Honey and Soy Grilled Pork Chops

I found this recipe in the interwebs recently and I wanted to give it a try.  I was not disappointed.  It is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes I have made in a while.  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients: 

- 1/4 cup honey

- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or pressed

- Red pepper flakes to taste

- Four pork chops (boneless or bone-in)

Directions:

1.  Sprinkle the red paper flakes on both side of the pork chops.

2.  In a resealable plastic bag, combined the honey, soy sauce, and garlic.  Add the seasoned pork chops to the bag and mix well all of the ingredients.  Seal the plastic bag.

3.  Place the sealed bag on a plate and place the plate in your refrigerator.  Let the shops marinate for at least two hours.

4.  When ready to cook the chops, prepare a grill.

5.  Remove the chops from the bag and discard the marinade.  Over medium-high heat, grill the chops until seared and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side.

6.  When fully cooked, remove the chops from the grill and place on a plate.  Cover the chops with aluminum foil and let the chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes:

This was an incredibly simple recipe to make and the results were fantastic.  The honey perfectly caramelized the surface of the pork chops.  I marinated the chops for about 8 hours before grilling them.  This recipe is a keeper!

Dry Rub for Ribs

I have been meaning to post this recipe for a while, but I have been busy with other things.  I also wanted to get this posted so I can access it when I am on the road... so here we go!

Ingredients:

- 2 T brown sugar

- 2 T paprika

- 2 T garlic powder

- 2 T chili powder

- 1 T cumin

- 1 T black pepper

- 1 T kosher salt

- 1 t cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Use immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to a year.

Cook's Notes:

I substituted Splenda brown sugar for regular brown sugar and the results were amazing.  You can double the ingredients if you want more dry rub.

Pork Dry Rub

Last weekend we used our slow cooker to cook a couple of pork shoulder steaks.  I found a dry rub that we liberally applied to the meat, and here is the recipe

Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup paprika
- 1/8 cup fresh ground pepper
- 1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- 1-2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 cup kosher (or course salt)
- 1/4 cup Brown (or white Sugar) 

Mix all ingredients well.  Liberally apply the rub to the meat before cooking

Cook's Notes:
I used Splenda Brown Sugar, and I also used one tablespoon of onion powder and garlic powder.  The rub added a great taste to the meat.

Slow Cooker Sunday

Well, we are going out on a limb ... figuratively of course ... and trying something new. I found this recipe in Real Simple and right now, it's simmering away.  

Slow Cooker Pork Ragu 

1 large carrot (I used three)
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes - I used diced tomatoes with sweet onions
1 1/2 lbs pork

 





Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and cook - 5-6 hours on high,  7-8 hours on low. 

The recipe says to serve with fettuccine.  I will serve it over orzo. With Parmesan cheese of course!

Full report to follow. 

Crockpot Pork Shoulder

Use your favorite barbecue sauce in this crockpot pork roast recipe. This is a basic recipe for pulled pork shoulder using a boneless or bone-in shoulder, but be sure your pork shoulder will fit in the slow cooker and will allow you to put the cover on tightly.

Ingredients:
pork shoulder, also known as Boston butt, about 4 to 7 pounds, bone-in or boneless
1/4 cup of water
salt and pepper lightly
barbecue sauce
Preparation:

Place the meat in the slow cooker with water, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Tun to LOW and cook 7 to 9 hours longer, until very tender. Remove roast and discard fat and juices. Chop or shred the pork; return to slow cooker. Mix a little barbecue sauce into the meat for flavor. Cook for about 1 hour longer, until hot. Serve on warm split sandwich buns with coleslaw and extra barbecue sauce on the side.

I like to slice pickles and include them as well.

Crockin' Sunday- Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder

We are on a roll with the slow cooker.  Here is what is in the crock pot cooking.

5 lbs pork shoulder
1 c. BBQ sauce
2 c. beef stock
1 tbsp. table salt (or to taste)
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. granulated garlic (or to taste)
1 tsp. onion powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
Multiple shakes of Mickey & T's rib rub.  Double Yum.

Combine dry ingredients. Rub dry ingredients on pork, covering completely. Store overnight in tin foil. On a grill or on griddle which has a grilling side, sear meat thoroughly creating grill marks.

In a Crock-pot, combine Beef stock and BBQ sauce. Add pork shoulder to the slow cooker.

Set Crock-pot on high for 8 hours turning over half way through. Remove from Crock-pot and mash with hands adding 1 1/2 cups liquid from the crock.

Submitted by: Jem J Hamilton