Roast Pork with Bacon

A good roast pork loin is an amazing center piece to a meal, but this twist on a traditional roast is nothing but amazing.  Again I'm a big believer that adding bacon to anything makes if fabulous, but the rub spices add another amazing dimension of warmth with the cumin and chili powder.  Adding some apple sauce or fried apples as a side really brings out the cinnamon and brown sugar that tops this pork dish.  Try this for your holiday center piece this year or for any day of the week to make it a little extra special.

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork loin, about 5 to 6 pounds
 4 to 6 slices bacon

Rub Mixture:














1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Glaze:
 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
 2 Tblsp flour
 2 Tblsp cider vinegar
 1/2 tsp dry mustard

Method:

Heat oven to 350°.















Place pork loin in a roasting pan. Combine the rub ingredients and rub over the pork.















Cut each strip of bacon in half crosswise and lay them over the pork loin. Roast for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the pork registers about 150°.















In the meantime, combine the brown sugar, flour, cider vinegar, and dry mustard in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 1 minute. Spoon over the pork and return to the oven.

Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until pork registers 160°. Serves 6 to 8.

Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork

I have tried several different sweet and sour recipes, but have finally one that I think is pretty good. It's full of veggies and tastes pretty darn good. And yes, this recipe also came from my dear friend Min and is the one she wrote down in a very special cookbook for me so I know it had to be good.

Ingredients:

500 ml oil for deep frying

1/2 lb (300g) chicken or pork

corn flour (corn starch) for coating chicken or pork

1 bell pepper (green or red)

1 tomato, cut into wedges

1 medium onion, largely diced

1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple (cubed)

1/2 cup cucumber wedges

Marinade:

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 egg

1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine

1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

3 Tbsp water

Sauce:

1 Tbsp plum sauce (optional)

5 Tbsp tomato sauce

1 Tbsp chili sauce (I use Thai Sweet Chili sauce)

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

100 ml water (just less than 1/2 cup)

Method:

Cut pork or chicken into 1/2" thick and then pound with back of knife until tender. Then cut into cubes. Add in marinade and leave for 30 minutes.

Coat chicken or pork cubes with corn starch (corn flour).

Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Dish out and drain.

Leave 1 Tbsp oil in wok. Stir fry bell pepper (capsicum), tomato, onion until fragrant.

Pour in sauce.

Bring sauce to a boil.

Add in pineapple and cucumber.

Cook until sauce gets thick. Add more ketchup in if needed to thicken sauce. Once thickened, add in deep fried chicken/pork and mix well.

Dish up and serve preferably with rice.

Marinated Grilled Pork Chops

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine and it turned out great. The chops had a great sweet glaze outside and juicy inside. The marinade is very easy to make up ahead of time and grilling time was fast as well. The original recipe called for 4 bone-in pork loin chops but I used boneless ones.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp pepper

4 pork loins chops (1 inch thick)

Method:

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and pepper.

Pour marinade into a large re-sealable plastic bag.

Add pork chops; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

If grilling the chops, coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chops, covered; over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reads 160F.

If you are not grilling, you can always broil them in the oven 4 inches away from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy

Bangers and mash is one of the greatest English comfort foods made of pork or beef sausages piled on top of mashed potatoes and lathered with an onion gravy. The term "bangers" actually comes from the days of WWII when type of sausages the soldiers made up would often explode if cooked over high heat. This "pub grub" is traditionally made with English Cumberland sausage, but I use regular pork sausages - whatever you fancy or is available. I would say that what really makes this dish is the onion gravy. The acidity of the Balsamic vinegar gives it a wonderful tangy flavor and the sweetness of the caramelized red onions is a classic combination. A friend of mine made Jamie Oliver's signature bangers and mash recipe for me, so this is his recipe but I use my own creamy mashed potatoes and add in the horseradish. If you can't get the fresh herbs you can sprinkle on some of the dried ones from your jars.

