Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin

This was delicious!!  We are still without an oven but made this in the air fryer!!!  Great meal!!!

 Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin (1.5 - 2lbs)

2T honey

2T soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1t dijon mustard

1T olive oil

2 medium sweet potatoes

1lb fresh green beans

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400

Whisk together honey, soy sauce, garlilc, dijon, and olive oil.

Brush over the pork and place on a sheet pan.

Cube sweet potatoes, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and spread around the pork.

Roast for 30 minutes until the pork reaches 145.

During the last 15 min , add green beans tossed with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to the pan.

Let the pork rest 5-10 minutes before slicing

Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Pork

The boys made this while I was in Wichita and they said it was DELICIOUS!!  It looks so good - I can't wait to try it myself!!  Ro said it was easy to make too!!!

Ingredients

• 2.5 – 3 pounds of pork loin (or 2 tenderloins)
• 12 ounces bacon (I used 12 slices of Kirkland bacon)
• 1 package 1/3 less fat cream cheese (8 oz.)
• 2 teaspoons ranch seasoning
• 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (6g fat per serving)
• 1 jalapeño, diced
• salt & pepper
• 

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven or pellet smoker to 450 degrees.
2. Butterfly the pork. With the pork on a cutting board, hold a knife blade parallel to the board and carefully make a lengthwise cut about 1/3 of the way from the bottom, stopping about 1 inch from the opposite end, being careful not to cut through. Continue slicing until you have a flat, rectangular piece of pork. Optional: cover the entire cut of meat with plastic wrap and pound to make it all even. (I skipped this step)
3. Season both sides with salt and pepper and top with the cooked bacon strips.
4. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and ranch seasoning. Add a layer of the cream cheese mixture on top of the bacon.
5. Top with shredded cheese and the jalapeños.
6. Tightly roll the pork loin to completely enclose all of the fillings.
7. Using cooking twine, tightly secure the roll and place in a casserole dish.
8. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the pork loin reaches an internal temperature of 145 °F. Use your meat thermometer for this one.
9. Slice and serve warm.

Honey-Glazed Smoked Pork Tenderloin

Looking for a totally different Easter Menu, so needed a new main entree -- this was great cause you could make it ahead!!  It's important to use pork tenderloin, cause it allows more of the flavor to seep in OR top it with extra glaze!!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I use our bacon olive oil)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 pork tenderloins

kosher salt and black pepper

Glaze:
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Whisk olive oil, vinegar, garlic, paprika, chili powders and oregano together and add pork to coat well.  Marinate overnight or 4-6 hours preferred.

When ready to cook, heat smoker to 225 degrees.  Transfer pork to smoker, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper, and close lid.

Cook to an internal temperature of 145 degrees and remove from smoker.  Tent in foil to rest while you prep glaze.

Combine honey and apple cider vinegar and drizzle over sliced pork.

Pasta with spicy sausage, basil, and mustard

This was a family fav!!!  This was super quick and really yummy!!!  Can't wait to eat it again for leftovers!!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

9oz dried pasta

1lb spicy pork sausages

olive oil

2/3 cup white wine

2 pinches dried chile flakes

1 cup basil leaves

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.  Salt it generously.   Warm a thin film of olive oil in a frying pan, just enough to lubricate the bottom.  Discard the sausage skin, crumble the meat into the hot pan, and fry till sizzling and cooked through, about 5 minutes over medium high heat.  Add the pasta to the boiling water.

Pour the wine into the sausage pan and let it bubble a little, scraping at the sausage stuck to the bottom.  Stir in the chile-flakes, roughly chop or tear the basil leaves, and add those too.  Add a little salt and the mustard, pour in the cream, and bring slowly to a simmer.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring now and again.

When the pasta is tender, about 9 minutes after coming back to a boil, drain and tip into the creamy sausage sauce.

