Maple Glazed Ribs

Ingredients 3 pounds pork spareribs, cut into serving-size pieces 1 cup maple syrup 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate 3 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 garlic clove, minced 2 green onions, minced 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted Directions Preheat oven to 350°. Place ribs, meaty side up, on a rack in a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake 1-1/4 hours. Meanwhile, combine the next nine ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain ribs; remove rack and return ribs to pan. Cover with sauce. Bake, uncovered, 35 minutes or until meat is tender, basting occasionally. Sprinkle with sesame seeds just before serving. Yield: 6 servings. Taste of Home 2013

Pepperoni Chips

Watch out, these are addictive! Ingredients: 24 ounces pepperoni slices Directions: Line a Microwave-Safe Plate with several sheets of papertowel. Place the pepperoni slices in a single layer. Microwave for 30 - 60 seconds (depending on the wattage of your microwave). The pepperoni slices should be nice and crispy and most of the grease absorbed on the papertowels. If any in the center are not crispy looking and still feel soft, microwave more in 15 second increments.Mine took about 2 min total Salt if desired.

Crock Pot Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons shortening 4 pork chops 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 large onion, sliced 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup 2 cups milk Additional mushrooms to taste

DIRECTIONS: 1. Melt shortening in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip pork chops in beaten egg, then dredge in flour. Cook in hot skillet, turning once to brown both sides. 2. Place pork chops into a slow cooker, and arrange sliced onions over meat. Pour soup and milk over the meat and onions. 3. Cover, and cook on High for 4 to 5 hours, or on Low for 8 to 10 hours.

Pozole Verde

Ingredients (8 adult size portions): Pork tenderloin, 1 – 1 1/4 lb. White hominy, 3 cans, well rinsed and drained Salsa verde, 1 16-oz jar or 2 cups Onion, 1 large or 2 small, diced Garlic, 5 cloves, chopped Chicken broth, 1 quart Filtered water, 2 cups Mexican oregano, 2 tbsp. (could also use regular) Ground cumin, 2 tbsp. Nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. Sea salt, 2 tsp. Fresh ground black pepper, 1 1/2 tsp. Garnishments: Radishes, 1 bunch, thinly sliced Cilantro, 1 bunch, coarsely chopped Limes, 2, cut into wedges Green cabbage, 1/2 head, diced

Preparations and Instructions (Hands on, 10 minutes. Hands off, 8 – 10 hours): 1. Dice 1 large or 2 small onions. Finely chop 5 cloves of garlic. 2. Rinse and drain 3 cans of white hominy. 3. Place all ingredients into a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Cover with lid. 4. Turn slow cooker on lowest setting (not warm). 5. Allow the flavors to mingle and the pork to braise while you go about your day. Getting it all on the table (5 – 10 minutes): 1. Just before serving, chop about half a head of green cabbage and one bunch of cilantro (leaves and tender stems only). Thinly slice one bunch of radishes, and cut two limes into wedges. Arrange nicely on a serving platter. 2. Using tongs, transfer pork loin from slow cooker to cutting board. Use two forks (it’s really that tender) to shred pork. Return to slow cooker. Stir pozole to evenly distribute meat. 3. Ladle soup into hot bowls and pass the garnishments, instructing each guest to top their pozole with whatever accompaniments look good to them (I highly recommend using them all). 4. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your (nearly) effortless dinner party! Notes: While not traditional, I like to add a dollop of sour cream to my bowl of pozole. It just adds another level of complexity to this simple stew. While I have not tried this, I believe that vegetarians could omit the pork and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. You would need to add a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or butter (I would use butter) to help properly balance the medley of flavors. Hominy is a member of the corn family, so it is naturally gluten-free (double check the ingredients on the salsa verde). This dish contains no nuts or nut ingredients. Salsa verde: Salsa verde is a green salsa made with simple ingredients such as tomatillos, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime. I have enjoyed many mild brands that are made using only whole, pronounceable ingredients (many grocers make it in-house). However, those food manufacturers are sneaky. Please double check the ingredient list and source an alternative brand is you see the following chemically laden terms: modified food starch, high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, or hydrogenated oils. Also, notice whether the jar is labeled “mild”, “medium”, or “hot”. As the pozole simmers, the heat will intensify. Be sure to source a mild variety if serving to children or guests with tender palates. I might substitute chicken for the pork also

Meat Loaf With Bacon

Serves 8 Hands-On Time: 21m Total Time: 2hr 00m Ingredients • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 onion, chopped • 1 large celery stalk, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped with seeds • 2 teaspoons kosher salt • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 2 eggs • 1/2 cup milk • 1/2 cup tomato sauce or ketchup • 1 cup dry bread crumbs • 2 pounds meat-loaf mix (1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1/2 pound ground veal or lamb) • 4 strips thick-sliced bacon

Directions 1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium skillet, over medium heat, heat the oil with the onion, celery, garlic, and jalapeño and cook until the vegetables are tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the salt, cumin, and nutmeg. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then blend in the milk, tomato sauce, and bread crumbs. Add the meat and cooked vegetables and stir or work with your hands to combine. Pat into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Cut the bacon strips in half and lay over the loaf, tucking the ends in. 2. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the meat loaf registers 150° F. Remove from oven and pour off the fat. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

