Crown Roast of Pork with Sausage Stuffing

If you've been following our posts this week, you know that we are celebrating our millionth hit.  In order to celebrate this awesome-crazy-holy cow how did we get here-when can we quit our day jobs milestone for us, I thought I'd make something really special. Sorry Caitlin, divert your vegetarian eyes.

 

Per our text convo: 

Jaisa:  I am making a very grand dish for this week - crown roast of pork with sausage and cherry stuffing. 

Caitlin: That sounds very grand but like a vegetarian nightmare.  It wasn't enough to use one kind of meat? 

Touche. 

It was nice that my blogging fell on Easter weekend, because I don't know if I could justify cooking this for two people otherwise...but holiday + milestone = I can cook anything I want.  My mom makes this every Christmas and I just always thought it was so grand and impressive.  I can still picture her walking it over to the dinner table and watching my dad's face light up.  I never dared to make it... UNTIL NOW... bom bom bommmmmm. 

I bought this at our usual grocery store, but if yours doesn't typically carry this cut, you can call and order it ahead of time.  

After removing those ridiculous looking gold hats, I rubbed the pork down lots of olive oil.  After doing that, I generously rubbed the outside with garlic powder, sea salt, and fresh cracked black pepper.

So since I cooked it for an hour first without the stuffing, I cooked it with a glass bowl so it wouldn't collapse on itself.  This was a good idea, because it was super easy to add the stuffing in later.

Here is a shot of the stuffing before adding it to the pork.  THIS IS THE BEST STUFFING EVER.  It has dried cherries, sausage, and is made with lots of butter and chicken stock.  I'll post the full recipe later this week.

So, after cooking the pork in a 350 degree oven for an hour, I took the glass bowl out and stuffed the top of the roast with lots of stuffing.  I put it back in the oven for another 45 minutes and the pork came out BEAUTIFUL.  Check out this shot below: 

This just came out so great.  The pork was unbelievably tender and perfectly moist and was so perfectly paired with the tart cherries in the stuffing.  MY OH MY.  This was top five things I have ever made.  I should know, because I've been eating it all day.  I actually stopped halfway through this post to make myself a stuffing and pork sando.  Lord help me.

Thank you to all of our awesome readers.  This one's for you.

Crown Roast of Pork with Sausage Stuffing 
6 lbs Crown Roast of Pork
Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Sea or Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Sausage Cherry Stuffing

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.  Rub pork with olive oil and generously sprinkle with garlic, sea or kosher salt, and lots of fresh cracked pepper.  Place a bowl in between the bones and cook for 1 hour. Remove pork from oven and remove the bowl.  Stuff the inside with lots of stuffing and place back in the oven for another 30-45 minutes or until pork's internal temp reaches 140.  Rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice pork and serve with heaping spoonful of stuffing and cry tears of joy.

Stay hungry!

Truffle Mushroom Crusted Pork Chops

Let me start by saying this.  My husband, who HATES mushrooms, loved this.  Let me repeat. Charlie, who thinks mushrooms taste like roadkill and truffles taste like gasoline, loved this.  I'm still in shock. It was that good.  Seriously...it was just AMAZING.  I finally got him to like mushrooms.  I WIN. 

This recipe is inspired by Wildfire.  They have these amazing mushroom crusted pork chops and I think I just happened to nail the recipe. If I don't say so myself. 

Truffles.  Ah, truffles. Gods gift to me.  Lauren bought these for me awhile ago and I've been nursing them.  I treasure them and use them sparingly.  That's probably going change soon. 

This is a truffle.  Truffles are INCREDIBLY earthy, aromatic, savory, lovely.  I love adding them to mushroom dishes because it gives an already delicious dish and extra oomph.

Remove the stems from mini portabella mushrooms. Just to release the flavor and get them softened, I nuked them in the microwave for a minute and then drained the juice.

 In a food processor or with an immersion blender, blend the mushrooms and truffles together to create a paste.  And yes, I realize this might be the ugliest color on the planet.

Add the mushrooms to the room temp butter, panko breadcrumbs, thyme, garlic powder, and salt.

It was pretty hard not to eat this entire bowl. 

Ok...on to the log making.  Get some plastic wrap and create as thick of a log as possible.  We aren't making compound butter, we are topping the pork chops with a crust so the thicker the better.

I got pork loin rib chops, but you can get any type of pork your little heart desires.

In a screaming hot cast iron skillet, heat up some olive oil.  Next, season your york yops. When the pan starts to glisten, add the pork and DON'T TOUCH IT for 2 minutes.  You want it to form a nice crust.  Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add two thick rounds of the crust to the pork. Put the pork under the broiler for 2 more minutes.

TA DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.  Porky perfection.

I mean.  JUST LOOK AT THIS!

I'm drooling and I've already eaten 2 pork chops today.  No lie. 

