sprinkle with your rub mixture. Place one piece of rib in aluminum foil, and fold to make a tight little packet, place on Cookie sheet. Continue until all of your rib pieces are in foil packets and in a single layer on the cookie sheet.
Bake in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
Remove from oven and let cool just so you can handle the foil.

While ribs cook make your BBQ sauce:
1 Tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tablespoons Honey
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon chili sauce
Whisk all of the BBQ ingredients together in a medium sized saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Let cook until thickened. Set aside.

Heat grill to medium heat while ribs cool. Once you are able to unwrap the foil, carefully grab ribs with tongs and place on grill, top side down. Brush the side that is up with BBQ sauce and grill for about 5 minutes with grill lid closed.
Carefully turn the ribs over, brush the tops with more BBQ sauce and let grill for another 5 minutes. Remove to large cookie sheet or serving platter.
Garnish with toasted Sesame Seeds and chopped green onion if desired.
Enjoy.
*Remember you can adjust seasonings to taste....

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Ok, I didn't use to like biscuits and gravy.... but my hubby loves them. I don't make this for breakfast very often since I've been trying to eat healthier, but sometimes, on a chilly October morning, you just need to make a batch.
This recipe for the biscuits is from here , from Farmhouse Rules that comes on the Food network. I had an epiphany while making the biscuits, it says to cut the butter into small cubes then cut into the flour, but I thought, why not just grate the butter into the flour!! I hate trying to cut those small cubes into the flour! It worked! when I was about halfway through the cube I dusted the grated butter with some of the flour other wise it would become one big lump of grated butter. Worked awesomely and made fluffy biscuits. I dare you to try it. The sausage and gravy is just one of my own recipes, it's generally how you make a white gravy after frying bacon, pork chops, and in this case sausage.
Enjoy!!

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

For the Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

8 tablespoons butter (1 cube)

1 to 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, plus more for brushing

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper to sprinkle on biscuits

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place rack in the center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of the pepper, the salt, sugar and baking soda. Grate the butter into the flour and then mix with your fingers until combined. Stir in 1 cup of the buttermilk, adding 1/4 cup more if needed, until a rough dough forms.

Turn the dough onto a work surface, knead gently to combine, and then pat into an 8-inch square. Cut into 9 square biscuits and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with buttermilk and sprinkle the Kosher salt and ground black pepper over the tops. Bake until the tops are golden and the biscuits are fluffy and cooked through, 15-20 minutes.

For the Gravy:

Ingredients:

1 pound Jimmy Dean sausage

2 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk,  and maybe just a little more

Dash or two of Frank's hot sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage in a large skillet until browned and crumbly. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with a paper towel.

Keep the drippings from the sausage in the skillet, if it looks like less than a 1/4 cup add a tablespoon of butter or more as needed to make about 1/4 cup of grease. Heat skillet to medium high and add the 1/4 cup of flour. Stir with a whisk and cook and stir the flour for a minute or two. Then, slowly add the 2 cups of milk while whisking into the flour mixture so you don't get lumps. Keep whisking slowly over medium high heat while this gravy mixture comes to a boil. This should thicken.... This process usually takes 3 or 4 minutes. If the gravy becomes too thick add a little more milk. Next, add the dash or two of hot sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper, taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Add the sausage back into the pan and stir to combine. Cut biscuits in half and spoon gravy over the biscuits as individuals desire. Enjoy!!!

