Crock Pot Apple Cider Pulled Pork

Any sort of pulled or shredded meat is pretty much guaranteed to be a hit in my house. This pork would be great by itself or on a bun like I served it. This recipe is adapted from Mostly Homemade Mom.

1 pork butt roast
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried mustard
2 cups apple cider
1 jar bbq sauce

 Mix together the chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, pepper and dried mustard.  Rub the seasonings all over the pork roast. Place in the bottom of the crock pot.  Pour the apple cider over the top. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove the roast from the crock pot and shredded. Pour out the juices and keep 1 1/2 cups reserved. Whisk together the juice and 1 1/2 cup bbq sauce. Place the shredded pork back in the crock pot and mix in the sauce. Let cook for 15 minutes then serve. 

Bacon Brussels Sprout Risotto

Risotto is a big hit in our house.  And brussels sprouts are one of my absolute favorites. I saw the idea for a bacon brussels sprouts risotto on Ari's Menu but then I completely redid it and made it my own.  This might be my favorite risotto recipe now!

 4 slices bacon (diced)
1 1/2 cup brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
32oz chicken broth
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Cut the brussels sprouts so that they are in fine strips, almost shredded.  Place the chicken broth in a pot and bring to a boil then reduce the heat.  In a pan, fry the bacon until crisp then remove from the pan and set to the side. Add the brussels sprouts to the bacon grease and saute until tender. Remove and add to the reserved bacon.  Wipe the pan out then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium low heat.  Saute the garlic for 30 seconds then add the rice and let cook for 2 minutes.  Pour in the white wine and let cook until all of the wine has absorbed into the rice. Add the chicken brown 3/4 a cup at a time and let cook over medium low heat until the broth has absorbed and then repeat until all but 3/4 cup of the broth is left.  Stir in the bacon, brussels sprouts and the last of the broth.  Stir in the parmesan cheese until it has melted then serve.

Perfectly Grilled Pork Tenderloin

This  simple marinade and a few grilling tips

are all you need for a perfectly grilled moist
 and tender pork tenderloin everytime. 

 Tenderloins come 2 in a package.
One will serve about 3 people.

 This is the simplest marinade. I mix it all in
a Ziplock bag and add the tenderloins.

 When the grill is preheated it will only
take 15-18 minutes to cook. You want a
nice brown seared crust on the outside and
just a touch of pink on the inside. It will
continue to cook while it rests off the grill.

Slice and serve with any juices that are on 

the platter. Leftover pork tenderloin make

 great sandwiches the next day. I like it simply

 on buttered French bread with a little 

Dijon mustard or my cranberry chutney. 

Even pork tacos with the usual fixings are

good. It's another reason I usually make two. 

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins  (2 per package)
2 T brown sugar
2 T balsamic vinegar
4 T (¼)  C soy sauce
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1.) Mix all ingredients in a Ziplock bag and add the
the pork. Squeeze out as  much air as possible as
you zip the bag shut. Turn to coat the meat well.
Refrigerate and let marinade for at least an hour.
2.) Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator
about 30 minutes before you grill to allow it to
reach room temperature. Pre-heat the grill to
medium-high.
3.) The key to a perfectly grilled tenderloin is to
evenly grill on all sides. Grill the first side for 5
minutes then roll it to each of the 4 sides for about
4-5 minutes per side. You want a nice browned
crust to form. You don't want it to dry out.
4.) Remove to a platter and let is rest for about 10
minutes before you slice it on the diagonal. Serve
and drizzle over any accumulated juices.

Enjoy!

Links; Between Naps On The Porch

One-Pan Brown Sugar Garlic Pork Loin with Vegetables

I love dinners that use just one sheet
pan to roast everything in the oven.

 The roasting juices from the pork
enhance the flavor of the vegetables.

 This was part of a large loin roast I
bought at Sam's Club. I just cut it into
the size we need for the 2 of us and still
have some left over for sandwiches
the next day. I usually cut the larger piece
into thirds and freeze the other 2.

Pork loin is such a versatile roast. I have several
go-to recipes. This combo of seasonings gives
great flavor and adds a completely new twist on
the more traditional pork roast. 