Apple Cider Glazed Pork Chops

Always looking for new recipes so tried this one out and it was delicious!!!  Made this up with some rice and broccoli!!  Easy weeknight meal!! 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs (one package) Bone-in Pork Chops

Rub:

• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Apple Cider Glaze:

• 1 1/2 c. apple cider
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. salt

1. Light your gas or charcoal grill and heat to medium high heat.
2. In a small saucepan, prepare the glaze by combining the apple cider, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt. Bring to a simmer. While the cider comes to a simmer, prepare the pork rub. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with a fork. Add the oil to the spice mixture. It will be the consistency of a crumbly paste. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels, and then cover the chops on all sides with the spice rub.
3. Put the spice covered pork chops on the heated grill, and thoroughly brush with the cider glaze. Grill for about 6 minutes. Flip the chops and thoroughly brush with the glaze on the other side. Grill for about 2 more minutes, flip and brush again. Repeat this process until the chops cook for 10-12 minutes total, and reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Its okay for pork to have a little pink in the middle.
4. If you're also grilling apples, brush the halved apples with glaze and grill for about 5-6 minutes. No need to flip. Serve along with the chops.

Herbed Crown Pork Roast

Well WOW!!!  WE DID IT!!!  hahahaha When I was trying to come up with menu for Christmas dinner and I was reflecting on the "Christmas tastes" of my past and remembered that my Mom had made a pork crown roast one year....It looked fun so Ross and I decided to try it out!!!  It was SUPER yummy and actually not that hard to make at all!!!  (including the little crown frills!!!)  We made this with Apple Sausage Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Brussel Sprouts, and Rolls!!!

Ingredients

• 1 gallon Water
• 1 1/2 cups Kosher Salt
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 10 large Cloves of Garlic, smashed with skins on
• 2 large Sweet Onions, quartered with skins on
• 5 Bay Leaves
• Handful each of Fresh Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

Crown Roast of Pork

• 10 lb Crown Roast of Pork (ordered from the butcher)
• 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt and 2 teaspoons Freshly Ground Pepper
• 2 tablespoons each of Fresh Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, chopped
• 

• Place an 8-9 pound crown roast of pork in a large 16-quart stockpot. Add 1 gallon of water, 1 1/2 cups Kosher salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 10 large cloves of garlic, 2 large quartered onions, 5 bay leaves, and a handful each of fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme. Swirl the water around until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
• Cover and place in refrigerator and let sit for 12 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven temperature to 325° F.
• Remove the roast from the brine and rinse a couple of times. Dry the roast with paper towels.
• Rub 2 tablespoons of olive oil both in the cavity and on the outside of the roast.
• Rub 2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons each of fresh chopped sage, rosemary, and thyme on the inside and out.
• Fill the top portion of the cavity of the roast with Homemade Stuffing with Apples and Sausage (optional).
• Place the roast in a shallow roasting pan in the bottom third of your oven.
• Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 140° F with an instant-read thermometer. If the bones begin to brown too much, cover the top of them with small squares of foil.
• Remove the roast from the oven and tent with foil. Let sit for 30-40 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise about 5-10°F. The finished temperature should be 145-150°F.
• Increase the oven temperature to 500° F.
• Once the roast has rested, remove the foil and place it back in the oven. Cook for an additional 10 minutes to get the roast nicely browned and crisp.
• Remove and let sit another 10 minutes before serving.
• ENJOY!

notes

• A typical 8-9 pound roast, what I have here in this recipe, will have anywhere from 12-18 ribs. You can usually count on one rib feeding one person, two if they’re really hungry,
• Brining is the key to a juicy and tender finished roast. It’s basically like a marinade that adds moisture and flavor into the meat.
• After brining, let the Crown Roast of Pork come to room temperature by sitting out on the countertop for about one hour. Taking the chill off ensures a more evenly cooked roast.
• Remove the roast when the internal temperature reaches 140°F. The temperature will continue to rise by about 5-10°. You’re looking for a finished temperature of 145° F.
• When using the thermometer, make sure and stick the probe into the thickest part of the roast which is in the center. Avoid sticking it near the bones on the outside of the roast.
• There is an old misconception that pork should never be pink. That’s no longer accurate. Pork can turn quickly into a dry and tough piece of meat if it is overcooked.  A little bit of pink actually delivers a moist, tender roast.
• The reasoning behind “resting” is to permit the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat fibers leaving a juicy and flavorful finished roast. If you immediately cut into it, all of those juices will run out onto the serving plate.

Hoisin Pork Chops

 This was AMAZING!!!  We all loved it and it was super easy to make!!!  We did pork chops, but this would be great on salmon, chicken, anything!!!!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 bones pork chops
3/4 tsp salt
2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon ginger minced
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water

cilantro, for serving

1. In a small sauce pan set over medium heat, simmer the garlic, ginger, hoisin, rice vinegar and water, whisking occasionally until the mixture is fully combined, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
2. 
   