SLOW COOKER CRANBERRY DIJON ROAST

The Ingredients. serves 4 to 6 3 - 4 pounds meat (pot roast, pork roast, tri-tip, short-ribs, chicken thighs) 1 (14-ounce) can cranberry sauce 1 small onion, finely diced, or 1 heaping tablespoon dried onion flakes 8 cloves garlic, smashed (peeled first!) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon mustard

The Directions. I used a 6-quart slow cooker. If you aren't using a large piece of meat, a 4-quart will do just fine. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and whisk together so the cranberry sauce is broken up and the Dijon is evenly distributed. Pour over the top of the meat. Cover, and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 4 hours. I cooked 3 pounds of frozen oxtails on high for 4 hours in a 6-quart, and then they stayed on warm for another 2 hours before serving.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Ribs

2teaspoons ground cumin 2teaspoons chili powder 2teaspoons packed brown sugar 3to 3 1/2 lb pork loin back ribs (about 2 racks) 1can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce 1jar (12 oz) beef gravy 2tablespoons cider vinegar 2tablespoons packed brown sugar 1teaspoon salt 1/2teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2cloves garlic, finely chopped

1. Set oven control to broil; heat 15 minutes. Line broiler pan with foil. 2. In small bowl, mix cumin, chili powder and 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Rub evenly over racks of ribs. Place ribs on rack in broiler pan. Broil with tops 4 to 6 inches from heat 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until browned. Cool slightly. Cut into individual ribs. 3. Place ribs in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. Reserve half of the cranberry sauce. In medium bowl, mix remaining cranberry sauce and remaining ingredients; pour over ribs. 4. Cover; cook on High heat setting 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours or until ribs are tender. 5. Stir in reserved cranberry sauce; stir from bottom of cooker to coat ribs with sauce. Set cooker to Low heat setting to serve. Ribs will hold on Low heat setting up to 2 hours. Makes 14 servings (1 rib each) Kitchen Tips For smaller pieces, ask the butcher to cut the racks across the bones, especially if the ribs are longer than 3 1/2 to 4 inches. Racks of ribs will vary in size, depending on the size of the animal. Serve with chunks of blue cheese and celery sticks.

Pulled Pork Sandwich (with all of the fixins')

Ingredients • Smoked pork butt • Sweet-and-tangy tomato barbecue sauce • Chowchow • White bread bun •Smoky-sweet BBQ rub • 1/4 cup kosher salt • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons smoked paprika • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar • 2 teaspoons garlic powder • 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper • 1 teaspoon dry mustard • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 teaspoon ground ginger •Slow-cooker pork butt • 1 (4-5-lb.) bone-in Boston pork butt roast • 1/4 cup smoky-sweet BBQ rub • 1 1/4 cups barbecue sauce (we prefer homemade sweet-and-tangy tomato barbecue sauce below) •Sweet-and-tangy tomato barbecue sauce • 1 cup ketchup • 1 cup water • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar • 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar • 1 tablespoon onion powder • 1 tablespoon chili powder • 2 tablespoons tomato paste • 1 1/2 tablespoons dark molasses • 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper •

Chow chow • 3 cups chopped fresh cabbage • 3/4 cup chopped onion • 3/4 cup chopped green tomatoes • 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper • 1 tablespoon pickling salt • 3/4 cup sugar • 1/2 cup white vinegar • 1/4 cup water • 3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds • 1/3 teaspoon celery seeds • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric • 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (if desired) • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped Preparation To make the smoky-sweet BBQ rub, combine all ingredients. For the slow-cooker pork butt, cut 1 (4- to 5-lb.) bone-in Boston butt pork roast in half, and trim pork. Rinse and pat dry. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Smoky-Sweet BBQ Rub. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Place pork in a lightly greased 6-qt. slow cooker, fat sides up. Cover and cook on LOW 7 hours or until meat is tender and shreds easily. Transfer pork to a cutting board, discarding liquid; cool slightly. Shred pork with 2 forks. Stir 1 1/4 cups barbecue sauce into pork. Return pork mixture to slow cooker; cover and cook on HIGH 30 minutes, or transfer pork mixture to a 2-qt. baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. For the sweet-and-tangy tomato barbecue sauce, bring ketchup, water, apple cider vinegar, light brown sugar, onion powder, chili powder, tomato paste, dark molasses, and freshly ground black pepper to a boil in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Cool 10 minutes. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Store in refrigerator for up to one week. To make the chowchow, stir together fresh cabbage, onion, green tomato, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and pickling salt. Cover and chill 2 to 8 hours. Transfer mixture to Dutch oven. Stir in sugar, white vinegar, water, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric and dried crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and summer 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Stir in jalapeno. Cover and chill 1 to 8 hours before serving. For the sandwich, combine all ingredients on bun and enjoy!

