Spicy Pork Sandwiches

My experiments with pork continue! This sandwich marks my first attempt at using ground pork. I spotted this recipe on kmay's blog and thought it looked like a nice throwback to summertime. What were supposed to be po'-boys morphed into plain old sandwiches when a yucky snow storm kept me from wanting to go to the store and get a baguette and lettuce. Instead I grilled these babies up and put "naked" the on wheat hamburger rolls. And they were delicious! The variety of seasonings make them nice and spicy, but the heat is nicely balanced by the mayo/mustard spread. I'll definitely make these again when the weather gets warmer - I know they'll be even better on the grill as opposed to on the stove top.

Spicy Pork Po-Boys

1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 medium kosher dill pickles, very finely chopped
1/2 small shallot, minced
Four 8-inch soft baguettes, split
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (I used green leaf lettuce.)
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Hot sauce, for serving

Preheat a grill pan. In a large bowl, using your hands, mix the ground pork with the paprika, thyme, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Form the pork into twelve 1/2-inch-thick patties. Grill the pork patties over moderate heat, turning once, until they are cooked through, about 8 minutes total.
Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise with the Dijon mustard, pickles and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise on both sides of the baguettes.
Place 3 pork patties on the bottom of each baguette and top with the lettuce, tomato and a few splashes of hot sauce. Close the sandwiches and serve.

Thyme-Coated Pork Loin

Ever since my successful foray into pork loin a few weeks ago I've been eager to try out some new recipes. When I spotted this one on Julie's blog I printed it immediately. I made this for Sunday dinner and it was an excellent choice - so delicious! I'm not even a huge fan of pork and I loved it. The meat was tender and juicy, and the crispy crust on the outside was full of flavor. My only issue was with the cook time - I cooked mine for closer to 45 minute because it just didn't look done after 30. I was actually still concerned after 45 minutes, but my brother-in-law whipped out his digital meat thermometor and proved that the pork was fully cooked.

I made a few changes based on Julie's recommendations and subbed an onion soup packet for the onion flakes called for in the original recipe. I definitely recommend this swap as the flavor was great! I also used canned bread crumbs because I just don't see the point in grinding my own when someone else has already done the work for me :)

I served the pork with macaroni and cheese, roasted veggies and rolls - it was a delicious Sunday meal!

Thyme-Coated Pork Tenderloin

1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine thyme, onion soup mix and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Dip pork in egg whites; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Pork and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Cashew Rice

Pork may be the other white meat, but it's not one I cook with very often. Aside from the occassional use of deli ham or my standard pork roast/pulled pork dinner, I usually stick to poultry, ground beef and seafood when I cook. However when this recipe popped into my inbox from MyRecipes.com I decided to give it a whirl. (I think I've mentioned it before, but the MyRecipes.com Dinner Tonight emails are great and definitely worth signing up for! I've made many of their recipes and they've really gotten me to try new things. Case in point.) I considered subbing chicken for the pork, but then decided to just bite the bullet and try something new. This recipe is great! It's super fast and full of flavor. I doubled the sauce since we like a lot, and I also make extra rice. I made a few changes based on our personal tastes, but otherwise followed the recipe. This was a delicious dinner, and perfect for someone who is not a huge fan of pork. (However, if you are really opposed to pork you could easily substitute chicken or shrimp). I served this with some pork and vegetable dumplings I picked up at the supermarket and everyone was happy. Joe asked that this be made again soon, and also that I start making more pork!

Pork and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Cashew Rice

3/4 cup uncooked long-grain rice (I used brown)
1/3 cup chopped green onions (I omitted)
1/4 cup dry-roasted cashews, salted and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons honey
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
1 cup chopped onion (I omitted)
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger (I used ground)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 6 ounces)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1) (I omitted)

Cook the rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped green onions, chopped dry-roasted cashews, and salt; set aside, and keep warm.
Combine 2/3 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, and honey in a small bowl, and set aside.
Combine pork, remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a bowl, tossing well to coat. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add mushrooms and 1 cup onion; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add peas and bell pepper to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in pork; sauté 1 minute. Add reserved broth mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Serve over cashew rice.

A Tale of Two Dinners

As I mentioned in my sweet and sour pork post from earlier this week, the leftovers from that meal can be used for a second dinner - pulled pork sandwiches. I am not really a big pork eater. I won't touch a pork chop, the only time of ham I'll eat needs to be in the form of lunch meat, and whenever possible I use turkey bacon and sausage. But I do love me some pulled pork and this recipe is a good one! And easy. Just take your leftover pork, dump it into a saucepan with a few ingredients, simmer 15 minutes and - presto - dinner! I topped the pork with a little shredded cheese and served Joe's on a toasted onion roll while I enjoyed mine on toasted light English muffin. And we both enjoyed the classic gourmet side dish, tater tots. Mmmm, tots.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

12 ounces leftover cooked pork, shredded
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 kaiser rolls, halved

In a medium saucepan combine pork, chicken broth, vinegar, sugar, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes, until liquid reduces and sauce thickens. Serve pork on halved kaiser rolls.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork

Below you will find the one and only Robin Miller recipe I've tried. I've never been one to turn one meal into two (or three or four in Robin's case) but this meal is the exception. I came across it a year or so ago when looking for roast ideas for the crockpot. This one is a winner - the meat comes out so tender and juicy and the tangy, sweet sauce is perfect. The best part is that the leftover pork is shredded and can be turned into pulled pork sandwiches later in the week (currently on my menu for Thursday so be on the lookout for the post!). Even if you choose not to recylce the leftovers into sandwiches, this recipe is still a great one.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork

3 cups cubed peeled potatoes (Idaho or Yukon gold)
1 cup chopped onion
3 pound pork roast, trimmed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt

Arrange potatoes and onion in bottom of slow cooker. Place pork on top of potatoes and onion. Spread garlic all over pork.
In a medium bowl, whisk together water, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, mustard, black pepper and salt. Pour mixture over pork.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
Slice pork crosswise into thin slices and serve 12 ounces for this meal. Serve with all of potatoes, onions, and sauce.
(I reserve a little of the sauce to store with the leftover pork to just to ensure that it doesn't get dry.)