Slow Cooker Curried Apricot Pork Roast

I love the flavors of curry powder and apricots together, so recently I decided to use them in a pork roast that I made in a slow cooker.

I have not been particularly happy with roasts in the slow cooker but have been happier with them since I started cooking them for less time.  This roast reached 160 degrees in 3 hours.  I had allowed six hours, so I just turned my slow cooker to Keep Warm for the remaining time.

The sauce is great poured over rice, couscous or quinoa.  We really enjoyed this meal.

Slow Cooker Curried Apricot Pork Roast
2 1/2 to 3 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
1 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. pepper, coarse ground if possible
1 T. vegetable oil
1 jar (18 oz.) apricot preserves
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. curry powder
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. water

Trim any excess fat from the roast.  Heat oil in a large skillet.  Meanwhile, combine salt, garlic powder and pepper.  Rub mixture on all sides of roast.  Brown roast on all sides in hot oil.  Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker.  In a medium saucepan combine apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic and curry powder.  Heat and stir until preserves are melted.  Pour mixture over the pork roast.  Cook on low about 6 hours or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.  (See my comment above.)  Remove roast from slow cooker, cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes.  Pour sauce mixture into a saucepan.  Combine cornstarch and water and stir into sauce.  Heat and stir until sauce boils and thickens.  Slice roast and drizzle with apricot sauce.  The sauce is also good over rice, couscous or quinoa.

Pork Stew with Dill Dumplings

Happy Monday.  Welcome to my new followers.  Thank you all for stopping by my blog and reading my posts.  It is so nice to have you here.  Hope that you find the information I post useful.

Although it is still warm here, I recently was hungry for stew.  Pork is more tender than beef so it cooks more quickly.  This makes it a good choice for making stew in the summer.  Pork Stew with Dill Dumplings fits the bill.

Either pork shoulder or loin may be used, but the shoulder will be slightly more flavorful.  As with all stews, the vegetables can be changed to suit personal preferences.  Although I usually use frozen peas for this dish, the stew in the photos has drained, canned peas in it.  I had some of those left over in the fridge that needed to be used up.

Pork Stew with Dill Dumplings
1 to 1 1 /2 lbs. boneless pork, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 c. flour
1 t. paprika
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper, coarse ground if possible
2 T. or more vegetable oil
3 medium/large potatoes (about 1  1/2 lb.) peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 c. coarsely chopped onion
2-3 medium carrots (1 c.) cut into 1x1/4-inch matchstick pieces
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch bias slices
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14 oz.) low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. frozen peas
Dumplings
1 c. flour
2 t. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. dried dill weed
1/3 c. milk
2 T. vegetable oil
1 egg

Place flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a plastic bag and shake to combine.  Add pork cubes and shake until the cubes are coated.  Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven.  Add pork cubes, but do not let them touch.  (You may need to do this in two batches.)  Brown cubes on all sides.  Remove and set aside.  Continue until all cubes are brown, adding more oil if necessary.  Return pork to Dutch oven and add potatoes,  onion, carrots, red pepper, celery, bay leaf and garlic.  Stir in remaining flour.  Pour in chicken broth and stir well.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 30 minutes.  While stew is cooking, prepare dumplings.  In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and dill weed.  Stir to mix well.  Combine milk, vegetable oil and egg in a small bowl.  Add to flour mixture and stir just to  moisten dry ingredients.  Add peas to stew and bring back to a low boil.  Drop dumpling mixture by tablespoonsful into hot stew.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve.  Makes 6 servings.  Store dumplings and stew separately if there are leftovers.

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Panko Crusted Pork Cutlets with Go-To Dry Rub for Pork-Secret Recipe Club

My assigned blog for August’s Secret Recipe Club was Fit Mama Real Food. Heather has been blogging since 2009.  It turns out that she lives in the same state that I do.  I am, of course, probably old enough to be her grandmother.

Heather's emphasis is on a healthy lifestyle and cooking.  As always I found a number of recipes that went on my "to make" list:  Carne Asada Dry Rub, Irresistible Chocolate Brownie Cake or Muffins, Homemade Whole Wheat Dry Pancake Mix, and 4-Ingredient Tuna Cakes.

Because I had some pork tenderloin I planned to slice and cook for dinner, I decided to use Heather's Go-To Dry Rub for Pork recipe.   She had used it on grilled pork chops, but I figured that it would work with what I was making.  I was intrigued by the use of the allspice and cloves. These are not spices that I would have thought to use with pork.

Although I can never seem to get nice round pieces of pork when I pound out my tenderloin, the cutlets were very good.  They were nice and crispy on the outside and very moist inside.  I think that the flour in the rub helped the egg and panko to adhere to the cutlets.  I added the dry rub that was left over from rubbing the pork to the panko crumbs.  This helped to make the meat very flavorful.  This recipe will be going in the regular rotation of recipes for making pork tenderloin, and I will also be using the rub with pork chops.  Thanks, Heather.  This is a great one.

