Time to get cooking with 'the other white meat'

What notable date is today? If you can’t remember, look in the upper corner of this page and there it is...Thursday, Feb. 2, which is Groundhog Day. 

In Germany, farmers would watch for a badger (groundhog) to come out from winter hibernation underground. If the day was sunny, the sleepy badger would be scared by his shadow and duck back into this winter home for another six weeks’ nap. If it was cloudy, he’d stay out, knowing that spring had arrived. The farmers would take this as a cue to plant their crops.

Well, well, Mr. Groundhog. There’s something hay-wire about this scenario. Perhaps in Minnesota it’s time to look at seed catalogs to get ready for planting when the time is right!

I have recipes using pork today, specifically pork chops. And so it is.

SESAME PORK CHOPS

6 pork lion, rib or boneless chops, 3/4 inch thick

6 slices pineapple - from a 20 oz. can, drained, save the juice

1/4 c. soy sauce (can use “lite”)

1 t. ketchup

2/3 c. pineapple juice

2 T. diced onion

1/4 t. ginger

Dash of pepper

3 T. sesame seeds, toasted

In a large skillet, brown pork chops, on both sides, in 2-3 T. olive or canola oil. Remove chops and set aside with pineapple slices. Add next 6 ingredients to skillet, mixing well. Add chops to skillet and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until chops are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast sesame seeds over low heat, stirring until lightly browned. Remove seeds immediately into a small bowl or they will keep browning from the heat of the skillet. Top each chop with pineapple slice; sprinkle with sesame seeds cover and simmer 2-3 minutes just to warm the pineapple. Remove chops to serving plate; sprinkle each with toasted sesame seeds. Serve sauce with the chops.

Makes six servings.

+++++

STROGANOFF-STYLE CHOPS

4 boneless butterfly pork loin chops (1” thick)

2 T. canola or vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced

8 medium fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/4 c. water

1-1/2 t. prepared mustard

1/4 t. salt

1 T. flour

1/2 c. sour cream

Hot cooked noodles

In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown chops in oil for 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm. In the drippings, saute onion and mushrooms until tender. Stir in next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Return chops to pan. Lower heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until chops are tender. Remove chops to a serving dish and cover with foil to keep warm. Combine flour and sour cream, mixing until smooth; add to skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve mushroom sauce over chops with hot noodles on the side.

Makes four servings.

+++++

CREAMY PORK CHOPS AND

POTATOES

6 pork rib chops

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

2 T. butter or margarine

1/4 c. minced onion

4 c. thinly sliced, peeled potatoes

1 can cream of mushroom or chicken soup

1-1/4 c. milk

Rub chops with salt and pepper. In skillet melt butter; add chops. Brown lightly on both sides. Remove chops with a slotted spoon; set aside add onions to skillet; cook until lightly browned. Turn potatoes into a 2 qt. baking dish. Arrange chops on top. Add soup and milk to skillet; mix well pour mixture over chops. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

Makes six servings.

Fix a veggie, coleslaw or a lettuce salad, warm slices of french bread (heated in the oven near the end of the chops baking time) or a muffin and you have a delicious pork chop dinner.

Note: If you prefer you can use pork steak in all of these recipes.

Thought for the Day: Look at a day when you are extremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing. It’s when you’ve had a lot to do and you’ve done it!

What notable date is today? If you can’t remember, look in the upper corner of this page and there it is...Thursday, Feb. 2, which is Groundhog Day. 

In Germany, farmers would watch for a badger (groundhog) to come out from winter hibernation underground. If the day was sunny, the sleepy badger would be scared by his shadow and duck back into this winter home for another six weeks’ nap. If it was cloudy, he’d stay out, knowing that spring had arrived. The farmers would take this as a cue to plant their crops.

Well, well, Mr. Groundhog. There’s something hay-wire about this scenario. Perhaps in Minnesota it’s time to look at seed catalogs to get ready for planting when the time is right!

I have recipes using pork today, specifically pork chops. And so it is.

SESAME PORK CHOPS

6 pork lion, rib or boneless chops, 3/4 inch thick

6 slices pineapple - from a 20 oz. can, drained, save the juice

1/4 c. soy sauce (can use “lite”)

1 t. ketchup

2/3 c. pineapple juice

2 T. diced onion

1/4 t. ginger

Dash of pepper

3 T. sesame seeds, toasted

In a large skillet, brown pork chops, on both sides, in 2-3 T. olive or canola oil. Remove chops and set aside with pineapple slices. Add next 6 ingredients to skillet, mixing well. Add chops to skillet and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until chops are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast sesame seeds over low heat, stirring until lightly browned. Remove seeds immediately into a small bowl or they will keep browning from the heat of the skillet. Top each chop with pineapple slice; sprinkle with sesame seeds cover and simmer 2-3 minutes just to warm the pineapple. Remove chops to serving plate; sprinkle each with toasted sesame seeds. Serve sauce with the chops.

Makes six servings.

+++++

STROGANOFF-STYLE CHOPS

4 boneless butterfly pork loin chops (1” thick)

2 T. canola or vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced

8 medium fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/4 c. water

1-1/2 t. prepared mustard

1/4 t. salt

1 T. flour

1/2 c. sour cream

Hot cooked noodles

In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown chops in oil for 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm. In the drippings, saute onion and mushrooms until tender. Stir in next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Return chops to pan. Lower heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until chops are tender. Remove chops to a serving dish and cover with foil to keep warm. Combine flour and sour cream, mixing until smooth; add to skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve mushroom sauce over chops with hot noodles on the side.

Makes four servings.

+++++

CREAMY PORK CHOPS AND

POTATOES

6 pork rib chops

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

2 T. butter or margarine

1/4 c. minced onion

4 c. thinly sliced, peeled potatoes

1 can cream of mushroom or chicken soup

1-1/4 c. milk

Rub chops with salt and pepper. In skillet melt butter; add chops. Brown lightly on both sides. Remove chops with a slotted spoon; set aside add onions to skillet; cook until lightly browned. Turn potatoes into a 2 qt. baking dish. Arrange chops on top. Add soup and milk to skillet; mix well pour mixture over chops. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

Makes six servings.

Fix a veggie, coleslaw or a lettuce salad, warm slices of french bread (heated in the oven near the end of the chops baking time) or a muffin and you have a delicious pork chop dinner.

Note: If you prefer you can use pork steak in all of these recipes.

Thought for the Day: Look at a day when you are extremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing. It’s when you’ve had a lot to do and you’ve done it!