Category: Main Dish: Pork

Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola

This is another recipe from Scott’s recipe book. He made it while we were in Italy with chicken and it was delicious, so you get to choose the protein. Serve with risotto, vegetable rice pilaf or potatoes. Picture above was taken on our Italy 2026 trip in Pisa.

Ingredients:

Bone in pork chops (or chicken if you prefer)

Mozzarella, sliced

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, sliced thin

1/2 cup of white wine

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes with passata

Oregano, Italian parsley, thyme and rosemary to taste (fresh or dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes to taste

Fresh basil

Directions:

Salt and pepper your protein and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Add olive oil to a sauté pan on medium high and add protein to skillet, browning on both sides. Remove and set aside.

Add onion to skillet and cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add wine and cook off the alcohol for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and spices and let simmer for about 10 minutes or longer.

Add protein back to skillet. Place sliced mozzarella on top of protein, cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes until protein is done and the cheese has melted.

Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy.

Pork Chili Verde

Our neighbors gave us an electric pressure cooker so this recipe was done in that cooker. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, not to worry, you can simmer it for a longer cooking time on the stovetop to get the same tenderness to the meat. It’s just going to be a longer cook time. I have directions for both below.

Picture above is my mom and my first child, Cassie, on the BCFerry to Vancouver Island in 2001.

Ingredients:

4 lbs pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes

28 oz can tomatillo

16 oz verde salsa

Chicken broth – if being cooked on the stovetop

1 onion, diced fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

Cumin, salt and pepper to taste

1 Anaheim chili, diced and seeded

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Extra-virgin olive oil

Lime

Directions:

Pressure cooker directions:

Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and brown pork on all sides. Add water from tomatillo with meat and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Strain meat and keep the tomatillo water. In the same pot add oil and onions and cook until translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.

Grab a blender or food processor and puree the tomatillos, add those to the onion mixture. Add pork, salsa verde, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the tomatillo water. Simmer for another 5 minutes until pork is fork tender.

Add cilantro and lime when served on tortillas.

Stove top directions:

Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and brown pork on all sides.

Remove pork from the pan and place a bit more olive oil in there. Sauté the onions for 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic for another 5 minutes.

Add the water from the tomatillos but add some chicken stock so that there is enough liquid to cover t he meat. Add the cumin, cover and let simmer for 2-4 hours.

Grab a blender or food processor and puree the tomatillos, chili and the salsa verde. Add the puree to the meat and simmer for another 30-45 minutes.

Serve with cilantro and lime garnish when served on tortillas.

Sweet and Sour Rib’s by Hazel

Another recipe from my best friend’s mom. I had never made homemade sweet and sour sauce before and was surprised by the amount of vinegar, but it worked and it is delicious. Georgette advised me to double the ingredients so that is what I have listed below to assure you have plenty of sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 4 TBS soy sauce
  • 4 TBS Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 can pineapple chunks in heavy syrup
  • Ground ginger to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Oil
  • 1-2 red, yellow or green peppers, sliced
  • 1 onion, cut up in big chunks
  • 5-6 stalks of celery, sliced
  • A slab of ribs, type is your choice

Directions:

Cut ribs into individual pieces. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and ground ginger. Heat oil in a pan and brown ribs. Set aside. In same pan saute vegetables until softened. Mix ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and combine with vegetable, return ribs to the pan. Add juice only of pineapple, save pineapple to add later. Cover and simmer until ribs are tender. Add pineapple chunks at the end.

 

BBQ Pulled-pork Sandwiches in the Crock Pot

 

This is a super easy crock pot recipe that makes tender pulled pork every time. Don’t be put off by the cola because it simply develops a sweet crust on the meat. I found this recipe on Pinterest and don’t have the original site it was found.

Ingredients:

  • 4 lb pork shoulder
  • Garlic salt
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce, plus more for serving
  • Coca cola (or any other cola)
  • 1 onion, slices
  • Buns

Directions:

Season pork with garlic salt and place it in the crock pot. Add BBQ sauce, cola to cover meat and sliced onion on top. Cook on low for 8 hours or until pork easily shreds, discard liquid and shred pork to mix with BBQ sauce as desired. Serve on buns.

Slaughterhouse Five Ribs


This is the 2nd rib recipe I have placed on the website. The first called for most or all of the cooking time in the oven. This one is on the grill. BBQ weather has arrived and ribs are my all time favorite BBQ fare. This recipe is found in a BBQ cookbook called America’s Best BBQ. Slaughterhouse five ribs is a recipe feature from a restaurant called Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue and Catering in Kansas City in the above described book. It’s a basic rub but has the best flavor I’ve tried so far.

Ingredients:

  • 2 TBS white cane sugar
  • 1 TBS light brown sugar
  • 2 TBS Hungarian paprika
  • 2 TBS Lawry’s seasoned salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp finely ground black pepper
  • 2 slabs spareribs

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Remove the membrane from the ribs, season the slabs all over with the rub. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Cook the ribs using indirect method. They are done when you can easily tear or pull ribs apart.

Smothered Porkchops

I know I have been incognito for awhile but I am ready to get back to sharing recipes and cooking! I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com by Tyler Florence. They are really easy to make, tender and delicious. My son approves. My daughter has decided to become a vegetarian, so I will be trying to make more meatless dishes and sharing them with you if they are pleasing to the palate.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick, bone-in
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup buttermilk
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Put the flour in a shallow platter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and then dredge them in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess.

Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is nice and hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings. Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir in the buttermilk to make a creamy gravy and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Baby-Back Rib Chili

I found this unusual chili recipe in the Jan 2003 issue of GQ magazine. Titled “A Big Bowl of Love” and it truly is. Article by Terry Sullivan; he says he received the recipe from his accountant, Liz. Thank you Liz!

Ingredients:

  • 1 or 2 slabs baby back ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 large white onions, diced
  • 1 large bunch celery, diced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 cans (28 oz) whole tomatoes
  • 1 can (28 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (40 oz) kidney beans, puree
  • 1 palmful cocoa powder or 3 to 4 oz chocolate syrup
  • 2 palmful chili powder
  • 2 tsp each salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 8 to 10 shakes Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Partially precook ribs in a 450 degree oven for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the onions and celery in olive oil for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook for 30 minutes or so, then remove the ribs from the oven, pour off the grease, cut them into two-rib sections and add to the pot. Cook over medium heat for several hours stirring occasionally.

Best-Ever Oven Baked Ribs

 

I use to BBQ ribs so tender, I never needed to bake in the oven or boil to start, the good old days. For some reason, lately, all my ribs are turning out dry. So I tried this recipe found in the July 2012 issue of Bon Appetit and damn! They are tender and good. I have tweaked the recipe to give you the option of cooking the entire dish in the oven. Give this recipe a try.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 TBS dry mustard
  • 1 TBS paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 lb baby back pork ribs (Okay, I admit, I did not make this many ribs, make enough for however many people you are feeding)
  • low salt chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups store bought or homemade BBQ sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Place each rack of ribs on a double layer of foil. Sprinkle rub all over ribs. Wrap racks individually and divide between 2 baking sheets.
Bake ribs until tender but not falling apart, about 2 hours. Carefully unwrap and pour juices into bowl, reserve. Let ribs cool completely.
If you want to get that BBQ flavor, build a medium hot fire in a charcoal grill. Otherwise, set oven to broil and continue. Add broth to rib juices to make 1 1/2 cup. Whisk in BBQ sauce to blend. Grill ribs with direct heat, basting with BBQ sauce mixture and turning frequently, until lacquered and charred in places and heated through, 7-10 minutes. Serve with additional BBQ sauce.