Sweet Spicy Shredded Pork

I came up with this recipe on my own.... My hubby and I have been eating LOTS of salads lately, and sometimes I get tired of cut up grilled chicken on mine. I love the pork that a popular restaurant puts on there salads so I tried to recreate it. This was awesome on a salad or in a quesadilla....would also be great as a filling for tacos with a cilantro lime coleslaw on it. YUMMO

Sweet Spicy Shredded Pork
a 2 or 3 pound pork roast (i like to use pork blade roasts)
1- 10 oz can medium enchilada sauce
1- 4 oz can diced green chilies
2 packed Tablespoons  brown sugar
ground chipotle pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Pour half the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a large crock pot. Place your pork roast in next and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little chipotle pepper.
Add the brown sugar and green chilies to the other half can of enchilada sauce and pour over the roast.
Cook on high for 6 to 8 hours until pouk is falling apart. Remove pork and bones from crock pot and throw away the bones. Next, strain the juice into a large skillet and bring to a boil; simmer until it becomes slightly thickened.
While your sauce is reducing shred the pork. Once the sauce is thickened add your shredded pork and the chilis that are left in your strainer (be sure you have removed any bones.) Toss to coat the pork in the sauce. Taste at this point, add more salt and pepper and more chipotle pepper if desired for more heat.
This is so good on a salad with a cilantro-lime ranch dressing or in a taco or quesadilla or a burrito with beans and rice, there are lots of things you can do with this yummy pork. Enjoy!

Hawaiian Pork

Goodness! time flies when you're having fun.... and summer is a fun time. I have been eating alot of BBQ, pulled pork and ribs, and all that this summer. The other day I looked in my freezer and all I had was pork!!! Goodness when will chicken go on sale? So I decided to do something different. I had country style pork ribs in my freezer and rather than drown then in BBQ sauce I decided to make a stir fry. I just threw this and that together and this is what I came up with... it was really good for a change and a good way to use up some of my sugar snap peas from my garden and onions. I got the sauce recipe out of my stir fry cookbook, but I substituted lemon juice for the pineapple juice because I simply couldn't bear to open a can of pineapple for 1/4 cup of juice... unless you are going to put the pineapple in the stir fry... which is good too, but I just wanted vegetables. The lemon juice brighten the sauce and cut some of the sweetness I think. Enjoy!

Hawaiian Pork
2 small pkges. country style pork ribs (I had about 10 pieces)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (found in the oriental food section of most grocery stores)
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and Pepper, just a few dashes of each

Toss together the pork, hoisin sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in your crock pot  Cover and turn on high and let cook for 2-3 hours (I let mine cook while I was a church) This will be fork tender (mine fell apart). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then chop or slice into bite size pieces.

( Now is a good time to start cooking your rice according to package directions.)
Now chop your veggies:
1/2 red bell pepper, diced into bite size pieces
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced into bite size pieces
1 medium sweet onion, diced into bite size pieces (I use Walla Walla thanks to my Mother -in-law :)
2 cups or so sugar snap peas, ends removed
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained
Olive oil for stir-frying
 Hot cooked rice for serving

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil, when oil is hot, toss in the peppers and onion; cook  over medium high heat for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crunchy tender. Then toss in the peas and water chestnuts and cook again over medium high heat for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas are just slightly tender and water chestnuts are hot.
Now toss in your cooked pork and the  sweet and sour sauce (see recipe below) and simmer until meat is warm and sauce has thickened.
Serve over hot cooked rice and Enjoy!! YUM!

**Next time I make this I will try with pineapple juice and pineapple chunks just to see if that's as good as it sounds. Feel free to substitute any vegetable that you like, it's always fun to experiment with stir fry recipes.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
In a small bowl stir together
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar,
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup lemon juice (or pineapple juice)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Set aside and add when you add the meat to the stir fry.

Smoked Pork Loin

I LOVE new cookbooks, I just want to make everything!!! I got a new Best Grilling Recipes from Cook's Country and have spent lots of evenings drooling over the pictures. Does anyone else do that? I would love to try out a recipe everyday! Anyway, this recipe was in there, but I tweaked it a bit to what I had on hand. We loved it! It was juicy and flavorful,  I love anything smoked in my smoker. I served this with steamed veggies and red mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Smoked Pork Loin
Marinade:
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup whiskey such as Jack Daniel's (or if you prefer just add chicken broth instead)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 (2-1/2 to 3 pound) boneless pork loin

Spice Rub:
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

To make the marinade; whisk the mustard, whiskey (or chicken broth) soy sauce, sugar, Worcestershire, and garlic together. Place the pork loin in a gallon-sized Ziploc baggie and pour the marinade over. Press the air out and seal the bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours. (I let mine marinate overnight and put on the smoker in the morning) Flip the bag over halfway through marinating time.