Ingredients:

Bangers (Sausages):

2 long, curled Cumberland sausages (or 8 pork sausages)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced

a bunch of fresh sage, leaves picked

olive oil

a bunch of fresh rosemary, leaves picked

Mash: (or double my Creamy Mashed Potatoes recipe)

2 kg/4 1/2 lbs potatoes

sea salt & fresh pepper

300 ml/1 cup milk

115 g/ 1/2 cup butter

4 Tbsp fresh horseradish

Onion gravy:

4 medium red onions, peeled and finely sliced

5 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

2 beef or chicken stock cubes

Method:

Bangers:

Preheat oven to 200C / 400 F.

Secure sausages together with skewers. Push garlic and sage leaves between sausage links. Place them on an oiled baking tray, drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary.

Cook in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Mash:

While sausages are cooking, make the mashed potatoes. (This recipe is regular mash, but I like to make my normal creamy mashed potatoes and add in the horseradish.) Mash the potatoes until smooth - add milk, butter 70g (6 Tbsp), and horseradish. Season well to taste and keep warm.

Onion Gravy:

Fry onions - really slowly - in a little oil, covered for about 15 minutes until onions are soft. Remove the lid, turn heat up, and as soon as the onions become golden brown, pour in the vinegar and boil it until it almost disappears.

Turn the heat down again, and add the rest of the butter 45 g (2 Tbsp), crumble stock cubes,

and add 1 pint (2 cups) water and stir well. Let this simmer until you have a nice gravy.

To serve:

Dollop some potatoes on the plate and make small well. Discard skewers in sausages and place two on top of the mash. Spoon over the onion gravy.

Porkchops with Fried Apples

Pork chops and apples are must meant to be eaten together. The key is using an apple that won't get too mushy when you cook it, so something like a Braeburn, Granny Smith, Gala, or Fuji apple would work well. I like a little extra tartness with my apples so I tend to use Braeburn or Granny Smith's.

Ingredients:

4 pork chops, 3/4" thick

4 apples, peeled and cut in thick slices

4 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

salt and pepper

oil

Method:

Heat oil in on medium-high heat in fry pan. Add dried off pork chops (dab them with a paper towel). Fry on each side for 3-4 minutes until browned; season with salt and pepper.

Chuck the apples on top of the pork chops, then sprinkle on brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir around gentle as to coat most of the apples. Turn down the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 7-8 minutes stirring at least once.

Remove lid and let simmer until apples are tender and brown sugar is caramelized.

Simple Pork Stir Fry

There are so many ways to make stir-fry because you really use about any type of vegetables that you want and meat with a little sesame oil and soy sauce. This is a little dish that I put together for dinner the other night. I ate it without rice as I used it as a meal for Phase 1 on the South Beach diet, but it would taste equally as good on a rice bed of brown or white rice.

Ingredients:

1/4 red pepper sliced

1/2 cup sliced cabbage

1/2 cup fresh green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup fresh asparagus, cut in 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup fresh snow peas

1 clove garlic, minced

2 pork chop loins, cut in thin slices

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp hoisin sauce (opt)

Method:

Marinade pork with soy sauce for 30 minutes. Heat oil in wok until hot. Add pork and soy sauce and cook until done. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add all the vegetables and stir fry for a 3-4 minutes. Add optional hoisin sauce and stir for additional 30 seconds.

Ham Balls

These yummy little meatballs are super tasty because the ground up ham just adds so much. If you don't have a meat grinder you can use a food processor or something else to get the meat very, very finely cut up.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (2 slices)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

12 oz ground cooked ham

12 oz ground pork

Glaze:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 tsp mustard

Method:

In bowl combine eggs, bread crumbs, onion, milk, mustard, and pepper. Add ground ham and pork; mix well.

Shape into meatballs and place in a baking dish. Pour glaze over the top. Bake uncovered in an oven heated to 350F / 180C for 45 minutes.

***Note: I made this recipe without the bread crumbs while on Phase 1 and 2 of the South Beach Diet. I also substituted Splenda in for the brown sugar and it turned out very nicely. In Phase 2 you could add rolled oats and use the Splenda Brown Sugar.

