Harvest Pork Stew

Have you ever looked at a recipe and said - "I'm pretty sure we're not going to really like that" and then been completely, utterly surprised to find out that you made a delicious dish after you gave it a try? That's what happened with this pork stew. It is really. really. good. REALLY.

I have to admit the good reviews on Allrecipes.com are what helped me make the decision to actually make this meal. I did make a few tweaks, so I'll rewrite the recipe here. Feel free to tweak it for your family as well. Only don't leave out the apple completely as I was tempted to do. It adds a sweet note behind the savory that works beautifully.

Harvest Pork Stew

• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups, cubed butternut squash (I used half a large one)
  
• 1 apple, cored and cubed
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (optional)
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

In a dutch oven, melt butter. Add cubed pork and brown evenly, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add onion and garlic, saute for a couple of minutes until softened. Add the herbs, including bay leaf and saute for another minute. Now, add the chicken broth, working to bring up any of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the butternut squash, apple, and potatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

Cover and bake in 300 degree preheated oven for 2 hours (give or take!). Take the stew out and if you'd like it thicker (as I usually do), make a rue of 2 Tablespoons cornstarch with 2-3 Tablespoons water and stir it in. Cook until thickened to the consistency that you like.

I made an herbed whole wheat biscuit to go with this but a nice slab of peasant bread, heavily buttered, would also be great on the side. You're going to want to mop up every last bit of this stew!

Pork Souvlaki

This is an awesome recipe from Everyday Food for a pork "kebab-like" dish. I have to admit, I was hesitant because I felt the flavors would not quite be there. I did one modification that I'll add here. I used dried oregano (2 tsp) as opposed to the fresh chopped oregano. The rest is perfect as is. We have started to keep tahini on hand as we use it making Mike's new favorite dip - hummus. It is a little pricey, so I recommend trying it with out first if you don't keep it on hand. Or, if you are going by an ethnic grocer that may carry it - check their prices. I picked up our tahini at Hy-Vee. But I'm guessing that the Aladdin restaurant on the south side that also sells Greek ingredients probably has it for a better price. Just a guess. I know that it is definitely the case for Kalamata olives! You can also use cubed lamb, chicken, turkey or extra-firm tofu in place of the pork.

Pork Souvlaki (from the April Everyday Food magazine)

1 pound pork shoulder, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (I used a pork loin end roast from a 10 pound loin I bought)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (you can commonly buy the Yoplait Greek yogurt in most stores now, I've noticed)
1/4 cup tahini (optional; if not using, substitute Greek yogurt).

In a medium bowl, combine pork, oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic and oregano. Season with salt an pepper and toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 8 hours.).

In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, 1/4 cup lemon juice, tahini (if using), and 1 to 2 tablespoons water (sauce should have the consistency of heavy cream. I omitted the water, I liked it a bit thicker.

Heat a grill or grill pan to high. Thread pork cubes onto 8 metal skewers. Grill until brown on all sides and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve souvlaki with yogurt sauce and lemon wedges.

Menu Plan Monday 1/12/09 & Pork Chop Update

Snowy Monday, COLD Monday.....

Time to make some comfort food! This week's menu is full of standbys for our family; things I make often that I really don't have written recipes for them. I just make them. I'm sure most of you reading this post have those menus in your house too. You start with a basic meat or starch then add a little of this and a little of that and "Oh! I've got a little of this left so I'll throw that in too." That for sure is my vegetable beef soup recipe. :) Without further ado...

Monday: Chicken Parmesan, Pasta & Salad
Tuesday: Pot Roast, Potatoes, & Carrots
Wednesday: Vegetable Beef Soup & Whole Wheat Biscuits
Thursday: Hamburgers & Oven Baked French Fries
Friday: Crispy Roast Chicken, Wild Rice & Green Beans (I've been using frozen & adding some almonds and feta cheese - to die for!)
Saturday: Tacos, Black Beans, Chips & Salsa

And now for my smoked brined pork chop update. My husband loved them and the kids loved them. I thought they were pretty darn good. So here's the recipe. They came out a lot like ham!

Smoked Brined Pork Chops
1/2 cup Tender Quick (a Morton Salt Product)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 bay leaves
3 1/2 cups water
4-6 boneless pork chops (cut 1 inch thick)

Mix all the ingredients in a good size container - until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the pork chops. If necessary, you can add water up to 2 cups to cover the meat. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 30 hours but at least 12. To cook heat 1 Tbl. butter & 2 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the chops dry. Brown the meat on both sides. Place in a 300 degree oven for 20-30 minutes to finish cooking. (works really well here to use a cast iron skillet or another oven safe pan).