Make the spice rub by combining the paprika, sugar, chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper, salt and cayenne in a small bowl. Remove the pork loin from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture evenly over the pork loin, then wrap with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for an hour before grilling. (You can refrigerate for up to 24 hours like this, but let sit at room temperature for an hour)

There are lots of different ways to grill or smoke this. I used my Treager smoker. I heated it on high for 5 minutes until there was a good fire going; then turned to smoke and let the pork loin smoke all Sunday morning (for about 3 to 4 hours depending on how big the pork loin is)

If you have a gas grill, you can soak about 2 cups of wood chips in water and seal in a foil packet, then place the packet directly on the primary burner. Turn all the burners to high, cover, and heat the grill until hot and wood chips begin to smoke heavily (about 15 minutes) Leave the primary burner on high, and turn off the others. (You want to maintain the grill temperature between 350 to 400 degrees). Place the pork, fat side up, on the cool part of the grill away from the coals and flames. Cover and cook until the meat registers 130 to 135 degrees on an instant read thermometer (this takes about an hour on a gas grill)

When pork is done transfer the pork to a carving board and tent loosely with foil. Let this rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. Slice the pork into 1/2 inch thick slices and serve.
I served with Barbecue Sauce, you can make your own or use your favorite kind from the store ( I like the Kraft Chipotle flavor)
Enjoy!!

Here's an easy BBQ sauce if you need one.
Pantry Barbecue Sauce
1-1/2 cups Ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/2 to 1  teaspoon liquid smoke
Salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl, season with Salt and pepper to taste and serve. Can be stored in the refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Orecchiette With Spicy Sausage and Chicken

I just got my new Food Network Magazine and this recipe was inside.... just what I was craving lately! Pasta!! I especially like the little Orecchiette pasta (it looks like little ears or hats.. too cute and yummy) I have a similar recipe on my blog like this with hot sausage but this one's not quite as saucy... but it's still good! I added some diced cooked chicken to the recipe as well, because I had some I needed to use up and I thought it would be good. I served mine with cheesy french bread and a tossed green salad. Enjoy!!

Orecchiette With Spicy Sausage and Chicken
Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine
Serves:4 servings

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
12 ounces orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
8 ounces fresh chorizo or other spicy sausage, casings removed ( I used hot Italian sausage)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts
2 spring onions (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced, plus more for topping ** See note below
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (or minced)
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced ( I just used sliced button mushrooms because that's what I had)
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (Optional, but I LOVE basil so I added it. )
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the spring onions and cook until softened, about 3 more minutes. Add the cooked chicken, garlic, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and fresh basil and cook until the tomatoes soften slightly, about 3 more minutes.
Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the broth to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in the pasta and cheese, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.

 Divide among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with more cheese and spring onions. Serve with cheesey french bread and salad if desired-- YUM!

**NOTE: Spring onions have small mild bulbs with green tops. If you can't find them use a bunch of green onions or scallions.

Posole Rojo (Red Pork and Hominy Soup)

This is a delicious soup or stew (or should we say stoup like Rachel Ray) that I got out of my Food Network magazine. I had been looking for a good Posole recipe for a while. Jim's mom used to make him Menudo alot when he was growing up. She made it for us one year for Christmas Breakfast and after I saw what was in it, I couldn't eat it...(it has pigs feet and tripe in it). But Posole is a similar soup only made with a pork roast and hominy. I can handle that. This recipe even teaches you how to make your own chili sauce! Yum!! You can find quite the assortment of dried chillies in the Mexican food section of most grocery stores. It was easy!! (Although, be careful when rinsing the sieve out after you have made the sauce... I had a mist going and I think I invented my own 'pepper spray'... I couldn't quit choking!!) This soup was YUMMO!! it reminded me of those Hawaiian Chicken haystacks, where there is a basic dish and then everyone adds their desired toppings and makes it a meal! We especially liked putting some of the extra chili sauce, diced onion, and fresh cilantro on ours. Enjoy!