1. Lightly salt pork chops. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once oil is smoking, place the pork chops in the skillet, cook without turning until well browned, 3-4 minutes on each side (adjust timing based on how thick your pork chop is). When an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 135°F, remove the pork chops from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.

1. 
   

1. Serve with hoisin sauce drizzled over top and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

Apple Cider Smoked Pulled Pork

This was amazing!!  I love when I can find a recipe that lets Rossy use his smoker :)  We all inhaled this!!

Ingredients

·       7–9 lb bone-in pork butt/shoulder roast

RUB

·       4 tablespoons brown sugar

·       1 tablespoon garlic powder

·       1 tablespoon onion powder

·       1 tablespoon kosher salt

·       1/2 tablespoon pepper

·       1.5 tablespoons smoked paprika

·       2 teaspoons dry mustard

·       1 tablespoon coriander

·       1 tablespoon chili powder

SPRAY

·       1/2 cup apple cider

·       1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

BRAISING

·       2 cups apple cider

·       3–4 sweet, crisp red apples, peeled and sliced

·       2 onions, sliced

SAUCE

·       1 cup ketchup

·       1/2 cup apple jelly

·       1/4 cup apple cider

·       1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

·       1 teaspoon liquid smoke

·       1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

·       1 teaspoon chili powder

·       1/2 teaspoon onion powder

·       1 cup pan juices from roast (fat separated)

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Instructions

1.      Pat roast dry. Combine all rub ingredients and pat on all sides of roast, rubbing in well. Cover roast and let sit overnight in the fridge.

2.      When ready to cook, preheat smoker to 225 degrees and smoke roast directly on grill for 5 hours. While cooking, combine spray ingredients in a clean spray bottle and spritz roast all over once every hour.

3.      While roast is smoking, combine all sauce ingredients and whisk together in a pan. Set aside until pan juices are ready.

4.      After smoking, transfer your roast to either your slow cooker (if it will fit, remember you have more stuff going in there!) or a roasting pan, or disposable roasting pan (if you’ll continue cooking on the smoker.)

5.      Place apples, onions, and 2 cups apple cider around the roast in the roasting pan. Cover with lid, or tightly with foil. Cook in slow cooker on high for 6-7 hours (or low for more like 8-10 if you want/need to drag it out, overnight for example.) If you are cooking in the oven, set temperature to 275 degrees. In the smoker, you can increase temperature to 275 as well. Cook until internal temperature reaches 200-210 degrees, usually about 6-7 hours.

6.      Let pork rest, covered for at least 15 minutes (longer is just fine) before discarding bones, separating fat, etc.

7.      Pour pan juices into a fat separator. Pour 1 cup of juices into your BBQ sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes until slightly thickened.

8.      Pour a little of the remaining juices over shredded pork. Use a slotted spoon to grab the onions and apples and mix them in with the pork. Serve alone or on rolls or over rice. Freezes great! Excellent on nachos, pizzas, and more.

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Notes

·       If you don’t have a smoker, you can cook the entire recipe in the oven. Simply discard the smoking step and instead rub the roast with the spices, sear in a pan, and then place directly in a roasting pan or slow cooker with cider, apples and onions and cook until internal temperature reaches 200-210. (I would plan on 8-10 hours) To add the smoky flavor, add 1 tablespoon liquid smoke with the cooking liquid.

·       You could also easily use a smaller, boneless pork shoulder roast, which cooks much faster, simply use as much of the rub as you need, you’ll have extra.

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Sauerkraut and Apples

This was super easy and tasted like it took forever :)

Makes 10-12 servings: Nutritional Information (per 4 ounces pork loin roast, plus 1/12 of the sauerkraut/apple mixture):
Calories: 188
Fat: 7
Protein: 22
Carbs: 10
Fiber: 2
Sugars: 7
Weight Watchers Points Plus: 5

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 2.5-3-pound pork loin (loin, tenderloin, or sirloin)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 32-ounce package/jar of sauerkraut, undrained
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon brown or mild coarse grain mustard
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium apple, sliced

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork roast with salt and pepper on all sides, then brown it on all sides in the hot skillet. When the roast has been evenly browned, place it in a crock pot.