Panko Crusted Pork Cutlets with
Go-To Dry Rub for Pork

Go -To Dry Rub for Pork
2 T. flour white or whole wheat
2 t. dried oregano
2 t. thyme, crushed
3/4 t. pepper, coarse ground if possible
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. allspice
1/8 t. cloves

3/4 lb. pork tenderloin
1 egg
1 T. lemon juice
2/3 c. panko crumbs
2 T. butter
1 T. olive oil

Cut pork tenderloin into 4 slices.  Place between two sheets of waxed paper and pound until 1/4-inch thick.  In a small bowl combine flour, oregano, thyme, pepper, salt, allspice and cloves.  Mix well.  Rub spice mixture on both sides of pork slices and set aside.  (You will not need quite all of the rub.)  Beat egg and lemon juice together in a shallow container until  well blended.  In another shallow container, mix panko crumbs and any remaining rub mixture until well blended.  Dip pork slices in egg mixture and then into panko mixture.  Place on a plate until all slices have been coated.  In a medium frying pan, heat butter and olive oil until hot.  Add pork slices and cook 3-4 minutes until well browned, turn and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the second side is well browned.  Drain on paper towels.  Makes 4 slices.

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Pork Chops a la City Chicken

Good Monday to all.  Welcome to my new followers and thanks to all who take time from their busy lives to read this blog.  It is much appreciated, and I hope that the information found here is useful.

Back in the 1930’s, if you lived in a city, chickens were very difficult to get and very expensive.  Pork, on the other hand, was plentiful and cheap.  Creative cooks dreamed up a dish called City Chicken that consisted of cubes of pork which were threaded on skewers, rolled in seasoned flour, browned in oil and then cooked in a seasoned broth.

Recently I had some pork chops to cook and decided make them in the City Chicken fashion.  So I dipped them in seasoned flour, browned them, added broth and cooked them in the oven.  When they were done, I had yummy pork chops with a nice gravy to serve with them.

Pork Chops a la City Chicken
6 pork chops (about 4-6 oz. each)
1/2 c. flour
2 t. seasoned salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. pepper, coarse ground if possible
3 T. vegetable oil
2 T. dried, minced onion
1 (14 oz.) can low-sodium chicken broth
Water

Trim chops of any visible fat.  Set aside.  Combine flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a shallow pan.  Heat oil in a large skillet.  Dredge pork chops in seasoned flour mixture.  Cook in hot oil until browned.  Remove to a 9x13-inch baking pan as the chops brown.  Reserve excess flour mixture.  Add chicken broth and onion to skillet.  Heat till boiling, scraping up any browned bits in skillet.  Pour liquid mixture over chops.  Cover with foil and bake in 350-degree oven until tender, about 1 hour.  Remove chops from baking pan and keep warm.  Pour liquid into a saucepan.  Combine reserved flour mixture with water to make a smooth paste.  Stir into liquid in the saucepan and bring to a boil.  Heat and stir until thickened.  Add additional water if gravy is too thick.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Add a bit of chicken bouillon if gravy seems too bland.  Makes 6 servings.

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Rhubarb Barbecue Sauced Country Ribs-Secret Recipe Club

 I really wanted to call this post "The Best Darn Country Ribs Ever.  The recipes and cooking method came from Julie at A Little Bit of Everything, my assigned blog for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  Julie is from Nebraska (drove through her state on our trip last year).  She has been blogging since 2009 so there is a wealth of goodies on her blog.

I was glad to see that, like me, she has a sweet tooth, so there are wonderful recipes for sweets.  I can’t wait to try Butterfinger Cheesecake, Snickerdoodle Bars and many more.  There are also some great veggie recipes, especially for Brussels Sprouts.  I will be back to grab some of those when sprouts are in season again.  I also want to try the recipes for 60 Minute Rolls and Throwed Rolls.

 Many of the recipes that caught my eye were from several years ago so I was very glad that I had the time to delve deeply into her blog.  Sometimes great recipes are buried deep in blogs so it is worth it to go back in time if you can.

Several things “came into play” when I made my final decision about what to make and post today.  Rhubarb is in season, and I have been all about rhubarb lately.  I had to work an extra day this week so hubby was going to eat leftovers an extra day.  I wanted to make something that I knew he would enjoy eating four days in a row.  Since I was a bit tired of roasts, I thought a big batch of oven-barbecued country ribs might do the trick.  When I happened upon the recipe for Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce, I knew I was in business.

I had also seen the post for Baby Back Ribs and was intrigued by the method Julie used in making them.  I  decided to use the rub and method of cooking the ribs from that post.  I am so glad I did, as I said these just may be "The Best Darn Country Rib Ever."  The pork was "fall-apart" done but very moist, the sauce was so good I wanted to stand at the stove and eat it with a spoon.  I will be coming back to this method again and again.  I am so glad that, because of Secret Recipe Club, I found this blog.

