Pig

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I used Emeril’s Essence which seemed close enough.)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons honey
¹⁄₄ cup water

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F. 

2. Heat butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat.  Season the pork tenderloin with Cajun seasoning and black pepper.  Place pork in the skillet and brown for 5 minutes on each side. 

3. Add honey to skillet and roast for 7 to 10 minutes or until pork is fully cooked.  Transfer pork to a plate and cover with foil to rest. 

4. Return skillet to burner set to medium heat.  Add water and simmer, stirring, until sauce is reduced to ¹⁄₂ cup.  Slice pork and serve with sauce. 

Comments
This recipe is from Momma Hen’s Kitchen although the original recipe wasn’t very clear so I had to fill in some gaps to get something that I thought would work well.  This was delicious, the pork was nicely cooked and the sauce was flavorful.  It wasn’t super sweet, just the right amount, and fantastic butter flavor.  It’s very easy to double the recipe if your pork tenderloins come in two packs like mine do. 

Shown here with Creamy Parmesan Orzo.

Internet - Momma Hen’s Kitchen

Ingredients
3-5 pound pork loin, trimmed

Rub for the Pork Loin:
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Pineapple Barbecue Sauce:
2 cups pineapple juice
2 inches fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and minced (I just used one and the sauce was nicely spiced for my tastes.)
¹⁄₄ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
3 tablespoons vinegar (I used pineapple balsamic but apple cider or even white would work.)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
1. The night before you plan to eat, mix together all rub ingredients and spread rub all over pork loin.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

2. The morning of the day you plan to eat this, unwrap pork and place into slow cooker.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours.  Remove pork to bowl and shred with two forks.  Discard accumulated liquid from slow cooker. 

3. During the last half hour of slow cooking, bring pineapple juice, ginger, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro to boil in medium saucepan.  Boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced.  Add ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. If desired, pour sauce over pork and stir well before serving with rolls.  Otherwise, serve pork and sauce separately. 

Note: If you like a very saucy barbecue, consider doubling sauce ingredients. 

Comments
This recipe is from Simple Comfort Food and I can say without a doubt that it’s a keeper.  The flavors were all wonderful, not a hint of bitterness that I’ve had with past slow cooker barbecue recipes.  The sweetness of the pineapple in the sauce was fantastic and Art wished that I had made even more of the sauce than I did.  The amount of sauce in the recipe was the perfect amount to coat a 3 pound pork loin, so if you want a bit extra, you should make more.  This was seriously a fantastic dish.  The guys both had two sandwiches.  Yum.

Internet - Simple Comfort Food

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
¹⁄₄ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Instructions
1. Season both sides of pork with ¹⁄₄ teaspoon each salt and pepper. 

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until almost cooked through.  Remove from pan and keep warm. 

3. Return pan to medium-high heat.  Melt butter in pan.  Add shallots and sauté 3 minutes of until tender and translucent.  Add broth, bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute.  Stir in mustard, syrup, and remaining ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt.  Cook 1 minute or until beginning to thicken.  Return pork to pan and cook 1 minute on each side or until fully cooked and heated through.  Serve pork with sauce.  Garnish each serving with parsley. 

Comments
This recipe is from Cooking Light via the blog Culinary Covers.  We’re not big pork chop lovers, but I had a few in the freezer that needed to be used up.  While I’m still not a lover of pork chops, I did think this was a tasty recipe.  The sauce was flavorful and I might use it in the future for other cuts of pork. 

Shown here with Roasted Acorn Squash.

Cooking Light

Ingredients
¹⁄₄ cup soy sauce
¹⁄₄ cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder (McCormick makes one that can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 pounds pork loin

Instructions
1. Mix soy sauce, hoisin sauce, five spice powder, ginger, garlic, sriracha and sesame oil in slow cooker.  (Feel free to skip the mincing and do this all with your immersion blender.) 

2. Place pork in slow cooker, on top of sauce, and turn to coat.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours. 

3. Leaving pork in slow cooker, shred with two forks and stir well to coat with sauce.  Serve with Green Onion Pancakes. 

Comments
This recipe is from The Cast-Iron Darling, another great blog.   It’s funny that we’re not super huge fans of cow cooked in the slow cooker, but pig is awesome.  Pork lends itself well to the shredded meat results that the slow cooker yields.  The flavor of this meat was great and we all enjoyed it quite a bit. 

I would make a few changes next time, but just minor ones.  The meat and the pancakes were both great, but it would have been nice to have some green crunchy things to go along with the dish.  I’ll be serving this with some combination of shredded cabbage, sliced green onions, and sliced cucumber next time. 

Shown here with Green Onion Pancakes.

Internet - Cast-Iron Darling

Ingredients
4 pattypan squash, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 ¹⁄₂ cups bread crumbs
¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350*F. 

