pork chops with apple mustard sauce

I made this sauce as a way to dress up boring pork chops, but it would be just as good with chicken. If you don't have coarse ground mustard, just use twice as much dijon. Make the full recipe of sauce, even if it's just two of you, as you'll want to cover everything on your plate in it!

serves 4

4 boneless pork chops
1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/4 cups apple cider
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp coarse ground mustard
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. When foam from butter subsides, add pork chops. Brown on both sides, about 1-2 min each side. Remove from pan (chops won't be cooked through yet). Reduce heat to medium, add onions to pan and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook onions for about 3-4 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add wine, cider, and mustards, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-7 minutes or until reduced by half. Then, reduce heat so sauce is barely simmering and add pork chops and any accumulated juices to pan. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until chops are cooked through. Remove chops, remove pan from heat, and stir in 2 tbsp butter. Serve chops with sauce spooned over top.

modern bbq ribs

There are many different ways to make ribs, and we've tried them all. The method I use results in ribs that taste like they've been smoking all day, but really take only 3 1/2 hours start to finish. Slow-roasting the ribs first makes them fall off the bone, and finishing them on the grill gives them a great smoky flavor and that crisp, sauce coated exterior we love.

serves 8

2 full racks babyback ribs, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup modern grill rub
2 cups modern bbq sauce

Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees. Liberally season both sides of ribs with grill rub and wrap in 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place foil-wrapped ribs on cookie sheets (so juices don't leak out into oven) and bake for 2 1/2 hours. 30 minutes before you take ribs out of the oven, light the grill. When coals are ready, spread them out to create a low, even heat throughout the grill. Remove ribs from oven, open foil, and allow to cool slightly so you can handle them. Carefully place ribs onto grill and coat each side with bbq sauce. Grill for 1 hour, basting with additional sauce and turning occassionally so both sides receive several coats of sauce. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

potato gnocchi with pork and mushroom ragu

I adapted this recipe from Bon Apetit. It's a bit involved, but well worth the effort.

serves 4

1 ounce dried porcini or chantarelle mushrooms
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 pound boneless country-style pork ribs, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cups crushed tomatoes or crushed tomatoes with added puree (from one 28-ounce can)
1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb potato gnocchi

Place dried mushrooms in medium bowl; pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over. Let stand until mushrooms are soft, about 45 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to food processor and chop coarsely. Reserve soaking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crimini mushrooms and garlic; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and sauté until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup wine and simmer until crimini mushrooms are soft, about 4 minutes. Set aside (there may still be liquid in skillet).

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with coarse salt and pepper. Add pork to pot and sauté until browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to medium bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cover pot and cook vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups wine; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed. Add tomatoes, 1 cup broth, bay leaves, reserved pork, and porcini mushrooms. Pour in reserved porcini soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until pork is tender, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry, about 1 hour.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions and drain. Stir crimini mushroom mixture in skillet into ragù. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon off fat from surface of ragù stir in basil. Add potato gnocchi; toss gently to coat. Simmer over medium heat until gnocchi are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

balsamic glazed pork chops

Balsamic vinegar turns into a perfectly sweet-tart glaze for simple sauteed pork chops with the addition of a few simple ingredients.

serves 2

2 thick-cut pork chops

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

olive oil

salt and pepper

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat a few tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large sautee pan. Add pork chops to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes without touching until browned. Flip pork chops and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove chops from pan and set aside. Add shallots to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer sauce until reduced by half, 3-5 minutes. Add pork back to pan, spoon sauce over top, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve pork with sauce spooned over top.

pork chops with sauerkraut

Serves 4

4 center cut pork chops
1 cup beer (not light)
1 cup sauerkraut
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. When butter has melted, add pork chops to pan. Brown pork chops, about 3 minutes on each side. Add beer and sauerkraut and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes or until beer is almost evaporated. Serve pork chops with sauerkraut spooned over top.

sage meatballs

For best results, combine all ingredients and refrigerate for up to a day to allow flavors to combine. The most important thing to remember with meatballs (or any ground meat, actually) is to mix it as little as possible: the more you mix ground meat, the tougher it becomes. Roll these into large balls and serve with pasta or skewer with a toothpick and serve as an appetizer. Or, roll into balls the size of an olive, coat in breadcrumbs, and deep fry. Serve with toothpicks and marinara for an appetizer.

makes 16 large or 32 small meatballs

2/3 lb ground chuck
1/3 lb ground pork
1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup whole milk or half-and-half
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (plus 2 cups if making small fried meatballs)
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped, or 1 tbsp dried sage
4 dashes worcestershire sauce
4 dashes hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil, for frying
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce

Combine first 9 ingredients (mixing as little as possible) and allow flavors to combine at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. Form meat mixture into balls.