It takes 3 recipes to make these ribs:  the rub, the braising liquid, and the Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce.  I will post the recipes for each of these and then the method to make the ribs.  Because I am always trying new rub recipes, I halved the ingredients for the rub and still had nearly half left over to use another time.  My ribs are usually frozen, and I like to put the rub on them as soon as I can pry them apart, then let the ribs finish thawing in the refrigerator.  This time the rub was on the ribs for about 3 hours.

Barbecue Rub-courtesy of Julie at Little Bit of Everything and Steven Raichlen
1/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c. sweet paprika
3 T. black pepper (I used coarse ground)
3 T. kosher salt
1 T. hickory smoked salt (I did not have) or more kosher salt
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. onion powder
2 t. celery seeds (I used my homemade dried celery leaves)
1 t. cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar.  Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag away from heat or light.  Keeps at least 6 months.

Braising Liquid-courtesy of  Julie at Little Bit of Everything and Alton Brown
1 c. white wine
2 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. honey
2 cloves garlic, minced

Measure white wine into a 2-cup glass measure.  Add remaining ingredients.  Stir and microwave on high for 1 minute.

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce-courtesy of Julie at Little Bit of Everything and Taste of Home
1 c. chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
2/3 c. water
1 t. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. ketchup
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. dark corn syrup of molasses (I used molasses)
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 t. hot pepper sauce ( I am wimpy and did not use this much and used a Thai sweet chili sauce)
1/4 t. salt

In a small saucepan, bring rhubarb and water to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 5 or 6 minutes or until tender.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  In the same saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion until tender.  Add garlic; sauté 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Place rhubarb, onion and garlic in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  (Note:  Julie does not process the onion.  I did because I wanted a smooth sauce.)  Return rhubarb/onion mixture to saucepan.  Add remaining ingredients except hot sauce.  Whisk until well blended.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Store in hot sauce to taste.  Store in refrigerator.  Makes about 2 1/3 cups.

Before I get to the method, I want to mention that I used the oven.  Julie does these in a roaster on a grill also.  Because of the low oven heat, I think that these could be done in a slow cooker, but I would want the cooker big enough so that there is only one layer of meat.  I would also cover the meat with foil, and use a clean tea towel under the lid to catch some of the moisture.  I will probably be giving this a try.

Oven Barbecue Country Ribs
5 lbs. boneless country style pork ribs
Barbecue Rub from above recipe
Braising Liquid from above recipe
vegetable oil
Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce or barbecue sauce of choice

Sprinkle Barbecue Rub on all sides of ribs and rub in well with your fingers.  Allow to sit at least 30 minutes.  (I like much longer-see comment above).  About 4 hours before dinner time, gently pat ribs dry with paper towel, removing as little rub as possible.  Pour a film of vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat.  Brown ribs on all side in batches and adding additional oil as necessary.  Remove browned ribs to a roasting pan with at least 1-inch sides and large enough so the ribs do not touch.  Heat oven to 250 degrees.  Place roasting pan in the oven and add braising liquid.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Roast slowly for about 3 1/2 hours (mine were almost fall-apart done at that point).  Remove ribs and put in another roasting pan or broiler pan if you have one.  Carefully remove pan with liquid from oven and set aside.  Pour about 1 cup of the barbecue sauce into a small bowl to use as a basting sauce.  Increase oven heat to 350.  Brush ribs with barbecue sauce and place in oven for 15 minutes.  Turn ribs and baste again with sauce.  Bake another 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, cover with the foil you used earlier and let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Serve ribs with rest of the barbecue sauce.  Easily makes 10 servings.  Note:  I poured the Braising Liquid into a container, refrigerated it, froze it in several small batches, and will use it as a flavoring for gravy for pork roasts.

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Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin

Hi all, I think that I have gotten my ISP and other life challenges worked out so will be posting more often.  Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.

I have said before that I fix quite a lot of pork tenderloin.  Hubby and I both like it, and it is frequently on sale.  The ones I purchase weigh 24 ozs.

Recently I prepared Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin.  I seasoned the pork with a new seasoning from McCormick called Perfect Pinch.  I used the Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper flavor.  McCormick doesn’t know I exist.  I am just sharing what I used.  Use seasonings of your choice.

I used Balsamic vinegar and spicy brown mustard in the Maple Mustard glaze.  Other vinegar or mustard flavors could be used which would result is slightly different flavors.

This is a very easy to do recipe.

Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin
1 (24 oz.) pork tenderloin
seasoning of your choice to rub into the pork
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1/4 c. vinegar (I used Balsamic)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. mustard (I used Spicy Brown)

Remove tenderloin from refrigerator about 30 minutes to 1 hour before putting it in the oven.  Rub on all side with desired seasonings.  Set aside to allow meat to lose its chill.  In a 1 cup glass measuring cup measure maple syrup.  Add vinegar, brown sugar and mustard to maple syrup and blend with a wire whisk until mustard is well blended into other ingredients.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  When ready to put tenderloin into the oven, pour about 1/4 cup glaze over the meat.  Place in oven and roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting with additional glaze every 15 minutes until the temperature on a meat thermometer reads 155 to 160 degrees.  Let tenderloin rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.  Heat remaining glaze mixture in microwave for about 1 minute and serve with the pork.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Maple Curry Roast Pork Tenderloin

Good Monday to all and welcome to my new followers.  I appreciate all of my readers so much and thank you for taking time from your busy lives to visit my blog.  Hopefully you will find some useful recipes here.

I have mentioned before that pork tenderloin in one of my favorite cuts of pork, and I buy it whenever it is on sale.  Right now a local grocery store is promoting them for $5.99 each so I have been stocking up.

Stocking up means that I am on a constant look out for new recipes.  Recently I gave this one a try.  It is from the recipe files on my computer, and I don’t know the original source.

I thought the sauce for this was very good and well worth the splurge for the pure maple syrup.  I will definitely be making this one again.  This would be a wonderful dish to serve at a dinner party.

The pork tenderloins I purchase are 1 1/2 lbs.  The only suggestion I would make is to watch the sauce carefully.  It will begin to caramelize after about 40 minutes.  If the tenderloin is not done at that point I would pour the sauce out of the baking pan into a small sauce pan and add some water to the baking pan to finish cooking the tenderloin.

Since there are just the two of us, I put the sauce in a small bowl, sliced the tenderloin as necessary, and drizzled the sauce over the cut slices.  There was enough for a main meal, and a couple left-over meals for each of us.  I served this with a corn pudding and a Brussels sprout dish which I will post soon.

Maple Curry Roast Pork Tenderloin
1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
2 t. ketchup
2 t. orange zest
1 1/2 t. curry powder
1 1/2 t. ground coriander
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
2  cloves garlic, minced

Trim pork of all visible fat.  Place pork in a large zip top plastic bag.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over pork in bag.  Seal bag and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, turning once.  Remove from refrigerator and continue marinating about 30 minutes, turning once.  Place pork with marinade in a small greased baking pan.  Roast, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, turning tenderloin in sauce every 10 minutes.  If pork is not done after 40 minutes, pour sauce into a small sauce pan and add a bit of water to the baking pan.  Continue to cook until the pork is done (160 degrees).  Pork should still be slightly pink in middle.  Let pork stand for 10 minutes before slicing.  Reheat sauce if necessary and drizzle over thinly sliced pork.  Serve immediately.  Makes 6 servings

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Applelicious Pork Chops

Good Monday to all.  Thank you for taking time from your busy lives to stop and read my blog.  It is greatly appreciated.  I hope you find the information posted here useful.

A couple of weeks ago when I cooked up some apples for apple butter, I had extra applesauce so made one of our favorite pork dishes.

This is basically pork chops baked in applesauce gravy.  Applesauce goes so well with pork, and this dish takes advantage of that fact.  My applesauce was pretty chunky.  Purchased applesauce would be much smoother.  The brown gravy mix and onion turns the applesauce into a delicious apple flavored gravy to serve over the pork chops and rice, noodles or even mashed potatoes.  I don't use gravy mix often but love it in this recipe.  One could maybe use some instant beef bouillon instead.

It is an easy, simple dish that goes together quickly and then bakes in the oven allowing you to prepare the rest of your dinner.

Applelicious Pork Chops
4-6 pork chops
salt and pepper
1 envelope (3/4 oz.) brown gravy mix
1 c. water
1 c. applesauce
1 T. instant minced onion
1 T. mustard

Trim excess fat from chops season with salt and pepper, brown in a skillet and pour off excess fat.  Place in a greased 9x13-in. baking pan.  Stir remaining ingredients into drippings left in pan from browning chops.  Heat, scraping up any browned bits.  Pour over chops.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Serves 4-6

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SRC Reveal Day-Island Spice Pork Tenderloin

Since this is Monday, I first want to welcome my new followers and to thank all of you who take the time out of your busy lives to read this blog.  It is most appreciated, and I hope that you find the information I post here useful.  Now to the business at hand.

My assignment for this month’s Secret Recipe Club was Cheese Curd in Paradise.  I was somewhat familiar with this blog as Ashley and I have both participated in the now wrapped up Crazy Cooking Challenge.

This blog was started in 2009 and has many, many wonderful sounding recipes on it.  It was extremely difficult for me to narrow them down to just one recipe to post.  Because I fix a lot of pork tenderloin, the Island Spiced Pork Tenderloin caught my eye.  I finally decided it was the recipe to try.

I am always looking for new rubs to use on meat, and this one is a winner.  The pork was well-seasoned, moist and tender.  Don’t tell anyone, but the pan juices were so good that I sopped them up with a piece of bread before I washed the baking dish.

Hubby gave the dish a big “thumbs up.”  That is a good thing as I have about half of the rub mixture left over.  I know he will enjoy the leftovers when he heats them up while I am working this week.  This is a keeper recipe that I will definitely make often.  Thanks, Ashley, for sharing a great recipe.

