This week someone dear to me, who has a very busy schedule, asked me for some good Slow Cooker recipes so I’m going to start off with one of my favorites. I don’t know anyone who can resist these delicious Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches, which are great for dinner or a weekend lunch.
The great thing about this dish is that it graciously goes from the oven to the table.
The Super Bowl is almost here. If you’re looking for easy dishes to serve then think about making my Saucy Pork Ribs. They’re also great for weeknight or weekend dinners as well. You could make these in a slow cooker if you wanted to.
I absolutely love this pork tenderloin dish. If you would rather use sweet potatoes then by all means go for it. Oh, and here’s a good tip for peeling ginger. To remove the ginger skin easily, just scrape with the edge of a spoon. It’s that simple!
Bacon is prepared from several different cuts of meat. It is usually made from side and back cuts of pork, except in the United Sates, where it is almost always prepared from pork belly. The side cut has more meat and less fat than the belly. Bacon may be prepared from either of two distinct back cuts: fatback, which is almost pure fat, or pork loin, which is very lean. Bacon cured pork loin is known as back bacon.
I like bacon that is thick and crispy, not thin and limp. I favor a 1/8-inch sliced bacon that is apple wood smoked for a full, sweet flavor that seems to complement, not overpower, other foods. You can buy this at a butcher’s shop where they will slice it for you from the slab. Many supermarkets now carry thick-sliced bacon.
Just because Labor Day is behind us don’t put away your grill just yet. This is an easy and delicious weekend dish. Remember, whatever you can do on a grill you can do in a grill pan in the oven.
Tuscan Pork Ribs
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a nice rack of spareribs except vegetarians or my friends who keep kosher. Give these ribs a try this weekend and make sure you have plenty of napkins available.
INGREDIENTS
For The Ribs
6 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Sage
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Rosemary
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoons Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon Freshly Ground Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
2 Racks Trimmed Pork Ribs (About 8 Pounds)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup White Wine
For The Sauce
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
2 Teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
6 1/2 Cups Crushed Canned Tomatoes With Juice
3 Cups Water
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Hot Pepper Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a small-size bowl combine garlic, sage, rosemary, kosher salt, pepper, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Rub spice mixture all over ribs and then drizzle with olive oil. Place in a large-size ziplock bag and refrigerate overnight. You can leave them in fridge for up to 48 hours. Remove from fridge when ready to roast. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ribs in roasting pan and place in oven for 50 minutes. Turn a couple times while roasting. Remove from oven and transfer ribs to plate for a few moments. Deglaze pan with white wine. Place ribs back into roasting pan and place back into oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and pour off fat. Cut ribs into individual bones. Return ribs to roasting pan and set aside.
To make sauce: In a large-size saucepan, add olive oil. Add garlic and turn heat to a medium-low. Cook until garlic is soft and just beginning to turn color. Stir in red pepper flakes and cook for 20 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, water, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a simmer. Add kosher salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
Pour sauce over ribs and return to oven. Continue roasting, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until sauce reduced to pint where it comes about halfway up sides of ribs. Cover with foil and cook for another 30 minutes. If sauce is still too thin, cook ribs uncovered to reduce sauce. Remove from oven and spoon off as much fat as possible. Transfer to serving platter with sauce. Serves 4
© Victoria Hart Glavin
Pork Carnitas
Carnitas means little meats. Make sure to serve these bite-size pieces of pork with soft tortillas.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Boneless Pork (Shoulder or Ribs)
12 Ounces Beer
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
3 Crushed Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Water
Small Soft Tortillas (Corn or Flour)
Accompaniments: Sliced avocado, guacamole, cilantro, diced tomatoes, minced jalapeno, shredded cheese or whatever you decide to serve with it.
Cut pork into 2 inch cubes. Keep fat intact. In a large-size pot combine pork, beer, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic, and kosher salt. Add water so liquid just covers pork. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. VERY IMPORTANT: Do not turn or move pork. Leave it alone. Turn heat to medium-high and cook pork for 15 minutes. At this point you should occasionally stir and turn pork. The liquid should be evaporated. Continue to cook pork until brown on all side. Gently turn pieces so they won’t fall apart. Remove from pot and serve in soft tortillas. Top with your favorite accompaniments. Serves 6
© Victoria Hart Glavin
Super Easy Baked Ham
Seriously, we’re talking easy here, with undisputed delicious results. Of course the end product will depend heavily on the quality of ham you start with. Make sure to shop around and ask your local butcher for advice. You should stay away from heavily salted hams that have lots of fat.
INGREDIENTS
One Smoked Fully Cooked Ham (6 to 8 Pounds)
8 Ounces Apricot Preserves
3/4 Cup Honey
1/3 Cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place ham on top of the roasting rack. If you don’t have a roasting rack then just place directly on the foil. In a medium-size bowl combine apricot preserves, honey, mustard, soy sauce, orange juice, cloves, and ginger. Generously, brush ham with glaze and place in oven. Bake for 1 1/4 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Insert meat thermometer into center of ham. It should read 140 degrees. Remove from oven and transfer to carving board. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving. Transfer to serving platter. About 4 servings per pound.
© Victoria Hart Glavin
Scotch Eggs
You will need to purchase quail’s eggs for this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Pound Pork Sausage
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Chives
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
8 Hard Boiled Quail’s Eggs
Unbleached Flour For Coating
1 Beaten Egg
1 1/2 Cups Fresh White Bread Crumbs
Vegetable Oil For Deep-Frying
In a large-size bowl place pork sausage. Mix in chives, kosher salt, and pepper. Divide into 8 equal portions. On a floured surface, flatten each portion into a 2 inch circle. Shell quail’s eggs and dust with flour. Put beaten egg in one small-size dish and bread crumbs in another. Place each egg on a circle of sausage. Mold sausage around egg. Seal seams well. Roll each sausage-covered egg in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs. Fill a deep-fat fryer 1/3 full with vegetable oil and heat to 360 degrees. Very carefully place eggs into oil and deep-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain well on paper towels until cool. Transfer to serving plate and serve. Makes 8 Scotch Eggs.
© Victoria Hart Glavin