Truffle Mushroom Crusted Pork Chops
1 Cup of Baby Portabella Mushrooms, stems removed
2 Sticks of Room Temp Unsalted Butter
2 Cups of Panko Breadcrumbs
4 Slices of Truffle
2 Tsp of Kosher or Sea Salt
1 Tsp of Garlic Powder
1 Tsp of Fresh Thyme, chopped
2 Tbs of Olive Oil
8 Pork Chops

Take the portabella mushrooms and nuke them in the microwave for a minute. Let them cool and then blend them with the truffles in either a food process or with an immersion blender.  Add them mushrooms to the room temp butter, breadcrumbs, thyme, salt and pepper.  Form into a large log and harden in the fridge for at least 3 hours.  Heat up a cast iron pan on high heat for 2 minutes.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.  Cook the chops for 2 minutes on each side.  Top with two thick rounds of the mushroom crust and then place under the broiler for 2 minutes. The recipe can make up to 8 pork chops.  If you are only making a couple at a time, like me, you can freeze the topping until next time.  Add the topping to steaks, chicken, pork...ANYTHING!

Stay hungry!

Garlic Studded Pork Shoulder

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmm mmm mmm MMM!  I loves me some garlic.  Like really loves me some. I was watching Best Thing I Ever Ate: Garlic on the Food Network and John Besh featured this Garlic Studded Pork Shoulder.  It was so simple and sounded so good that I followed the recipe exactly.  Which never, ever happens. 

I've never thought about using mirepoix instead of a roasting pan to add more flavor.  GENIUS.  Oh, b-t-dubs, I also added garlic.  And if you don't know what mirepoix is, it's just celery, onion, and carrots.  But this is GARLIC studded pork so I added me some GARLIC. 

Just make a bunch of slits with a paring knife, and slip in some fresh rosemary and garlic slices. 

Don't forget lots and lots of salt and pepper...

2.5 hours later in a 325 degree oven...you have this...succulent, juicy, amazing porky garlicky goodness.  Words can not describe how amazing this smelled.

Here are the ingredients:

One 4-to-5-pound boneless pork shoulder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 branches fresh rosemary

10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 onions, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

Water

Pan Gravy:

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pork: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

Sprinkle the shoulder liberally on all sides with salt and pepper.

Place the roast fat-side up. With a paring knife, make several small incisions into the fat. Cut the rosemary sprigs into 1-inch segments. Place the sliced garlic and rosemary into each incision.

Scatter the chopped onion, carrots and celery in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Then set the shoulder on top of the vegetables and add 1 quart of water. Place into the oven and roast until the pork registers an internal temperature of 155 degrees F on a meat thermometer, about 2 1/2 hours. Let the meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before you serve it. Make a pan gravy, or reserve the pan juices and vegetables for another use.

For the pan gravy: Take the roast out of the pan and whisk the flour into the pan drippings. Add 2 cups chicken stock, stirring often over medium heat, until the flour is incorporated. Simmer 20 minutes, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a fine sieve.

Stay hungry! 

How to Smoke a Ham at Home

I have a good husband.  He's the butcher in our family (I don't love handling and cutting raw meat), as well as the wallet and key finder, accountant, coffee machine repairman, tear wiper, and general mental breakdown fixer. I'm lucky.  All I have to do is slap on some lipstick and bat my eyelashes at him and he makes me something like this for Easter.  THE MOST AMAZING PORK I HAVE EVER, EVER EVER had in my life.  I mean ever.  I'm not exaggerating.  This beats last years Best Ever Easter Ham recipe.  I feel like this is what Jesus had to eat yesterday.  They have pork in heaven...right?

The next series of photos only show part of the process.  For a full list of instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post.  Sorry readers.  While my husband was at home slaving over our Easter feast, I was at the bar drinking outside all day with one of my BFFs Colleen. It was 60 degrees and sunny in Chicago in March!!  Ok I know.  I'm a bad wife.  

Here's the pork resting in the brine in the fridge...

Before taking the meat to the smoker, Charlie scored the meat.



Here we are on our roof (which is in the process of being remodeled, BTW).  I was tipsy, but still willing to risk my life to photograph this for you guys.

Night night little pork pork.  See you in the morning!

Why HELLO THERE.

This is what I looked at BEFORE walking out the door to church.  I mean.  What torture.

Look at that crispy, yest melt in your mouth crust.  AHHH.

 As fast as Charlie sliced a piece, it would be gone, in my mouth.

 SO MOIST.  So perfect.  So lucky.