My tenderloin was only about 1 1/2 lbs. which is why I probably had part of the rub mixture left over.  After I use that up, I will probably halve the rub ingredients.  I did cut the olive oil and hot sauce in half.  I don’t grill so just roasted the tenderloin in the oven as I usually do.  It took about an hour at 350 degrees.

I want to try the rub with  a regular pork loin roast, and I think it would be good on grilled or broiled pork chops or steak.  I may even try it on a whole roast chicken.

Some other recipes that I plan to make soon are Van Abels Green Beans, Baked BBQ Ranch Pork Chops, and Gluten Free Sour Cream Lemon Pie.  Gee, I think if I add some potatoes I have the makings for a great meal right there.

 

Island Spiced Pork Tenderloin
From Cheese Curd in Paradise

2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. garlic powder
1t. ground cinnamon
3 T. brown sugar
2 pork tenderloins (about 2 to 2 1/2 lbs. total)
2 T. olive oil
2 t. hot sauce

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cinnamon and brown sugar.  Set aside.  In another small bowl combine olive oil and hot sauce.  Place tenderloins in a roasting pan.  Brush oil/hot sauce mixture over the pork.  Sprinkle the tenderloins with the spice mixture and rub in.  (I sprinkle with one hand and rub with the other.  This keeps the spice mixture from becoming contaminated.)  Place in a preheated 350-degree oven and roast about 1 hour until a meat thermometer registers 155 to 160 degrees.  Let pork rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.  Or grill as Ashley did.  Heat a grill to medium-low.  She said to think of the tenderloin as having 4 sides.  Cook 4 to 5 minutes per “side” or until a meat thermometer registers 155 to 160 degrees.  My 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin easily serves 4 so 2 to 2 1/2 lbs. should serve 6 to 8.

Curried Raspberry Catalina Pork Tenderloin

I will be working Valentine’s Day evening so I made a special little dinner for hubby and me last night.  Every three or four months, Safeway sells Hormel Pork Tenderloins on Fridays for $5.  These weigh about 24 oz.  These usually sell for $10.99!  I NEVER buy them at that price, but I do get several when they are on sale.

I like to play around with what I do with the tenderloins and never seem to make them the same way twice.  This time, I decided that I wanted to make something with a Valentine theme.  I couldn’t come up with any way to make the meat pink so decided I would try red.  I used black raspberry jam since that is what I had open in the fridge.  My red is very dark.

This is just a take-off of the apricot jam/Catalina or Russian dressing/onion soup mix chicken recipe.  I used raspberry jam and the ingredients that go into a homemade Catalina dressing recipe.  I make my own onion soup mix so used that, and I added curry powder just because I like it.  I liked the sauce with 1/2 c. sugar but some may not like it as sweet so start with 1/3 c.

Pork tenderloin cooks quickly so this was on the table in about an hour.  Be sure to use a foil-lined baking pan for this for easy clean-up.

As usual, I had no sunlight by the time this was cooked, so the photo was taken today and is the piece that was left over so no pic of the whole tenderloin.

Curried Raspberry Catalina Pork Tenderloin
1/3 to 1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
dash paprika (smoked if available)
1/4 t. chili powder
1/2 t. celery seed
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 to 1 t. curry powder
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/3 c. ketchup
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 envelope dry onion soup mix (or make your own)
1 c. raspberry or black raspberry jam
1 24 oz. boneless pork tenderloin
1-2 T. vegetable or olive oil

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, salt, paprika, chili powder, celery seed, dry mustard, garlic powder, curry powder, vinegar, ketchup, vegetable oil, soup mix and raspberry jam.  Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to thicken, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Watch carefully and stir often.  While sauce is cooking, brown pork tenderloin on all sides in hot oil.  Place in a foil-lined baking dish.  Place part of the sauce in a small bowl and brush onto the meat.  Roast meat at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes, basting with the sauce every 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from oven when temperatures reaches 155 to 160 degrees.  Let stand at least 5 minutes before slicing.   Leave sauce on very low heat and allow to thicken to desired consistency, stirring often.  Serve sauce to spoon over slices of meat.  Makes 4 generous servings.  This turned out pork that was very juicy and flavorful.

Slow Cooked Ranch Pork Roast

This week Safeway has pork shoulder roasts on sale buy one, get one free.  Well, this sale makes the meat $1.75 a lb.  Now tell me, where can you get pork or beef for $1.75 a lb. right now.  Of course, I bought some.

I planned to have one for dinner on Saturday night and wanted a new recipe.  I did a search and found a recipe I decided to try at Recipe.com.  The challenge was that it was a slow cooker recipe.  Hubby and I are not particularly fond of beef or pork cooked in the slow cooker.  I do have a recipe or two that I like: but for the most part, slow cooked meat is too overdone for us.  I was, therefore, a little concerned about making this recipe.  I thought that the recipe sounded good so I forged ahead.  It turns out that this one is a Keeper. Hubby said it was very good, and I will make it often.