Brown Sugar Garlic Pork Loin 

       with Vegetables

2 lb pork loin

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 T brown sugar

1 T soy sauce

1 T oil
salt and pepper

1. Combine the ingredients and rub all over
the pork, salt and pepper to taste.
Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Roast in a 375º for 25 minutes.

2. During this time prepare the vegetables.
After the pork has been in the oven for the
25 minutes, add the vegetables to the
 pan along each each side of the pork.

 3. Continue to roast everything for another
 15 minutes. Total of 40 minutes for the pork.

4.  Now remove the pork roast from the oven, 

leaving the vegetables in the pan giving them
 a toss. Place the pork on a platter allowing it to 

 rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Total of 25 minutes for the vegetables.

5. When you are ready to serve; slice the pork,
pour over any juices from the platter.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and
place alongside the pork.

Prepared Vegetables

2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced
(or broccoli)

2 lbs potatoes, peeled or scrubbed
 and cut into chunks

¼ C oil

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together in a large bowl

serves 4

Enjoy!

Links: Between Naps On The Porch

Tropical Pulled Pork on Griddled Banana Bread Sandwiches

Back in January I found an incredible deal for airfare to St. Thomas so I went ahead and booked it along with four nights at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef using my points.  Even though the weather forecast the weeks up to the trip showed a lot of possible rain, it turned out to be beautiful and sunny every day we were there!

Sunrise at the Frenchman's Reef

On our third day, my friend Sooyun and I took the passenger ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay in St. John and hiked the Lind Point Trail to Honeymoon Beach.  After some relaxing time on the beach, we continued over to the Caneel Bay Resort for lunch.  Little did I know I was about to have one of the best sandwiches I had ever eaten.  We almost didn't order it (I was craving a turkey sandwich, and Sooyun almost ordered something else before I reminded her about the rum pork on crispy banana bread sandwich she had pointed out earlier), but after tasting it, I'm so grateful we did.  I think it was that perfect balance of salty pulled pork and sweet banana bread plus the crunch from a red cabbage slaw.  The memory of this sandwich haunted me for over a month before I finally decided to try and recreate it.

Floating at Honeymoon Beach, St. John

For the pulled pork I pretty much followed my slow cooker kalua pork recipe except I added a quartered orange and garlic plus a splash of passion fruit rum.  For the banana bread I followed this basic recipe but you can just use your favorite recipe as long as the bread can be sliced and griddled without falling apart.  Then I made a quick cabbage slaw using coconut white balsamic vinegar, lemon sugar, and shredded red cabbage.  If you don't have smoked sea salt, passion fruit rum, coconut white balsamic vinegar, and lemon sugar, you should be fine using regular sea salt, another rum (or skipping the rum altogether), a light vinegar (like cider or rice wine), and regular white sugar.  But then where would be the fun in that? 

Tropical Pulled Pork on Griddled Banana Bread Sandwiches
makes about 8 sandwiches

For the pulled pork:
3 lbs. boneless pork butt/shoulder
2 tablespoons smoked sea salt
1 orange, quartered
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup rum (tropical flavor like passion fruit or mango preferred)

Using a steak knife, poke the pork all over and rub with smoked salt.  Place in the slow cooker along with the orange quarters and garlic cloves.  Turn on low and cook for 12 hours. 

Halfway through, flip the pork and add the rum.

When done, remove the excess fat and shred the pork with a fork.

For the red cabbage slaw:
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon coconut white balsamic vinegar (or other light vinegar)
1 teaspoon lemon or white sugar

Please the shredded cabbage in a salad spinner or a colander over a bowl.  Sprinkle the salt over the cabbage and mix.  Let sit for an hour, then rinse and squeeze/spin out the excess water.

Transfer the cabbage to a sealable container.  Add the vinegar and sugar and mix.  Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, until ready to use.

For the sandwiches:
2 loaves of your favorite banana bread (or just one loaf if you want to make open faced sandwiches)
Butter

Slice the banana bread to the thickness you prefer and butter both sides.  Heat a pan over medium-high heat and cook the banana bread slices, turning once, until both sides are browned.

