Grapefruit Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon fennel
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 red grapefruit
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin

Directions

In food processer, combine the first 7 ingredients, the zest of one grapefruit, and the flesh and juice of grapefruits that have been supremed until smooth.

A great video for how to supreme a grapefruit can be found here: http://vimeo.com/21333222

In a bowl or a large sealable bag, combine your mixture and the pork. Let it marinate for 30 minutes while it comes up to room temperature. While this is going on, preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Drain most of the liquid and transfer pork to a baking dish and bake until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees – approximately 35 – 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pork rest for a full 10 minutes before slicing.

Ragu Bolognese

It was weekend of Hurricane Sandy, and in case we lost power (which we did) I wanted to make sure we had plenty to eat that could be cooked on the gas stovetop. This hearty ragu takes some time to meld, but well worth it. The quantities are perfect for multiple meals, large family dinners,or freezer cooking – so in the end you’ll have a very large amount of meat sauce for your efforts.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 2 yellow onions – diced
• 6 cloves garlic – minced
• 2 red peppers – diced
• 2 ½ pounds meatloaf mix (beef/pork/veal)
• 3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder - cubed
• 2 – 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 2 – 28 oz. cans tomato sauce
• 1 ½ pounds neck bones – wrapped and tied in cheesecloth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flake
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 2 tablespoons parley
• 1 tablespoon oregano

Directions

In a large stock pot, sweat down the onion and garlic over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. While they cook, dice and add the red peppers.

Bring up your heat to medium, add the meatloaf mix and cubed pork shoulder and cook, stirring and breaking up the ground meat with the back of a spoon, until meat is no longer pink, for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, the neck bones in cheesecloth, and remaining ingredients, and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and gently simmer, stirring occasionally. Sauce is done when it has reduced by one-third and the meat has fallen apart, having simmered for around 4 – 5 hours. Remove neck bones and bay leaves and serve over your favorite “noodle.”

Pan-Oven Pork Chops

I know it’s not good for me, but every now and then I get a craving for pork chops prepared in that seasoned breading that comes in a box; this recipe was created to help curb those cravings. My cupboard is always stocked with **homemade applesauce - this paired perfectly with the pork.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 2 bone-in pork chops
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.

In an oven-safe sauté pan, heat oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Reduce heat to medium. Place chops in the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Flip chops over and place pan in oven to bake for 8 – 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Top with your favorite apple sauce.

**My applesauce is pretty simple: chopped/peeled apples in a stock pot over medium-low heat, a cinnamon stick, half of a whole nutmeg, and time. Let simmer all day or until it breaks down to desired consistency.

Oven Roasted Pork



This made a great Sunday dinner. Well worth it, if you have all day to slow cook. It makes the house smell wonderful too!

Ingredients

• 1 eight-pound bone-in pork shoulder
• 5 tablespoons salt
• ¼ cup ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons mustard powder
• 4 tablespoons dried ancho powder
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 5 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 30 cloves garlic - peeled

Directions
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Meanwhile, combine the garlic, salt and other dried ingredients in a food processor. Mix until garlic is finely minced and ingredients are well combined.

Place pork in a dutch oven, or roasting pan that has a lid. Spread the rub mixture all the over pork until well covered on all sides. Cover and roast in the middle of the oven for 6 to 8 hours. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, let stand for 15 minutes until cool enough to handle. The pork should be tender enough to pull apart with tongs.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Ingredients

• 1 3-4 pound pork shoulder (pork tenderloin works well too) 
• 1 tablespoon steak seasoning
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 bottle (18-ounce) hickory bbq sauce
• 2 cans (16-ounce) whole cranberry sauce
• sandwich rolls or buns

Directions

Arrange onion slices in 5-quart slow cooker. Add pork and sprinkle with steak seasoning. Add bbq sauce and cranberry sauce. Give a light mix with a spatula before covering. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. (It is okay if it finishes cooking before you get home - the crock pot will keep the dish warming)

Remove pork from crock pot to a cutting board and shred. Tongs work very well for this. Return to slow cooker and mix with liquids, let set for an additional half hour. Serve with tongs on top of your favorite kosher roll. As a side dish, for that extra BBQ feel, serve with your favorite brand of baked beans. Check the labels, vegetarian beans are usually dairy free.

***To maximize the benefits of of a slow cooker, especially for those of us with busy schedules, prepare items the night before. In the morning, place into cooker when you get up, set it, and walk away. Remember not to open the lid during the cooking process, it adds one hour to the cook time every time you open it.