The directions called for cooking the pork 9 to 10 hours on low or  4 1/2 to 5 hours on high.  Because I got a late start, I cooked my roast on high.  It weighed almost 4 lbs. and was done in 3 1/2 hours.  I didn’t have the rest of dinner ready, so I turned  the slow cooker down to low, and it did cook another hour.  I should have turned the slow cooker to the warm setting, but I forgot I have that available.

The recipe calls for cream cheese, cream of chicken soup and ranch dressing mix.  Commercial products or homemade products can be used.  I prefer the homemade substitutes, but I am not a purist and do keep the commercial products on hand.  This time, I used them.  I used a pork seasoning salt when I browned the meat hoping to give the pork more flavor.  This addition made the sauce/gravy a little too salty tasting for me so next time I will leave that out and also use low-sodium soup if I use commercial soup.

The recipe calls for red potatoes to be added and cooked with the pork.  I am sure that this makes a nice, almost one-dish meal.  I chose to make mashed potatoes instead.  I also served green beans with bacon and pickled beets.

There are a number of recipes for homemade ranch dressing mix on the net.  Here is one that I use that came from a Gooseberry Patch Cookbook, Gifts for Giving.

Ranch Dip and Dressing Mix
Gooseberry Patch, Gifts for Giving
2 t. celery salt
2 t. garlic powder
3 T. dried minced onion
2 t. pepper
2 t. sugar
2 1/2 t. paprika
2 1/2 t. dried parsley

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container.  Makes 1/2 cup mix.

For Dip:  Blend 1 T. mix with 1 c. sour cream.  Chill in refrigerator at least one hour before serving.

For Dressing:  Blend 1 T. mix with 1 c. mayonnaise and 1 c. buttermilk.  Chill in refrigerator at least one hour before serving.

Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Roast
from Better Homes and Gardens
1 (2 1/2 to 3 lb.) boneless pork shoulder roast (mine was bone-in and almost 4 lb.)
1 lb. small new red-skinned potatoes, halved
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup (I would use low sodium)
1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix
freshly ground black pepper (opt.)

Trim excess fat from roast.  Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray.  Heat skillet, add roast and brown well on all sides.  Place potatoes in the bottom of a 3 1/2 to 4 qt. slow cooker.  Place roast on top of potatoes.  Combine cream cheese, soup, and dressing mix.  Spoon mixture on top of the roast.  Cover and cook on low 9 to 10 hours or on high 4 1/2 to 5 hours.  Remove pork and potatoes to a serving platter.  Pour sauce/gravy into a container to spoon over the roast.  Garnish roast and potatoes with freshly ground pepper if desired.  Makes 6 servings.

Linking to:  Hunk of Meat Monday
Mingle Monday
Mangia Monday
Newbie Party
Made by You Monday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
A Marvelous Mess
Making Monday Marvelous
Homemaker Monday
What Makes You Say Mmmmm?

DIY Groceries-Barbecue Rubs and Sauces 5

Well, I said last week that I was done posting barbecue rubs and sauces.  Turns out I'm not.  A local grocery store advertised pork riblets at only $1.39 a lb. this week, and I wanted to give them a try.  They are kind of like spareribs but much cheaper.  I generally buy country style rubs instead of regular spareribs because they are less expensive and have more meat.  Spareribs are always a little unpredictable as to the amount of meat one gets.

So with the riblets on sale and one more rub recipe I wanted to try, that is what was for dinner Saturday night.  I put the rub on the riblets and let them sit in the fridge for several hours.  I then cooked them in a 350 degree oven for about an hour, basting lightly with barbecue sauce the last 20 minutes.  I had a small amount of  Bulls' Eye Barbecue Sauce in my fridge I wanted to use up, so I just used what I had of that.  These could be served without any added sauce if desired.

The rub was very good but a bit spicy for me.  I think the next time I will cut the cayenne back by half.  When I use the rest of what I made up, I will not be quite so generous when I apply the rub as I was today.

My husband's verdict was that the riblets were very good, but a lot of work to eat.

The rub was part of a recipe called Spice-Rubbed Ribs which was for baby back ribs.  The recipe is from Taste of Home and was sent in by Cheryl Ewing from Ellwood City Pennsylvania.

Spice Rub

3 T. paprika
2 T. plus 1 t. salt
2 T. plus 1 t. garlic powder
2 T. cayenne pepper
4 t. onion powder
4 t. dried oregano
4 t. dried thyme
4 t. pepper

Mix ingredients together well.  Sprinkle on ribs or other pork, chicken, or beef  before barbecuing.  I like to apply the rub and chill the meat for several hours.  Store tightly covered in a cool place.  Makes about 3/4 cup.