Posole Rojo
Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine
Serves:6 to 8 servings.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried chiles de arbol
4 or 5 dried ancho chiles
6 cloves garlic (2 smashed, 4 finely chopped)
Kosher salt
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut in half  (mine was about a 3 pound roast)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 bay leaf
3 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained and rinsed

For toppings:
Diced avocado, grated Cheese, Sour cream,  shredded cabbage, diced onion, fresh chopped cilantro, and /or tortilla chips

Directions:
Break the stems off the chiles de arbol and ancho chiles and shake out as many seeds as possible. Put the chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water; weigh down the chiles with a plate to keep them submerged and soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid to a blender. Add the smashed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing the sauce through with a rubber spatula; discard the solids.

Rub the pork all over with the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high. Push the onion and garlic to one side of the pot; add the pork to the other side and sear, turning, until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Stir in 2 cups water, the chicken broth, oregano, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the chile sauce (depending on your taste). Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and cook, turning the pork a few times, until tender, about 3 hours.

Stir in the hominy and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the pork starts falling apart, about 1 more hour. Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the pork to a cutting board; roughly chop and return to the pot. Add some water or broth if the posole is too thick. Season with salt. Serve with assorted toppings and the remaining chile sauce.

Slow Roasted Pork Carnitas

As you may already know, one of my favorite things to do is sleep in on Saturday mornings, (which usually means sleeping till about 7 ish, then watching cooking shows for about another 1 1/2 hours or until my stomach is growling so loud that I wake everyone else up. Last Saturday, I was watching Rick Bayless- Mexico-One Plate at a Time, and he made this dish. I did pretty much what he did, except I added a few more spices, all he used was salt. This was some of the best pork we had eaten in a long time!! It was easy to do too, most of the cooking was done in the oven while I was at church! We ate ours as tacos with pineapple salsa... and I made the leftover into enchiladas, but would also be good served by itself with refried beans and mexican rice with warm flour tortillas on the side along with salsa and guacamole!!  YUMMMMM!

Slow Roasted Pork Carnitas

 3-4 pounds Pork roast, (I did 2 smaller blade roasts, one boneless, about 2-3 inches thick)
Salt
Black Pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Red Chili pepper
Chipotle powder
Ground Cumin
1/3 cup chicken broth (or water if you don't have any on hand)

Heat overn to 300 degrees. Lay your roast in a large roasting or baking pan. Sprinkle liberally on both side with all of the seasonings. Pour the 1/3 cup chicken broth or water around the meat. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 3 hours.
After about 3 hours baking, roast should be done and kind of falling apart, but there are a lot of juices. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Uncover the meat and continue to cook until the liquid has mostly reduced and only the rendered fat remains, this takes about 30 minutes. Now continue to roast, carefully turning the meat every 8 to 10 minutes until the meat is good and brown. (mine fell apart but that's okay you want it kind of shredded). Do this for about another 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and break apart. Taste to see if you need more salt or pepper or any other seasonings to suit your taste. Serve with warm tortillas, or fill taco shells, whatever you desire!
Enjoy!

Smoked Ribs

We bought a Traeger Smoker last year, and I've been experimenting with Ribs all summer long. I finally got a recipe worthy of 'blogging' about. I loved this one-- I loved the flavor we got after 'painting' the ribs first with yellow mustard, and then smoking for about 6 hours. I used my usual BBQ sauce but I had added just a pinch or two of Jamaican Allspice. They weren't quite falling off the bone, but extremely tender, juicy and flavorful... YUMMO!!