Top one slice with the pulled pork and slaw and add the other slice.  Serve with plantain or yucca chips and die of happiness.

Sunset at Frenchman's Reef

Next:  The 4-Hour Baguette
Previously:  Pad Thai
Last Year:  Homemade Squid Ink Pasta
Two Years Ago:  Miso-Glazed Eggplant
Three Years Ago:  Peking Duck Pizza
Six Years Ago:  Bacon Fat Caramels
Seven Years Ago:  St. Patrick's Day Maki

Sauteed liver: Abats 101

There are all kinds of 'abats'--organ meats. (French for slaughterhouse is abattoir.) But liver is the easiest and fastest and healthiest and, well, easiest to take for many people.

Julia has liver exactly right when she says it "cooks hardly more than a minute on each side. Overcooked liver is gray, dry, and disappointing—perfectly sautéed, it is a rosy pink when you cut into it."

The photo shows pork liver, my favorite, cut by the Meat Lab into lamelles, a little thicker than the usual. So it took about two minutes a side.

A lot of paper towels or newspaper will help--to blot the liver and dredge it. If you put it on the counter it makes a huge mess.

• 4 slices (about 1 pound) calf's or pork liver sliced about ½ inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup or more seasoned breadcrumbs or flour in a plate
• 3 tablespoons butter and olive oil combined, or clarified butter

1. Heat the butter and/or oil over high heat. Season the liver on one side with salt and pepper.
2. Dredge the liver in the bread crumbs or flour. Knock the excess of each slice and put each in the skillet.
3. Cook about a minute on each side, or until it's springy to the touch, golden on the outside and pink on the inside (poke and peek until you can feel the doneness). Be sure to remove the slices in the same order you placed them, so they cook evenly.

Julia has some nice variations. But the best for me is the simplest: plain with Dijon mustard. But it takes only a couple of minutes to chop a bit of that precooked bacon that's always in the frig, adding some scallion and stock or wine and mustard to the drippings to make a sauce (which thicken quickly with the crumbs or flour).

Minced Pork Salad (Laab Moo)

Thai Translation – Laab = Minced Meat Salad, Moo = Pork

Laab is a very tasty, and healthy salad that is quick and easy to make. It is common in northern Thailand and Laos with variations on the ingredients depending on the region. You can make laab it with any kind of minced meat, including fish and tofu and it can be made as spicy or as mild as you like. It is traditionally served with sticky rice which you form into a ball in your hand and flatten before scooping up some of the meat.

Cooking Time – 5 minutes

Preparation Time 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

250g pork mince

½ cup coriander leaves

1/3 cup mint

2 shallots

½ red onion

1tsp – 1Tbsp dried chilli flakes (depending on your own taste preference)

½ lime

2 tsp fish sauce

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup rice

Snake beans to garnish

Method

1. Heat a wok over medium heat and add the uncooked rice to the pan. Roast the rice for 2-3 minutes until the rice changes colour. Remove from heat.
2. In the same wok, add the chilli flakes and roast for a few minutes to draw the chilli oil out of the flakes. Be careful not to burn as you may inhale very pungent smoke that will make you cough. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Using a mortar and pestle, roughly break the rice into smaller pieces, but not quite a powder. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you can break the rice using the end of a rolling pin.
4. In the wok over medium to high heat, boil the water and then add the pork. Cook the pork until brown, adding some water if the meat begins to stick to the pan.
5. Roughly chop the mint and coriander, slice the red onion and shallots and place all chopped ingredients in a bowl, stirring well to combine.
6. Combine the cooked mince, rice and chilli stirring well to combine. Add this to the bowl with the herbs and add fish sauce and juice from ½ a lime. Mix well.
7. Serve with a side of snake beans and cucumber.

Bamboo Shoot and Pork Soup (Naw Mai Moo Nam)

Thai Translation - Naw Mai = Bamboo Shoot, Moo = Pork, Nam = Water

This soup is a distinctly northern dish. It is made with fresh bamboo shoots that are cut from the base of certain types of bamboo plants. The shoots are then shredded and boiled with pork bones to make a delicate soup with soft pork meat.