Linking to Hunk of Meat Monday

Ingredient Spotlight-Peachy Keen Barbecue Sauce

Fresh peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits.  My favorite way to eat them is sliced with a little light cream poured over with a little sugar if necessary.  Unfortunately, we do not yet have fresh peaches here this year.  We had a cold, late spring, and everything is running about 2-3 weeks late.

When one can't get fresh peaches, than canned ones will have to do.  Since peaches are most commonly used in desserts, I thought I would share a different use of canned peaches-Peachy Keen Barbecue Sauce.  This is a very easy and good barbecue sauce.  It is fairly spicy.  Cut back on the ginger if it is too spicy to suit.  I add a second can of peaches, drained and chopped, to play up the fact that there are peaches in the sauce.  That is entirely optional, however.  The sauce can be used with any meat or poultry.  I used it to make some oven-barbecued, country-style pork ribs and will share that, too.

 Peachy Keen Barbecue Sauce
1 (16 oz.) peach halves, drained
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. catsup
1/3 c. vinegar (I use rice vinegar, but any kind will do.)
2 T. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. fresh ginger root, minced or 1 t. ground ginger
Dash freshly ground black pepper
1 (16 oz.) can peach halves, drained and chopped (optional)

Place drained peach halves in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Pour into a small saucepan and add remaining ingredients.  Frugal tip:  I use the measured out vinegar to rinse out the blender container.  Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes.  Makes about 2 c.

Oven-Barbecued Country Pork Ribs
Country Ribs-I had about 2 1/2 lbs. but can be whatever amount is needed
Barbeque Spice Mix (recipe below)

At least 3 to 4 hours before cooking, sprinkle and rub Barbecue Spice Mix on all sides of pork ribs.  Chill in refrigerator until 30 minutes before cooking.  Let stand to remove refrigerator chill.  Place ribs on a rack in a foil-lined baking pan.  Place in 350-degree oven and bake ribs 30 minutes.  Baste with some of the sauce.  Bake 15 to 30 minutes more, basting with sauce every 10 minutes until done.  My ribs were small so 45 minutes was plenty of time.  If ribs are larger, they may need more time in the oven.  Remove ribs from baking pan to serving platter.  Spoon any barbecue sauce left in pan over the ribs.  Warm remaining sauce and pass to serve with ribs.  The sauce is also very good spooned over rice or couscous.

Barbecue Spice Mix
4 T. paprika
2 T. chili powder
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. sugar
2 t. cumin
1 t. curry powder
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. pepper
1 t. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 t. cayenne pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl, blending well.  Store in an airtight jar or zip-top plastic bag in a cool, dry place.  Use within 3 months.  Sprinkle and rub on beef, pork, or poultry.

Linking to Ingredient Spotlight,  Whisking Wednesdays, Foodie Wednesday.

Spicy Southwest Pork Fingers

Awhile back I ran across a recipe for Pig Fingers over at The Dark Side of the Fridge.  I made the recipe, and it was very good but a little too spicy for me; and I only used 2 t. hot sauce.  I am a real pansy when it comes to very spicy food.  I will make it again, but next time I will use only 1 t. hot sauce.

From time to time I can buy whole pork loins for $1.99 a lb.  The use of pork cut into strips like chicken fingers intrigued me. After all, they are "They other white meat."  I have been experimenting using pork strips in some of my oven-baked chicken recipes.  Here is the most recent one I tried that I have a picture of.

 

Spicy Southwest Pork Fingers

1 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin or 4 boneless pork chops, 1-inch thick
1 egg
1 T. barbecue sauce
1 T. water
1/3 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. onion powder
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. oregano, crushed
1-2 t. chili powder (I use 1 t.)
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted

Cut pork loin into four 1-inch slices.  Trim any fat and cut each slice into three strips.  If using pork chops, cut each chop into 3 strips.  Beat egg with barbecue sauce and water in a medium bowl.  Add pork strips and toss to coat.  Mix cornmeal, flour and seasonings together in a pie pan.  Place butter in a foil-lined jelly roll pan.  Place in a 375 degree oven to melt while coating the pork.  Remove a pork strip from egg mixture and let drain.   Roll strip in cornmeal mixture, coating all sides.  Place on a rack or waxed paper.  Repeat with remaining pork strips.  When butter has melted, remove jelly roll pan from oven and add pork strips.  Bake strips for 10 minutes, turn, bake 10-15 minutes more until done.  Makes 12 fingers enough for 3-4 servings.  I served the pork fingers with a choice of barbecue sauce, honey mustard, and ranch dressing for dipping.  One could also use salsa.

I will be trying other recipes with pork fingers, so stay tuned.  