Di's Smoked Ribs
2 racks Pork Baby Back Ribs
Yellow mustard (like French's)
Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
Traeger Poultry Rub (or pork and poultry rub, I used what I had)
BBQ sauce (any kind you like, I like my homemade sauce, see below)

Bring your Ribs to room temperature, by rinsing and patting dry, then let sit out on a cookie sheet till they are room temperature, (no longer than 30 minutes though).
When you are ready to smoke... have your smoker full of wood chips, we usually use Hickory, or Mesquite. I turn on our smoker and leave at the lowest setting which is Smoke, and let heat for 5 minutes with the lid closed.
While your smoker is heating, paint a thin layer of yellow mustard all over the ribs both sides. Then sprinkle the Montreal Steak seasoning over both sides, and then sprinkle a layer of the poultry rub over both sides.
When smoker is ready, place ribs bone side down on the rack and smoke for 5 to 6 hours until meat is starting to pull back from the bone. During the last 30 to 40 minutes, I brush BBQ sauce on the top of my Ribs every 10 to 15 minutes.
When done, remove from smoker and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing into single portions.
Serve with salads, or potato wedge fries, or chipotle mac n' cheese! YUMMO

Di's BBQ Sauce
I think my sauce turns out different every time I make it because I usually end up adding different spices like Jamaican All Spice, or more or less vinegar, and sometimes I add chipotle peppers or powder.... but here is my basic recipe.
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1 heaping teaspoon, minced garlic
1-1/2 cups water
1 sm. can tomato paste
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons liquid smoke (I usually use Mesquite or Hickory flavor)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder (use a whole teaspoon full if you like more spice
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook a couple more minutes until the onions turn translucent and start to brown slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine. Bring mixture to a boil over medium/high heat. Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 1-1/2 hours uncovered so the sauce will thicken slightly. Remove from heat. Use on ribs or in pulled pork for sandwiches or however you desire. Yummo!!!

Smothered Pork Chops

I haven't been cooking anything new lately... I've been way busy with a cake decorating class. It's been so fun!! But with the weather being like it is, cold and snowy and windy for this time of year, I thought of this recipe. I used to make it quite a bit, I love the gravy sauce on baked potatoes and the pork chops are really tender. This is another of my comfort foods, I got it from my mom when Jim and I were first married, I'm not sure where she got the recipe, but its a good one. It's an easy recipe, but remember the pork chops take about an hour to cook in the oven so keep that in mind. Enjoy!!

Smothered Pork Chops
6 lean pork chops
2 Tablespoons flour (approx)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon ginger (optional)
1/4 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a pie plate, mix together the flour and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, set aside. Rinse the pork chops with water, and pat dry with a paper towel.
Heat a large skillet with about 2 Tablespoons oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, dip your pork chops in the flour, you just want them to be lightly coated with the flour on each side. Place in skillet and let brown for a couple of minutes on one side, then turn and brown on the other side. Place browned pork chops in a 13x9 casserole dish.
Combine soups and seasonings  (except parsley) with 1/4 water in a saucepan; mix well. Heat this mixture through; then remove from heat; add the parsley flakes and sourcream. Mix to combine. Then pour over the pork chops in the casserole dish. Cover the dish with a sheet of aluminum foil, and seal the edges tightly. Bake in the over for 1 hour or until tender.
I like to bake my potatoes at the same time. The gravy is way good on the potatoes. YUMMO!!! This goes good with steamed veggies too!

Spicy Dr. Pepper Pork Tacos

I found this recipe here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/ but I"m re-posting here as I re-vamped it a little to our taste, and I did mine in the crockpot. You know me, I always am up for a new way to do tacos, So I had to give this recipe a try! It was yummy but next time think I will sprinkle a dash or two of ground chipotle pepper on the shredded meat, I thought it needed to be just a bit spicier. But it was way tender and kind of had a sweet spicy flavor from the Dr. Pepper and the chipotles. We topped our tacos with cheese, and shredded cabbage and salsa. Yummo!!