2. Heat skillet over medium heat and cook sausage until no longer pink. Remove sausage from pan. Add onion to sausage fat and cook 3-5 minutes, or until soft. 

3. In a bowl mix together sausage, onion, parsley, bread crumbs, pepper, oil, and 2 tablespoons water.  Layer squash slices with sausage mixture in 9 by 12-inch pan.  Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 15 minutes or until squash is tender. 

Comments
This was supposed to be a stuffed pattypan dish but my pattypans were too small and it seemed like the [recipe](http://www.healthy-(recipes-for-kids.com/scallop-squash-(recipes.html) wouldn’t work so well.  Everything was tasty, the spice from the sausage added lots of great flavor. 

Shown here with Baked Lemon Pasta.

Internet - Healthy Recipes for Kids

Ingredients
Table salt
1 pound dried cannellini beans, rinsed and picked over
2 medium celery ribs
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds fresh bratwurst
4 ounces salt pork, rinsed of excess salt and diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks (I interpreted this as 1 ¹⁄₂ pounds of meat which was about a 2 ¹⁄₂ pound piece with the bone.)
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¹⁄₄-inch dice, about 1 cup (I used baby carrots.)
8 cloves garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¹⁄₂ cup dry white wine
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
Ground black pepper
4 large slices white sandwich bread, torn into rough pieces
¹⁄₂ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions
1. Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt into 3 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature, 8 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300*F. Using kitchen twine, tie together celery, bay leaf and thyme. Place sausage and salt pork in medium saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1 inch; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 5 minutes. Transfer sausages to cutting board, allow to cool slightly, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Remove salt pork from water with slotted spoon; set aside.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add sausage pieces and brown on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to medium bowl. Add pork shoulder and brown on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes total. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring constantly, until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Return sausage to Dutch oven; add white wine, using wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from bottom of pan. Cook until slightly reduced, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, celery bundle, and reserved salt pork.

4. Stir in broth and beans, pressing beans into even layer. If any beans are completely exposed, add up to 1 cup water to submerge (beans may still break surface of liquid). Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are tender, about 1 ¹⁄₂ hours. Remove celery bundle. Using large spoon, skim fat from surface and discard. (When I got to this point in the recipe, there was no liquid over the beans so I had no way to skim anything off.)  Season with pepper and stir to submerge beans.  Increase oven temperature to 350*F and bake, uncovered, 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, pulse bread and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in food processor until crumbs are no larger than ¹⁄₈ inch, 8 to 10 1-second pulses. Transfer to medium bowl, add parsley, and toss to combine. Season with pepper.

6. Sprinkle ¹⁄₂ cup bread-crumb mixture evenly over casserole; bake, covered, 15 minutes. Remove lid and bake 15 minutes longer. Sprinkle remaining bread-crumb mixture over top of casserole and bake until topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. 

Comments
This recipe provides a very good example of why it is very important to read the entire recipe before doing a single thing.  This is probably one of the most important skills that any cook can possess.  Reading this recipe through yields two important pieces of information.  The first is that you should soak the beans the night before you plan to cook this recipe.  The second is that the recipe takes a very long time even after the beans are soaked.  I believe that we began prep around 5pm and ate dinner shortly after 9pm.  Four hours including Art’s help with prep.  The last 3 hours of cooking is largely unattended. 

I am very happy to say that all of the time was very worth it.  The beans were perfectly cooked through, the meat was all fantastic, and the dish as a whole was extremely filling and well balanced.  Even though the recipe was time consuming, it wasn’t difficult to bring together.  Lance liked the pieces of pork shoulder most, Art liked the sausage the best, and I liked it all. 

This recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Illustrated Annual and makes a fantastic meal with a good loaf of crusty bread and salads.

Cook’s Illustrated 2009

Ingredients
³⁄₄ cup maple syrup (The real stuff, please.)
¹⁄₄ cup light or mild molasses (I used “original” which I guess is mild.)
2 tablespoons bourbon or brandy (I used brandy since that’s what I had in my cabinet.)
¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch cayenne pepper
¹⁄₄ cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Dijon or whole grain mustard

Instructions
1.Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375*F. Stir ¹⁄₂ cup maple syrup, molasses, bourbon, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne together in 2-cup liquid measure; set aside. Whisk cornstarch, salt, and black pepper in small bowl until combined. Transfer cornstarch mixture to rimmed baking sheet. Pat tenderloins dry with paper towels, then roll in cornstarch mixture until evenly coated on all sides. 

2. Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Reduce heat to medium and place both tenderloins in skillet, leaving at least 1 inch in between. Cook until well browned on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer tenderloins to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. (The tenderloins will shrink some as they cook in the skillet, so don’t worry if you have to curve them to fit them initially.) 