Bamboo shoots can be purchased in jars or tins from Asian grocery stores. You should endevour to buy whole bamboo shoots rather than the pre-cut ones as they will have a better flavour for the soup. Some Asian grocery stores will also have the fresh ones which are much better to use though!

Cooking Time - 1 hour

Preparation Time - 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1-2 fresh bamboo shoots

150g meaty pork bones

1 litre chicken or pork stock

1 tsp soy sauce

Method

1. Prepare the bamboo shoots by removing the outer hard layers and finely cut the soft inside sections. Remove any excess fat from the pork.
2. Bring your stock to the boil and add the bamboo shoots and pork.
3. Bring soup to the boil again and reduce heat to a simmer.
4. Cook for approximately 30-45 minutes or until the pork is tender.
5. Season with soy sauce and serve.

Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork (Pad Khana Moo Grob)

Thai Translation - Pad = Stir Fried, Khana = Chinese Broccoli, Moo Grob = Crispy Pork

This delicious dish with a hint of the Chinese influence on thai cooking is super easy and super yummy. Made with only a couple of ingredients, it can be quickly whipped up and served with steamed rice. This is a dish I fell in love with at Spice I Am restaurant in Sydney. The flavours were amazing and I had never eaten Thai food like it before. This recipe will definitely have you wanting more!

Cooking Time – 10 minutes

Preparation Time – 5 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 bunch chinese broccoli

½ cup crispy pork

½ tsp white pepper

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp powdered chicken or pork stock

1 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tbsp water

3 medium red chilli's

4 cloves garlic

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Wash your chinese broccoli and slice into thirds. Finely dice the garlic cloves and chop the chilli's in half (leave whole if you prefer it to be mildly spicy)
2. Heat your oil in wok over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the chinese broccoli and stir fry until slighly done.
3. Add the oyster sauce, water, chicken stock, chilli and white pepper. Stir well to combine and then add the pork.
4. Stir fry for one minute more and then serve with steamed rice.
   
   
   
   
   

Crispy Pork (Moo Grob)

Thai Translation: Moo = Pork, Grob = Crispy

Moo Grob is an ingredient that is used in a number of different stir fries. It is made from pork belly that is fatty meat with layers of skin and fat. When it is fried in this way the fat will become soft and the flavour of the meat enhanced. When this is made, you will only need to use a small amount of it for your dish. It can be sliced and served with rice and thick sweet soy sauce or used in soups and stir fries. In Thailand, you can buy this pork ready made from markets or street vendors.

Cooking Time – 15 minutes

Preparation time – 3 hours

Ingredients

500g pork belly

3 tablespoons salt

3 tablespoons white pepper

Oil for frying

Method

1. Wash the pork and cut into slices approximately 1 inch wide. Boil the meat in a large pot until the skin is tender but firm. This will take 30 – 45 minutes.
2. Remove from the water and allow to cool slightly. Using a fork, puncture the skin of the meat and then rub the salt and pepper into the skin and other parts of the meat.
3. Place on a wire rack and allow to dry out for at least 3 hours to ensure it dries out well. This is done so that when the meat is fried, it will not spit hot oil. You can leave this overnight if preferred.
4. When the meat is dried sufficiently, heat some oil in a wok over medium heat. Carefully add the pork and deep dry until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain.
5. Cut the meat as required for stir-fries or soups.

Banh Cuon - Wet Rice Paper Spring Rolls

This appetizer dish takes just as much time to make as the spring rolls made with rice paper. For me, banh cuon takes longer because I haven't mastered the process. Plus each wet rice paper must be cooked before rolling. I guess this appetizer is Thai Lao version of the French crepe.

You can purchase the wet rice paper batter and follow the instructions. In my video, I cook the wet rice paper differently from the instructions because that is how my cousin taught me. I fill it with ground pork and dark fungus mushrooms. For best presentation, roll the wet rice paper spring rolls flat. Serve the wet spring rolls with the spring roll dipping sauce.

Please refer to the list of Product Prices on how to get access to all the Thai & Lao Food dvds and recipe books.