Spicy Dr. Pepper Pork Tacos
1 whole Large Onion
1 whole Pork Shoulder ("pork Butt") - 5 To 7 Pounds
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 small can Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce
1 can Dr. Pepper
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Flour or Corn Tortilla
Toppings: shredded lettuce or coleslaw mix,  diced tomatoes, grated cheese, avocado slices, salsa, and whatever else you’d like.
Preparation Instructions:

Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. Lay them in the bottom of a a crock pot.
Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the crockpot.

Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce.) Pour in the can of Dr Pepper. Add brown sugar to the juice and stir in.
Place lid tightly on crock pot, Cook on high for about 3 hours, then turn roast over, and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours more. (I cooked mine while I was at work and turned the roast over on my lunch break and turned down the crock pot to low). Cook for at least 6 to 8  hours, turning roast two or three times during the cooking process. Check meat after six hours; it should be absolutely falling apart (use two forks to test.) If it’s not falling apart, let cook for another hour or so.

Remove meat from crock-pot and place on a cutting board or other work surface. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can and discard it. Strain the onions out of the liquid as well. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve. (You can also refrigerate the meat and liquid separately, then remove hardened fat once it’s cold. Then heat up the liquid on the stovetop and return the meat to the liquid to warm up.) I only used about a cup of my cooking liquid with the meat.
Serve on warm flour or corn tortillas. Top with shredded lettuce or coleslaw mix,  diced tomatoes, grated cheese, avocado slices, salsa, and whatever else you’d like.Yummo!! I served mine with mexican rice and black beans. Yum!

Pulled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

My life has been way busy lately, and full of changes, but I did find time to make pulled pork tacos, you know how I love tacos!!  I saw the Neely's make them a while back on the Food network. Although, I didn't look up their recipe and did my own thing, these turned out way yummo!!! I made a pineapple salsa to go on the top, and also pico de gallo. We liked them best with a spoonful of both on top with cheese and an avocado slice on top. Yum!!!

Pulled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

1 Pork Roast (any kind, I used a pork shoulder roast about 2 to 3 lbs)
salt and pepper
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup diced onion
olive oil
12 Corn Tortillas
1 Avocado, sliced into thin strips
Pineapple Salsa (recipe to follow)
Pico de Gallo (see recipe under salsa's)
Grated Cheese

Place Pork roast in a crock pot along with the chicken broth and season with salt, pepper, Chili powder, ground cumin, and a little cayenne pepper. I just sprinkled some of each of the seasonings all over the roast. After this cooks you can season to taste. You could also just pour on some enchilada sauce instead of chicken broth.  I let my roast cook in the crock pot all day while I was at work. This makes it fall apart when you are ready to make the tacos.
When pork is done remove to a plate, strain juice and set aside. Let the pork cool slightly until cool enough to handle. Pull apart and shred with a fork.
In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon or two of oil, then add the diced onion and saute for 2 or 3 minutes. Then add shredded pork, cook 2 or 3 more minutes until hot. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Add a little of the reserved juice if pork is on the dry side.
Fry corn tortillas in skillet with about 1/2  inch of hot oil 1 at a time for about 30 seconds or so on each side, drain on paper towel. ( You want to cook them, but you still want them soft).
To assemble, spoon a spoonful or two of pork on 1 tortilla, add a spoonful of pineapple salsa and pico de gallo if desired. Sprinkle on some grated cheese, and add a slice of avocado. Fold over like a taco and enjoy!!




Pineapple Salsa
1 medium size pineapple, cored and quartered
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper (or two if you like spice)
At this point, I grilled my pineapple and veggies on a grill at medium heat for about 10 minutes or until they had good grill marks, turning after 5 minutes. I think grilling them just makes the flavors of each taste a little sweeter. You don't have to grill them at all if you don't want to.
Cool, then dice everything and place in a medium size bowl.
Then add:
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you want your salsa)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and black pepper to taste
Toss to combine.