Ranch-Seasoned Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 porkchops

1 Tbsp sunflower oil

dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

salt and pepper taste

Method:

Heat oil in fry pan. Season pork chops with dry ranch dressing mix along with salt and pepper to taste. Add pork chops to hot oil and fry each side for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the pork chop. After flipping the chops, add the sliced onions and cover. Cook until pork chops are done and onions are soft.

Pork Meatballs

Quite the dainty little meatballs that are great for an appetizer or for a meal. This recipe originally called for ground turkey, but I made them with pork and added the South Beach BBQ sauce on top to give it a little zing. With the oatmeal in this recipe, this meal would fall into Phase 2 for the South Beach Diet and the BBQ sauce is okay for all stages.

Ingredients:

1 lb (450g) ground pork
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup of slow-cooking (not instant) oatmeal
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Method:

Mix all ingredients. Roll into 1' balls and place in 8x10 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes at 350F/180C.

Take out and top with South Beach BBQ sauce. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Cider-braised Pork with Cream and Mushrooms

Another great pork dish utilizing a British favorite - cider (the alcoholic kind)! I really like this recipe because it's fairly fast to make and the end sauce you make to pour over the chops is absolutely amazing and full of great flavor.

Ingredients:

12 fl oz (340 ml) dry cider

4 large thick pork chops

2 Tbsp double cream (heavy whipping cream)

8 oz ( 225g) small chestnut mushrooms, sliced

2 oz butter

1 Tbsp flavorless oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Method:

Season pork chops with salt and pepper, then heat butter and oil in frying pan until foaming and sizzling. Brown chops on both sides to nice golden color. Remove to a plate and keep on on side.

Now add onion, garlic, and mushrooms to pan and cook together for about 5 minutes.

Then move mushroom mixture over to side of pan and return chops. Sprinkle them with herbs, then spoon mushroom and onion mixture over the top of them.

Pour in cider and turn heat down to lowest and simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Then remove chops, mushrooms and onions to a plate and keep warm.

Turn up heat under the pan and simmer the sauce briskly with lid off for 8 minutes.

Now stir in cream, let bubble and reduce slightly. Taste and check seasoning. Serve the chops with mushrooms/onions and the sauce poured over the top.

Braised Pork Chops with Onion and Mustard Sauce

I found this recipe in "The Onion Lover's Cookbook." It's a different and special twist on the ordinary pork chop. The kind and amount of whole grain mustard will set the spiciness of this dish, but can be mellow enough to enjoy as a wonderful comfort food. This isn't a "quick fix" recipe, but it is well worth the time it takes.

Ingredients:

4 pork loins (3/4 inch thick)

30 ml/2 Tbsp flour

45 ml/3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Spanish onions (or yellow onions), thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

250 ml/1 cup dry cider*

150 ml/2/3 cup vegetable, chicken or pork stock

generous pinch of brown sugar

2 fresh sprigs of bay leaf (I used dried ones)

6 fresh sprigs of thyme

2 strips lemon rind

120 ml/1/2 cup double cream (heavy whipping cream)

30-45 ml/2-3 Tbsp whole grain mustard

30 ml/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F/200 C.

Trim excess fat off chops. Season flour with salt and pepper and use to coat the pork chops (save flour mixture). Heat 30 ml (2 Tbsp) olive oil in a fry pan. Brown both sides, then transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Add remaining oil (15 ml or 1 Tbsp) to pan and cook onions over gentle heat until soft and slightly brown at the edges. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in any left over flour.

Gradually add cider and stock.

Season well with salt and pepper. Add brown sugar, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and lemon rind.

Bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly, then pan over the chops.

Cover and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F / 180 C and continue to cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove chops from dish and keep warm, covered in foil.

Tip the remaining contents of the dish into a sauce pan. Discard the herbs and lemon rind. Bring to a boil. Add cream and continue to boil stirring constantly. Taste for seasoning, adding a pinch more sugar if necessary. Finally stir in mustard to taste.

Pour sauce over the braised chops and sprinkle chops with parsley. Serve immediately.

***Note: Dry cider is an alcoholic beverage that is popular in Britian and Ireland. If you are not able to find this in it's alcoholic form, it is possible to use American apple cider, but it may make it a little sweet so you probably won't want to add the brown sugar.