Tag Archives: pork

Apr11

Pork ragu and buttered egg noodles with herbs

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On Saturday, I tried to think of something that would be easy to make for a group but special enough for company, and after flipping through several cookbooks for inspiration, I decided on a pork ragu. I used a mixture of ground pork and sausage because I was pressed for time (it still took 2 1/2 hours), but if you have 4 hours or so, you could make this with pork shoulder.  The long simmering time is what allows it to really develop its flavor, so try not to take too many shortcuts!

Pork Ragu

1 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 oz can of tomato paste
1 c red wine (I used primitivo)
1 lb ground pork
1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 32 oz can of crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
10 sprigs of thyme, tied into a bundle with butcher’s twine
kosher salt

Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, garlic, and celery, and stir to coat with oil. Season with salt. Allow the vegetables to really brown, then stir and allow to brown again. Repeat 2-3 times.

Add the tomato paste the the pot and stir to coat the vegetables in tomato paste. Allow the tomato paste to brown for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning. Add the wine, stir, and allow to reduce by half.

Add the sausage and ground pork. Break up the pork with a wooden spoon, and begin to brown the pork.  (It will be hard to tell because it will be covered in wine and tomatoes at this point, but give it 10 to 15 minutes to cook.)

Add the can of crushed tomatoes, then fill the can halfway with water, and pour into the pot. (This helps you to include any remaining tomato from the can in your sauce.) Add the paprika, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir, taste, and add additional salt if necessary.

Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 – 3 hours, depending how much time you have. Every 15 minutes, stir, taste, and add water if necessary. Season again if desired.

Server with parmesan over plain spaghetti, or make buttered egg noodles with herbs (see below).  I highly recommend the egg noodle option!

Egg Noodles with Herbs
 (From Tori Ritchie’s Braises and Stews)

12 oz egg noodles
1 c Italian parsley, chopped
2 T chives, finely chopped
1/2 c basil, chopped
kosher salt
black pepper
2 T butter
2 T olive oil

Prepare the egg noodles according to the directions on the package.  Remove from the pot and drain.

Add the butter and oil to the empty still-hot pot.  The residual heat will melt the butter. Add the drained noodles back to the pot and toss. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with parsley, chives, and basil.

Mar29

Macaroni and cheese

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I made this as a side to Paco’s barbequed chicken, because I wanted to make something different from my usual barbeque sides (potato salad, cole slaw). It was a nice hot accompaniment, but this could definitely act as a main dish with a side of vegetables or salad.

What I love about macaroni and cheese is there are a million different variations. You can use whatever cheese you’d like (I used what I had on hand). You can add eggs to make a more casserole-like dish. You can add vegetables or meat (broccoli, bacon). You can top it with breadcrumbs, potato chips, cracker crumbs, fried onions, or anything crispy.

Macaroni and Cheese
(Serves 8 as a side)

3 strips of bacon, diced
1 onion, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb macaroni
4 T butter
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c cream or half-and-half
4 c of the cheese(s) of your choice (I used cheddar, mozzarella cheese, pecorino romano, and goat cheese)
kosher salt
pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
2-3 tsp Tabasco
a handful (about 1/3 c) of panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Prepare the macaroni using the directions on the package, boiling until it’s a little bit short of al dente (one minute less than al dente).  Remove from the heat and drain.

In a large skillet, brown the bacon until it is not quite crispy and most of the fat has rendered out. Remove the bacon from the pan.  Add the onions and garlic to the bacon fat and toss in the fat.  Season with pepper, and allow to caramelize. When the onions are golden but not falling apart, remove them from the pan as well.

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet.  Add the flour, and stir with a whisk to break up the lumps.  Allow to cook for a minute or two, then add the milk and cream.  Bring to a gentle simmer, and stir continuously, allowing the mixture to cook for 5 minutes.  Once it has thickened, add the cheese a little bit at the time, stirring continuously. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and Tabasco.

Add the caramelized onions, bacon, and pasta to the cheese sauce, mixing so that the macaroni is thoroughly coated.  Sprinkle the panko over the top.  Spread the macaroni into the baking pan, and bake for 20 minutes.

Mar14

Pizza!

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I have been craving pizza for weeks, and we picked up some burrata at the farmer’s market on Sunday, so we had to make pizza with it.

For the dough, you can buy some pre-made from the store.  We used The Pioneer Woman’s recipe. I have tried others before, but they did not rise as successfully.

To make the sauce, I simmered half of an onion (diced), 3 cloves of garlic, 1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes (pureed in the food processor), a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil, and butter, for an hour.  You can also use a jarred marinara.

We made a few different types of pizza, using a mix of the following toppings:

  • Burrata
  • Shredded mozzarella
  • Jalapeno-infused olive oil, jalapenos
  • Sweet Italian chicken sausage
  • Salami
  • Mushrooms
  • Red onion
  • Fresh basil

They were delicious!  We love thin-crust pizza, so we baked them at 500 degrees for 12 minutes and they were crisp and delightful.  If you are making yours thin-crust, resist the urge to use a ton of sauce, cheese, and toppings.  You will end up with soggy pizza!

Mar9

Dr. Pepper pulled pork sliders

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One of Paco’s best friends, Matt, is coming to visit tonight.  He is getting here on the later side, so I thought it would be fun to make something easy to eat and guy-friendly (but still tiny and perfect!) to eat before we head out to meet friends.

I have posted about my love of pulled pork and how to make it in the slow cooker before, but this time I decided to try The Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork. I served it with my go-to cole slaw on the mini sweet Hawaiian rolls. I took this picture before I put the tops on so that you would be able to see the filling.

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
Inspired by The Pioneer Woman

3 1/2 lbs pork butt
1/2 onion, sliced
1-2 cans Dr. Pepper
5 chipotles in adobo
kosher salt
pepper
2 T maple syrup
1/3 c barbeque sauce
1 T mustard

Season the pork butt liberally with salt and pepper. Place in a slow-cooker with the onion, Dr. Pepper, and chipotles in adobo. (Pour enough Dr. Pepper in to cover the pork about 3/4 of the way.)  Allow to cook on high setting for 4-5 hours, or low setting for 8-10 hours.

When the pork is tender, remove it from the sauce and shred. Strain the onions and chipotles from the cooking liquid, and skim off as much of the fat as possible. Pour into a saucepan, then reduce the cooking liquid by half. Add the barbeque sauce, sugar, and mustard, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Put the sauce and the shredded pork back into the slow-cooker or a large pot, and allow the pork to heat through.

Mar8

Pork chops and fried rice

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When I saw the Pioneer Woman’s post about Pork Chops with Pineapple Fried Rice and realized that I have both pork chops and pineapple in my fridge, I decided that I had to give the recipe a shot!

Her pork chops look delicious, so I followed the recipe closely and made a sauce out of onions, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, and honey. I brined my pork chops first for added juiciness.

To brine: Dissolve a spoon of sugar and a spoon of salt in a cup of hot water in a large bowl. Add ice cubes and cold water until the bowl is 2/3 full, then add your pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours before cooking. Rinse the pork chops before cooking. Do not salt them!

For the fried rice, I made my usual version, with ginger, garlic, red bell pepper, spinach, pineapple, and peas. The only additional seasoning that I added to the rice was a drizzle of sesame oil, since I cooked it in the same pan as the pork chops and the sauce. Taste your rice and add soy sauce, sriracha, fish sauce, or sesame oil as desired.

Serve the pork chops with onions and sauce over the rice. Enjoy!