BBQ Pizza

I had a lot of leftover pulled pork from the other night 's YM/YW's activity and I was craving pizza. I love BBQ chicken pizza and the chicken club pizza I make alot, so I came up with this. Would be good with cooked chicken too!!

BBQ Pizza

2 cups pulled pork
10 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
BBQ sauce (I love Sweet Baby Ray's Original)
2 cups grated cheese
Chipotle Coleslaw--see my recipe on this blog
Diced tomatoes
Diced avacado
Pizza dough-- see my recipe on this blog

Preheat oven and pizza stone to 425 degrees. (if you don't have a pizza stone, just lay out dough on a cold greased cookie sheet or pizza pan) When pizza stone is hot, carefully remove from oven and lay dough out on it that you've rolled out in flour and cornmeal to the approximate size of stone. After you've gotten the dough on the stone quickly squeeze on the BBQ sauce, and then distribute the pork around evenly. Place in oven and bake 10 minutes. Then sprinkle on crumpled bacon and grated cheese and bake another 3 to 5 minutes until crust is done and cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and cut into pieces. Spread coleslaw on the top and garnish with diced tomatoes and avacado. Enjoy!!! This is my new favorite!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Cole Slaw

I love pulled pork sandwiches, especially topped with coleslaw. I serve these quite a bit in the summer for big family BBQ's cuz you don't have to heat up the oven. We made these last night for a YM/YW's combined end of school year dinner, those that dared to put the coleslaw on them, loved it! That's the only way I eat pulled pork sandwiches now. Serve with potatoe wedge fries, chips or salads and Yummo!!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

a 3 or 4 pound Pork Roast (any will do, I buy whatever's on sale)
Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning (or what ever seasoning you want to use, regular salt and pepper works too with a little garlic powder, and onion powder)
Liquid Smoke ( I like the hickory flavor)
BBQ sauce (recipe to follow)
Hard rolls
Cole Slaw (see recipe on my blog -both original and chipotle coleslaw are great)

Stab holes with fork all over roast, sprinkle with liquid smoke and Montreal Steak seasoning. Place roast in crock pot or roaster on low, let cook all day. (or on high for 5 to 6 hours) When Pork is fall apart tender, remove from crock pot and shred with two forks or pull apart with your fingers after it's cooled a bit.
Drain juice from crock pot (I strain it into a small container to add to pork later if necessary) Place pulled pork back in crockpot, and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Add BBQ sauce to taste and if pork is dry add a spoonful or two of the juice.
Serve on hardrolls (my favorite are the hardrolls you can get at Walmart) Top with a spoonful of coleslaw and enjoy!!

BBQ sauce 
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1-1/2 cups water
1 can tomato paste
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1-3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (I usually use Mesquite or Hickory flavor)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes till they turn translucent and start to brown slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 1-1/2 hours uncovered so the sauce will thicken slightly. Chill or pour over pulled pork (may not need all of it, can keep leftovers in a tupperware in freezer or in jar in fridge for later use)

Lettuce Wraps

I love lettuce wraps! You could make these with pork (I used the Kalua pork recipe I already posted) or cooked chicken, or whatever you have. This was something different to have for dinner, and fun! May look like a lot of work, but it's really easy and cooks quick. Have your ingredients all prepped before you start cooking

Lettuce Wraps
Cooked meat (shredded pork, or chopped chicken about 4 cups or so...)
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/2 package fresh sliced mushrooms(the larger size package)
3 or 4 green onions, chopped
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic

1 or 2 heads of iceburg lettuce (depending on the size) I've used romaine lettuce too, just doesn't form a cup, but if you break off the bottom half that has the end rib part, it folds up like a taco really nice.