For large meatballs: heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large saucepan. In a separage pan, heat 1 jar tomato sauce. When oil is hot, add meatballs to pan and fry, turning as needed for even browning. When brown on all sides, place meatballs into tomato sauce to finish cooking.

For small meatballs: add enough olive oil (or canola oil, if preferred) in a large saucepan to make 1 inch of oil. Form meat mixture into small, olive sized balls. Place 2 cups breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and add meatballs. Shake dish until meatballs are evenly coated. Heat oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot (a drop of water placed in oil crackles), place meatballs into oil and fry until deep brown. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Serve with toothpicks and tomato sauce, for dipping.

cook once eat twice: pork enchiladas

These easy enchiladas use the other half of the slow-cooker cuban pork. They take only 30 minutes to prepare, including baking time, and freeze well. All you have to do is reheat in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes and you've got dinner.

Serves 4

1 lb slow-cooker pork
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can diced green chilis
1 tbsp modern grill rub
1/2 cup taco sauce
8 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Mix pork, 1 cup cheese, chilis, and grill rub together. Microwave tortillas for 20-30 seconds, until soft and pliable. Spread 2 tbsp taco sauce in the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a small handful of filling, roll up, and place in dish, edge side down. Repeat until dish is full. Top with remaining taco sacue and cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted on top.

slow-cooker pork tacos

This works for any pork you'd like to use, even tenderloin. Make twice as much as you need for the tacos and use the extra for another meal.

For pork:
2 lbs pork (chops, boston butt, etc.)
1 cup Goya mojo marinade
1 cup water
3 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp hot sauce
2 tbsp garlic salt

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker set to high heat. Cook for 5 hours, then allow to stand for 2o minutes to cool. Pull pork off bone and shred using a fork. Add 1/2 cup of cooking liquid and mix into pulled pork.

For tacos
2-3 soft corn tortillas per person
shredded cheddar cheese
tangy lime slaw (as a topping, if desired)

grilled cherry pork tenderloin

serves 4

I created this dish one night when my husband and I had a very fine bottle of zinfandel to drink and wanted just the perfect meal to complement it. It's a bit involved, but well worth the effort.

1 whole pork tenderloin (there will be two pieces in the package)
1 8oz log herbed goat cheese at room temperature
1 bag dried cherries
1 cup of your favorite bbq sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare grill to 350 degrees (charcoal) or medium-high (propane). Place 1 cup cherries in a microwave safe bowl and fill with enough water to cover. Microwave for 4 minutes and let sit so cherries plump up. Drain and puree in food processor. Mix half of cherry puree with bbq sauce and heat over low heat to combine flavors. Reserve remaining puree.

Butterfly pork tenderloins and remove silverskin (learn how). Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Mix goat cheese in a bowl with a spatula to make it creamy, then spread evenly over tenderloins, leaving an inch of room on the left and right.. Spoon cherry puree down the center, horizontally. Starting with edge closest to you, roll tenderloins up and tie with kitchen string in 3 places to secure. Grill for 7 minutes, turn once and coat with bbq sauce. Cook second side for another 7 minutes, then turn once more to coat first side with bbq sauce. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes before removing string and slicing.

bbq nachos

serves 6

I make these to use up leftover bbq chicken or pork, but you could also purchase a container of prepared bbq at the grocery store. Either way, it's always a hit and disappears in minutes.

1 lb tortilla chips
16 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups bbq chicken or pork
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup bbq sauce

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place red onions in a bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak for 15-20 minutes to remove some of their bite. Spread one layer of tortilla chips onto an ovenproof serving platter. Top with a third of the meat, cheese, and onion. Drizzle with bbq sauce. Repeat twice, until all meat, cheese, and onions are used. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.