Tag: pork

Pork Chops: Cheap And Cheerful

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date April 27, 2020

I don’t know about you, but I think pork chops taste delicious — especially the way my husband makes them! That’s all fine and good, however, did you know that there are health benefits associated with eating this tasty meat? Many people do not realize that pork is actually good for you. Keeping that in mind, read on to discover some reasons why you should eat pork chops, and pick up some top tips on how to cook them as well.

What are the health benefits of chops?

High in protein: One of the best things about pork is that it is high in protein, which makes them great for metabolic renewal. In a three-ounce portion you can expect to consume roughly 24 grams of protein. This is important because protein is vital in relation to maintaining a strong immune system and it also helps with repairing your muscles after a workout.
Source of Zinc: In addition to this, pork is also a good source of zinc, an essential mineral. Its purpose is to aid reactions in your body. Therefore, if you do not have enough zinc it can actually lead to night blindness and a weakened immune system.

B Vitamins: The third and final reason why pork is a meat you should enjoy without feeling guilty is that it contains plenty of B vitamins. B vitamins are the precursors to neurotransmitters, the help form normal red blood cells, and they aid food metabolism.

Different ways to cook pork chops

I will often choose port chops at a restaurant, in part because no matter how hard I try I’ve never had much luck making them at home. Then my husband, who does not have much experience cooking, comes in and makes fantastically juicy and delicious pork chops. What was I doing wrong, that he was doing right? I dug a little bit deeper and learned some cooking methods that work well with pork chops.

Frying: Frying is a popular choice because it is quick and easy. It tastes good as well! All you need to do is heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and then add your pork chop until it is cooked through. You can add a little bit of seasoning at the end to give more flavor. We have those cool copper nonstick pans, and my husband uses very little oil and a lot of onions to create his masterpiece (can you tell I love his pork chops?).
Baking: If frying isn’t for you, why not bake your pork chops instead? Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, season the meat and then bake in the oven until they are cooked.
Grilling: Grilling is the best option to go for if you are being health conscious. A lot of restaurants prefer this technique. All you need to do is take your grill pan out and make sure you turn the chop over when necessary so that both sides are cooked evenly.

So there you have it: the top three ways to enjoy tasty pork chops. Don’t forget to accompany your chops with some tasty side dishes. A lot of people love a nice dash of BBQ sauce with their chops. However, apple also complements pork beautifully, and thus you may wish to go for a salad containing this crunchy fruit. One thing is for sure, you are bound to enjoy!

Tags pork, pork chops

Recipes

Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date March 2, 2018

I pulled together this meal on the fly. I baked the meatloaf on the weekend and made a fresh mushroom sauce to top on the night I served it. It was delicious!

Ingredients

[one_half]

Meatloaf

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup crushed Club crackers
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp mustard (prepared)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork [/one_half]

[one_half_last]

Mushroom Sauce

1 can beef broth (about 2 cups)
1/2 cub crushed Club crackers
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup green onions (about one bunch), chopped
1/2 cup butter [/one_half_last]

Directions

Meatloaf

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a roasting pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a medium skillet, sauté onions in oil until softened. About 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
Add milk and Club crackers to onion mixture and combine until it forms a chunky paste. Add parsley, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined.
Add ground meats and knead with hands until thoroughly combined. I like to use disposable rubber gloves to help keep my hands clean.
Form a loaf shape with the mixture and place on the roasting pan. There are two ways you can do this. 1. Form the loaf freestyle with your hands. Or 2. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, press the meat mixture into the pan, turn the loaf out onto the roasting pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the loaf registers 160 degrees. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Mushroom Sauce

In a large saucepan combine broth, crackers, mushrooms, green onions, and butter.
Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the mushrooms cook down and the sauce is thick and golden brown.

Plating

Place slices of meatloaf on a plate. Then ladle mushroom sauce on top. Serve with mashed potatoes, root vegetables or rice.

Notes
The meatloaf recipe is inspired by the recipe found in The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. The mushroom sauce recipe is inspired by “Easiest Mushroom Sauce” from Allrecipes.com.

Tags Beef, meat, mushrooms, pork

Cooking Techniques

A Delicious Asian Food Feast, Home Cooked In 5 Easy Steps

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 4, 2017

Have you ever gotten take out Asian food and thought, I bet I could do this at home? Well, now you can! And it’s not even that complicated. You just need to know the inside tricks to help you. Luckily, below you will find some of these, along with a step-by-step guide on how to create a delicious home cooked Chinese feast that includes tempura vegetables, special fried rice, and Chinese pork. Yum!

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Step One: Prepare Before You Cook

The first step is to get as much as you can ready before you start cooking. That means boiling the rice, dicing the vegetables and marinating the pork.

You can use boil in-the-bag rice as it’s way easier and always come out good. Set this to boil while you cut up bell peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes for the tempera. When this is done dice some more onions and microwave some frozen peas for the rice.

Then take your pork steaks and make a marinade from soy sauce, crushed garlic, ginger and fresh chili, as well as Chinese five spice, and rice wine vinegar. You can do this according to your taste or follow an exact recipe here. You can even throw in some duck sauce for a rich, sweet kick that goes great with the pork. Once it’s made thoroughly toss the pork in this.

Step Two: Cooking Chinese Food Ingredients

This is where you start cooking for real, so pop the pork into an ovenproof dish, and then into a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

Remove the peas and onions from the microwave and set aside. Take an egg and make a thin omelet in the base of a wok or frying pan. Then turn this out on a cutting board and dice it into smaller pieces and leave to cool.

Step three: Deep Fry the Tempura

Create a simple batter for the tempura with flour and water. A carbonated and fruit flavored water can give the batter a delicious light texture, and slightly sweet taste that is perfect for this recipe. Get the exact measurements for a perfect batter here.

Then dredge the pepper, onion, and sweet potato pieces in flour, dip in the batter and deep fry in hot oil until crisp. Remove the from the oil and set aside on kitchen roll to allow them to drain.

Step Four: Prepare the Fried Rice

At this point, add some sesame oil to a wok or frying pan. Toss in the peas and onions. Drain the rice and add to the wok. Stir fry on a high heat for a minute or two. Adding the egg just before the end so it can heat through. Just before you serve, get the pork out the oven and make sure it’s cooked.

Step Five: Serve Your Asian Food Feast

Lastly, serve up your delicious items in separate bowls and allow your guests to help themselves. A sweet chili sauce is a great accompaniment to the tempura, and some extra soy can give the rice a nice tang. Make sure to set out both chopsticks (for that authentic experience) and forks and spoons (for your less adventurous diners).

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Tags Chinese Food, fried rice, Japanese Food, pork, tempura