Linking up today with Full Plate Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday, Recipe Swap Thursday, I'm Lovin' It
Hunk of Meat Monday

Tomorrow:  Friday Finds and Frugal Tips-Freezing Buttermilk

Chinese Filled Buns

Last weekend my daughter said to me she was craving Chinese Filled Buns.  So I made some.  This was something I used to make all the time when the kids were at home. I don’t make these as often now because I love them, but I hate them.  If these are in my fridge, there is a constant battle between my mouth and my hand.  Every time I walk by the fridge, mouth wants my hand to reach in and get a bun.  Hand resists, mouth insists.   For me, these are like eating popcorn. I can easily eat a whole loaf of bread’s worth in an afternoon

Although somewhat time-consuming, these are very easy to make; and there is a lot for the effort put in.  They are good hot or at room temperature.  They make great picnic food, appetizers, and snacks.  The basic idea can be used with fillings other than what I am posting here.  Some ideas:  ham or bacon  and eggs, Italian sausage and cheese, taco meat, barbecued meat or chicken, ham and cheese just to name a few.  Also, the two fillings can be served in flour tortillas if one doesn't want to go to the effort of making the buns.  Kids like to help make these by stretching out the dough balls. I found this recipe in Sunset magazine sometime in the 80's. 

My photos aren’t great, but I am going to try a little bit of a tutorial.

You will need 3 loaves of frozen bread dough,  thawed until just pliable, about 1-2 hours.  (I forgot to take a photo of the bread.)

To make the pork filling, which is what I made, you need the ingredients  below.

You cut the pork butt into 1/2-inch cubes, pour a garlic, ginger, soy marinade over them, brown the cubes, add a cornstarch, soy sauce, sherry, water mixture to thicken them up.

The thickened mixture will look like this. Set aside to cook.

You cut each loaf of bread into 16 pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and stretch the dough ball out to about 4 inches, just as if you were making mini pizzas.

 

Place 1-2 T. of filling into the center of the dough circle.  I use about 1 1/2 T.

Pinch the edges of the dough ball together, and place on greased baking sheet.  Repeat with all the pieces of dough.  Let rise in warm place 20-30 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes.

.

Chinese Filled Buns (Bow)
3  loaves  (3 lb.) frozen bread dough

Choice of Filling below. Other fillings may be used, try taco meat, ham and cheese, Italian sausage, etc.

Remove bread dough from freezer and thaw as package directs, covering it with a moist cloth or brushing surface with salad oil; thaw just until the dough is pliable, 1-2 hours at room temperature.  Meanwhile prepare filling.

With a lightly floured knife, cut a thawed loaf in half lengthwise and then cut each half into 8 equal-sized pieces, making 16 total pieces.  Roll each piece of dough into a ball.  Pull and stretch the dough as if making a mini pizza until it is about 4 -inches in diameter.  Place 1-2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each round; pull edges of dough up around filling and tightly pinch together to seal.  Place buns, pinched side down, about 2-inches apart, on a greased cookie sheet.  Cover and let rise in warm place until puffy and light, about 20-30 minutes.

Brush each bun with melted butter.  Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  I also like to brush with butter when they come out of the oven.  Serve warm, reheated or at room temperature.  Repeat with remaining two loaves.  Makes 48 filled buns.  Store buns in refrigerator or freeze.

These can be made ahead, and, in fact, we like them better after a day or so in the refrigerator.  To heat individual buns from refrigerator, place in microwave and heat 30 seconds.  If doing more, increase the time by 15 seconds or so for each additional bun.

Buns may be frozen.  Flash freeze on a baking sheet, then seal tightly in a freezer bag.  To reheat, place the frozen buns, uncovered, in a 350-degree oven for about 25 minutes or until heated through.

You may use chicken breasts or thighs in either of the recipes below.

Chinese Pork Filling
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. grated fresh ginger root (or 1/4 t. ground ginger)
2 t. sugar
2 T. soy sauce
1 1/2 lbs. boneless pork (such as butt), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 t. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. sherry
1/4 c. water
1 T. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped

Combine garlic, ginger, sugar and soy sauce.  Add pork cubes to this mixture and stir to coat.  In a small dish combine sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, sherry and water.  Mix well and set aside.  Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat.  When the oil is hot, add pork, cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 min.  Add onion and continue stir-frying for about 2 minutes more or until onion is limp.  Stir cornstarch mixture into pork; cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens, about 30 seconds.  Skim off and discard any fat.  Cool.

Curry Beef Filling

1 t. curry powder
1/8 t. cayenne
1/2 t. sugar
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. grated fresh ginger root (or 1/2 t. ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb. boneless beef (such as top round), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 more t. curry powder
1 T. cornstarch
3 T. water
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. vegetable oil
1 med. onion, finely chopped

Combine curry powder, cayenne, sugar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic.  Add beef and stir to coat.  Combine second curry powder, cornstarch, water, and soy sauce.  Set Aside.  Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat.  When the oil is hot, add beef and cook, stirring, until meat is lightly browned, about 2 min.  Add onion and continue stirring until it is limp, about 2 min.  Add cornstarch mixture to pan and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens, about 30 seconds.  Cool.

Monday-DIY Groceries:  Biscuit and All-Purpose Mixes

Linking to This Chick Cooks,  What I Made Wednesday, Ingredient Spotlight