Special Sauce:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
To make special sauce: Mix sugar and water and stir a minute or two to dissolve the sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to eat the lettuce wraps.
*may want to double this sauce if serving more than 4 or 5 people.
Have sriracha hot chile sauce and prepared Chinese Hot mustard on hand as well. More to follow on this.

Stir fry sauce:
2 Tablespoons Soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
11/2 teaspoon rice vinegar.
2 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce ( I use this quite a bit in stir fries, it's yummy. You can find it in the chinese section of the grocery store.)
Stir together in a small bowl.

To prepare the filling for the wraps, heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add green onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts,  and garlic, and saute a minute or two, then add the meat, and stir fry sauce, and saute a couple of more minutes until it's all heated through and sauce coats the meat well.

To assemble: (I let everyone assemble their own,) I serve the meat mixture in a bowl, and have lettuce cups on another plate or bowl--to make these, slice the top off of a head of lettuce right through the middle of the head. Pull your lettuce cups off of the outside of this slice.
Give everyone a small bowl to put a spoonful or two of the special sauce in. Than each person can add however much of the sriracha chili sauce and Chinese hot mustard to this as they like for spiciness., stir well.
Assemble letttuce wraps by spooning meat filling into a lettuce cup, adding special sauce over the top, folding up like a taco , and then eat up and enjoy!!! Yum!!

*I used a whole 3-1/2 pound pork roast that I shredded and chopped, or you could get roasted chicken and chop up .

Kalua pork in a slow cooker

This is a simple way of making traditional Hawaiian kalua pig without having to dig a hole in your back yard. It is a great tasting pork you could use for lettuce wraps, tacos, BBQ pork sandwiches with added BBQ sauce.. it was way tender. I used it for lettuce wraps... will post recipe for that later.

Kalua Pork
Original Recipe Yield 12 servings

Ingredients:
1 (6 pound) pork butt roast  (I had a 3 1/2 pound roast, made a lot)
1 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring  ( I used the Hickory smoke flavor)

Directions:
Pierce pork all over with a carving fork. Rub in salt, then liquid smoke over meat. ( I didn't measure the salt or liquid smoke... I just sprinkled it over the roast and rubbed it in) Place roast in a slow cooker.
Cover, and cook on Low for 16 to 20 hours, turning once during cooking time.
Remove meat from slow cooker, and shred, adding drippings as needed to moisten.
Yum!!!

Di's Rib's

I started making ribs a few years ago, they turned out so good, it's usually what we make for our family 4th of July party! Yum!!! You can use the recipe for sauce that I've typed here, or use Sweet Baby Ray's Original BBQ sauce found at most Grocery stores.

Ribs

2 or 3 large racks Baby Back Pork ribs (or spare ribs work okay too!)
Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning

Cut each rack in half or into thirds if really big. Using heavy duty aluminum foil, tear off a square for each piece of rib. Place one piece of rib on 1 square of aluminum foil, sprinkle liberally on each side with Montreal Steak seasoning. Then bring up the two long sides of foil and roll down, then roll up ends, creating a packet. Do all the pieces of ribs this way. Can rest in the refrigerator over night or until your ready to cook. Then preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place ribs on a cookie sheet in a single layer, place in oven when hot and bake for 2 1/2 hours.Cook sauce while the ribs are cooking in the oven.
When done take out of oven and let rest for 15 minutes while grill heats up.
Remove from packet and place on hot grill for about 5 to 10 minutes per side so you get those grill marks that restaurant ribs have and the meat crisps just a bit. Brush the BBQ sauce on during the last few minutes of cooking per side. Don't put sauce on too early or it will burn. I usually get grill marks on each side, then add sauce and cook a minute or two longer per side.

BBQ Sauce:
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1-1/2 cups water
1 can tomato paste
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1-3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (I usually use Mesquite or Hickory flavor)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes till they turn translucent and start to brown slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 1-1/2 hours uncovered so the sauce will thicken slightly. Remove from heat until ribs are ready.