Caramelized Bacon

Caramelized Bacon

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 pound sliced bacon
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. In a shallow bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Dip bacon slices in the brown sugar mixture to coat, and arrange in a single layer on a rack on a baking sheet.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, turning once, until dark golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

If you want a more savory flavor, substitute dry mustard for the cinnamon

Note: For easy cleanup, line the pan with foil

Honey Glazed Ham in the Slow Cooker

Honey Glazed Ham in the Slow Cooker

The Ingredients.
serves 6-8.

5-7 pound bone-in ham
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground thyme

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Unwrap ham, and discard flavor packet. Put ham into slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, honey, butter, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and thyme. Pour mixture evenly over the ham. and cook on low for 6 hours, or until heated through.
Stephanie Dea

Baked Bacon

Missed a day yesterday so it's a "two-fer" today. Here's the first one:

Baked Bacon

Ingredients
• 8 slices of bacon
Yields: 8 slices of bacon
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Arrange bacon on a slotted baking sheet and bake to crisp, 15-18 minutes.

Pork Chops or Chicken with Biscuits & Tomato Gravy

Pork Chops or Chicken with Biscuits & Tomato Gravy

Ingredients
• 1 8-ounce box biscuit mix, such as Jiffy
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small red or green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small rib celery, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 bone-in pork chops, 1-inch-thick or 4 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• Sprinkle of flour
Yields: 4
Preparation
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Prepare the biscuit mix according to package directions, adding the cayenne. Drop 8 scoops of dough onto a baking sheet and brush with a few tablespoons cream. Bake on the upper rack until golden.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, jalapeño and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Season the chops or chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan and brown for a few minutes on each side. Transfer the pan to the lower rack of the oven to finish cooking, 10-12 minutes.
Stir the tomatoes, chicken stock and flour into the vegetables. When the tomatoes are hot, stir in the remaining cream and simmer the gravy for 10 minutes to thicken.
Top the chops or chicken with the tomato gravy and serve the hot biscuits alongside.

Crock Pot Carnitas

Crock Pot Carnitas

Wisconsin Bratwurst

Wisconsin Bratwurst

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds fresh bratwurst sausages 2 onions, thinly sliced 1 cup butter

6 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles beer 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper 10 hoagie rolls

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Prick bratwurst with fork to prevent them from exploding as they cook. Place in a large stock pot with the onions, butter, and beer. Place pot over medium heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
2.	Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
3.	Lightly oil grate. Cook bratwurst on preheated grill for 10 to 14 minutes, turning occasionally to brown evenly. Serve hot off the grill with onions on hoagie rolls

Maple Pecan Pork

Maple Pecan Pork

Serves: 3

Cooking Time: 50 min

Ingredients

• ¹/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ¹/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• ³/4 teaspoon salt
• ¹/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 (2- to 2-pound) boneless center-cut single pork loin
• ¹/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; mix well. Rub 2 tablespoons of the mixture over the entire pork loin. Press the pecans into the pork, coating all sides. Place the pork in a baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
   
3. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and pour the remaining syrup mixture over it. Bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until the juices run clear.
   
4. Cut the pork into 1/2-inch slices and serve with the pan drippings.

Gorgonzola and Apple Pork Chops

Gorgonzola and Apple Pork Chops

"Gorgonzola cheese pairs so perfectly with apples. Now just imagine that perfection as a creamy sauce stuffed inside sautéed pork chops. Sounds fabulous but complicated? Not with this recipe!"

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 large boneless pork chops, that can be butterflied 3 tablespoons butter

2 sweet apples of your choice, peeled and chopped 1 1/2 cups crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Directions:

1.	Butterfly each pork chop by slicing horizontally through the center with a sharp knife. Leave them attached on one side so they can be flipped open to create a butterfly shape.
2.	Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops, reduce heat to medium and cook slowly for 5 to 7 minutes each side, or until they are done to your liking. Set aside.
3.	Melt butter or margarine in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add apples and sauté until tender, then turn off heat and add cheese to skillet. Mix together slowly to form a creamy thick sauce.
4.	Place reserved chops on serving plate and stuff each one with 1/4 of the apple/cheese mixture. Serve hot.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 35 Minutes Servings: 4

Day 34 - Best (and Easiest!) Pulled Pork

This is without a doubt the best and easiest recipe for pulled pork that I have ever found. Instead of the cola you could also use root beer or Dr. Pepper and for the bread I highly recommend using King's Hawaiian Bread. I buy the small dinner rolls and they are the perfect "slider" size! GO PACKERS!!


Crock Pot Cola Barbecue Pork Roast

½ day | 10 min prep

· 1 pork roast

· 1 1/2 cups cola (not diet)

· 1 (8 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce (your favorite)- or make your own

1. Cut all visible fat from roast, put in crock and cook 12 hrs (You could set this to cook all night) on low.
2. Note: I pour a soda over the roast to give it a little extra flavor.
3. Remove meat from crock and drain all juice from crock.
4. Shred meat and return to crock add 1 bottle barbecue sauce and cola and cook 5-6 hrs more.
5. MAKES A LOT!
6. Freezes great.