3. Pour off excess fat from skillet and return to medium heat. Add syrup mixture to skillet, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, and cook until reduced to ¹⁄₂ cup, about 2 minutes. Transfer 2 tablespoons glaze to small bowl and set aside. Using remaining glaze, brush each tenderloin with approximately 1 tablespoon glaze. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of tenderloins reads 130*F, 12 to 20 minutes. Brush each tenderloin with another tablespoon glaze and continue to roast until thermometer reads 135 to 140*F, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Remove tenderloins from oven and brush each with remaining glaze; let rest, uncovered, 10 minutes. (I didn’t actually measure the glaze I used each time, since I had plenty.  I just brushed it on until it was, well, glazed each time.)

4. While tenderloins rest, stir remaining ¹⁄₄ cup maple syrup and mustard into reserved 2 tablespoons glaze. Transfer meat to cutting board and slice into ¹⁄₄-inch-thick pieces. Serve, passing mustard glaze at table.

Comments
I’ve made many recipes for pork tenderloin over the years but this is, by far, the most flavorful.  The recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Illustrated Annual and the guys could not stop eating it.  The sauce, which I forgot to add to the plate before taking the picture, was a great compliment.  The tenderloins smelled wonderful while cooking and all the spices just blended together fantastically.  The cornstarch coating helped to add nooks and crannies to the pork so that the glaze would adhere during cooking. 

There is no doubt that I’ll be making this again – there are two other variations in the cookbook that I’m interested in trying at some point. 

Shown here with Sour Cream and Onion Smashed Potatoes (and a thermometer hole and fork print, oops).

Cook’s Illustrated 2009

Ingredients
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds russet potatoes, cubed
³⁄₄ cup half and half
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 pounds ground pork
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup beef broth
Salt and pepper
2 9-inch pie crusts (I use Pillsbury, since I like them.) 

Instructions
1. Put potatoes in large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain potatoes, return to pot, and mash with half and half and butter. Set aside.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425*F. Cook pork, onion, garlic, thyme, sage, and nutmeg in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until pork is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, about 10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until most of liquid evaporates, about 10-20 minutes. Off heat, stir in prepared mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

3. Line deep pie plate (or a deep, round casserole dish) with 1 pie crust. Fill with pork and potato mixture and top with second pie crust, crimping edges to seal. Cut 4 vent holes in top and bake until crust is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 minutes. Serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Country Annual and it’s a fairly basic meat and potatoes pie.  It was very tasty and extremely simple. 

Shown here with Roasted Cabbage Wedges.

Cook’s Country 2009

Ingredients
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground coriander
¹⁄₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (I couldn’t get fresh thyme, so I used a bit less than a teaspoon dried.  This is probably a better summer recipe due to availability of fresh herbs.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
¹⁄₂ cup shallots, finely chopped
²⁄₃ cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
¹⁄₄ cup fresh orange juice, about 1 large orange (I admit, I used a some Simply Orange.)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425*F.

2. Sprinkle first 3 ingredients over pork. Combine parsley and next 4 ingredients, rub over pork.

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 7 minutes, browning on all sides. Place pork in shallow roasting pan or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Or, if using an oven safe skillet, keep it in that.  Bake for 35 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155-160*F. Remove pork to cutting board. Cover loosely with foil; let stand 10-15 minutes.

4. Place roasting pan (or skillet) over medium heat. Add shallots to pan; cook 2 minutes. Add wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to boil. Cook until mixture is reduced to ¹⁄₃ cup. Add broth and juice; cook until mixture is reduced to ³⁄₄ cup, about 5-10 minutes. Serve sauce with pork. 

Comments
Art isn’t a huge lover of pork chops so, in order to make pork, I tend to stick to roasts.  This one is from the 2010 Cooking Light Annual and was ridiculously flavorful and moist.  The sauce had just enough sweetness in it to provide a fantastic accompaniment to the meat.  We all enjoyed this quite a bit and I look forward to revisiting it in the summer when my access to fresh herbs is vastly improved. 

Shown here with Baked Four-Cheese Pasta.

Cooking Light 2010

Ingredients
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into ¹⁄₂-inch thick slices
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 ¹⁄₄ cups shallots, thinly sliced (The recipe said this would be about 8, but my shallots were HUGE so I used only 4.)
1 clove garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions
1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan, and keep warm.

2. Add remaining 4 teaspoons oil to pan; reduce heat to medium. Add shallots to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in ¹⁄₂ cup water and vinegar; simmer 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon shallot mixture over pork. Serve immediately. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2010 Cooking Light Annual and I thought it was a little strange that it said to cut the tenderloin into pieces before cooking it.  However, I gave it a go, and was very pleased with the results!  The pork was nice, tender, and seared well.  The shallots were delicious and vinegary. 

Shown here with Lemon Broccoli Risotto.

Cooking Light 2010