In a large bowl, combine the sauerkraut, chopped onion, sliced apple, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Spread it evenly over the pork roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours (or until the meat is very tender and flavorful). Shred or slice and serve with plenty of the sauerkraut mixture on top. Serve with your favorite potatoes and a green salad or steamed vegetables. 

Coca-Cola Glazed Ham with Brown Sugar and Dijon

 This was UBER yummy and so easy to make :)  Perfect for Easter dinner!!!

Ingredients:

1 10-12 pound bone-in, cured ham* 1 extra large (or “turkey size”) oven bag (holds 8-25 lbs) 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup dijon mustard 1 large orange, washed and cut into 6 wedges (optional) 1 can Coca-Cola Trim any excess skin and/or fat from the ham. Using a sharp knife, score the ham in a diamond pattern making 1/4-inch deep slices.  Don't fret over getting this perfect - mine certainly wasn't! Place the ham (on its side – not face down) in the oven bag set in a large roasting pan. Roll the sides of the bag down so that the bag is open wide and you can get your hands around the ham easily. Combine brown sugar and dijon mustard in a small bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Rub sugar mixture all over ham. Place orange wedges in the bottom of the bag around the ham. Pour the coke into the bag (don’t pour the coke over the ham or it will wash the sugar mixture off – just pour it in near the bottom of the ham). “Puff up” the bag a little by gathering air or blowing into the bag so that the bag isn’t touching the ham. Making sure to keep a “loose fit” around the ham, close the bag tightly with the provided tie. You should end up with what looks something like a two-day old mylar balloon with a ham inside it. Using a small, sharp knife, make three small slits in the top of the bag for ventilation (don’t skip this step or the bag will burst wide open and the ham won’t be able to self-baste). Move your oven rack just low enough that the bag won’t touch the upper elements in your oven then bake at 350 degrees for 2-2.5 hours (2.5-3 hours if using a 13-15 pound ham) or until nicely browned and caramelized. Remove ham from oven and rest, inside the bag, for 30 minutes before serving. *Do not use a spiral sliced ham with this recipe.

Italian Pork Chops

This was tasty way to eat pork chops and was quick!!

Serves 4 - 1 serving = 1 red, 1 green (1 yellow if using pasta or another green if using zoodles)

Ingredients:

4 Boneless Pork Chops
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 diced onion
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1tsp of basil
2tsp of oregano
sea salt
sprinkle of parmesan cheese

Heat oil in pan for a minute on high.

Add pork chops and sear on both sides – around a minute.  Remove pork from pan

Lower heat to medium and add onions – cook until translucent and caramelized.  Add garlic, tomatoes and spices and cook for 2 mins.

Return pork to pan and cook for 2 minutes on one side. Flip. Spoon tomato mixture over each piece of pork and cook another 2 minutes on the other side.

Top with a small sprinkle of parmesan cheese and serve with pasta or, my fav, zucchini noodles!

Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

This was yummy -- another fancy, easy way to make pork tenderloin :)

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
1lb boneless lean pork tenderloin
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup mustard
1/2 cup orange juice
1T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp minced garlic

Whisk everything together in a small bowl.  Transfer to a Ziploc bag and add tenderloin.  Let marindar for at least 30 minutes.

Choose one of the following ways to cook it:
1. Grill, medium heat, internal temp 145 degrees
2. Roast in oven, 425 bake for 25-30 minutes
3. Crock pot, first brown both sides in skillet - then transfer to crockpot, cook on high for 4 hours

Crockpot Pulled Pork w/ BBQ Mustard Sauce

I'm a sucker for crock pot meals but what makes them even better is when they taste like this!!!  So good!!!

Serves 4 - Use red container to measure appropriate portion

Ingredients
4lbs pork shoulder

1 cup old fashioned mustard

¼ cup raw honey

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (optional)

Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the rub:

2 tablespoons paprika

½ tablespoon garlic powder

½ tablespoon onion powder

½ tablespoon chili powder

½ tablespoon ground cumin

Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the rub.  Rub the paprika mixture all over the pork shoulder and place in a slow cooker.  In another bowl, mix together the mustard, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, and hot pepper sauce.  Season to taste and give everything a good stir.

Pour the sauce over the pork and cook on low for 7-8 hours.  Carefully shred the pork with two forks, removing and big chunks of fat.  Stir the shredded pork to mix it up with the sauce and serve.