1. Purchase 18 lb fresh, raw ham 
2. Cut off skin and trimmed excess fat 
3. Make Brine 
1. 1 Cup of Brown Sugar, 1 Cup of Table Salt, 1/2 Cup of Red Wine Vinegar, 1 Tbs of Garlic Powder, 1 Tbs of White Pepper, 2 Tbs of Whole Black Peppercorns, 2 Bay leaves.  Add 4-5 quarts of water.  Heat over medium heat on the stove until salt and brown sugar dissolves completely.  Set aside and cool. 
4. With a meat injector, inject meat with as much brine as possible.  
5. Let is marinate in the remaining brine overnight. 
6. In drip pan, add water and equal parts of apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar. 
7. Add wood chips that have been soaked in water.  Charlie used apple and hickory.  
8. Preheat smoker.  Ours is an electric smoker that automatically sets to 220 degrees.
9. Score the meat.  
10. Place meat, skin side up in smoker. 
11. Let is cook for 11 hours.  At 11 hours it was 155 degees. 
12. Make glaze and brush on ham in smoker.
1. 1 Cup of Brown Sugar, 2 Tbs of Honey, 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar, 2 Tbs of Worcestershire  1/4  Cup Dijon Mustard, and 1 Cup of Water.  Heat on the stove until glaze melts.  Set aside until it cools and thickens and then brush on ham. 
13. Cook pork for another hour until it reached 160 degrees, internal temp. 
14. Remove pork, cover with foil and let rest for 2 hours. 
15. Eat it and moan and groan over how good it is. 

Stay hungry...! 

Pulled Pork Pizza

Ummmm yes. 

Pulled pork pizza.  Talk to me, baby. 

We had a massive amount of pulled pork cooked up and ready to go.  In addition to pulled pork nachos, one of my all time favs is pulled pork pizza.  

Sooooo....if you're my Mom or a freak of nature you buy fresh pizza dough on a regular basis and throw it around like it ain't no thang.  Not me.  Fresh pasta dough is up there with puff pastry - sometimes you want to make it and deal with it on your own...and, well, sometimes you don't.  This is a simple appetizer, so a store bought, pre-cooked flatbread worked just fine.  

Mom, I'm busy at work this week so don't call me until later for my lecture, ok?

The rest of the ingredients are pretty straight forward:

1 1/2 Cups of Pulled Pork

8 oz Freshly Grated Cheddar 

1/4 Cup of Finely Sliced Red Onions

1/2 Cup of Good BBQ Sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's Chipotle BBQ)

2 Green Onions Chopped, both green and white parts

Spread the bottom of the flatbread with the BBQ Sauce.  Toss the pork with about 1-2 Tbs of BBQ sauce to moisten it up and then layer on top of the BBQ Sauce.  My Mom rubs olive oil around the outside of the crust and sprinkles garlic powder or garlic salt to give it a little extra oomph.  I totally recommend that. 

Next, sprinkle your cheese and red onions.  Pizza is the last thing from a perfect science so play with the ingredients and the amounts.  I will probably go dos queso next time. 

Cook to the packages directions.  We cooked it at 400 for 12 minutes directly on the rack until the crust was nice and crispy and the cheese had melted.  To finish it off and add a fresh savory crunch, sprinkle the pizza with the green onions. 

So I have to admit, fresh pizza dough is better, but this took literally 15 minutes to throw together and cook.  So, if you have the time, use fresh pasta dough but if you want to whip together a quick dinner or a fun appetizer - this is the way to go.

Mommy likey.  Mommy want porky. 

Ok peeps...first pulled pork nachos and now pizza...what other ways can I use one of my favorite proteins?!  Stay hungry!

The Perfect Pulled Pork and Ralph

I made some kick ass pulled pork last week and wanted to share.  I will never, ever make pulled pork in the slow cooker again. Read my lips:  slow roast your pulled pork people!  

Here's how you do it. 

Boneless Pork Butt or Shoulder (I used 7lbs of pork shoulder) 

BBQ Dry Rub of your Choice (I use Penzeys Galena Street Rub)

Rub pork all over with the dry rub.  You'll need about 1-2 teaspoons per pound.  Cook the meat uncovered, overnight at 200 degrees.  You are going to want to cook the meat for about 1.5-2 hours per pound of meat.  I had 7 lbs and mine took about 12 hours - so mine was smack in the middle at 1.7 hours per pound.  By cooking it low and slow...the inside is incredibly tender and the outside is crispy and crunchy.  AHHH.  Amazing. I covered the pork for the last 2 hours with foil because I was worried about it drying out, but I don't necessarily think you need to do that. 

A good way to tell it's done is to ensure the internal temp reaches between 190-200 degrees.  Whoa whoa whoa Jaisa that is way too high, you say?  Wouldn't pork would be dried out at that temp?  I thought the same.  However, in order for the meat to break down and become that perfectly tender pulled pork we've all learned to love, the meat has to reach that temp to do its thang chicken wang. 

I mean...just look at that crust.  You can see where I ripped off a chunk...oops.  Before shredding the meat, let it rest for 30 minutes.  I have to tell you that, but if you think I waited for longer than 30 seconds you're loco. 

Charlie and I had the pleasure of watching our friends' amazing dog Ralph.  I like to call him Snuggle Bunny. You should have seen him creeping around the kitchen as soon as the pork came out of the oven...

You want some pork Ralphy?  Is that why you are looking at me like this?

So close...

Aw, come on! 

NOM.  I mean...who could resist this face?

Wait until you find out what I made this pulled pork for...stay tuned my friends and stay hungry!