Masitas De Cerdo Fritas

My husband made this recently and I love it. Of course, Frank's hot sauce made it even better.

MASITAS DE CERDO FRITAS

Fried Pork Chunks

2 1/2 lb. fresh pork loin

12 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 large onion chopped

1/2 cup sour orange juice (or 1/4 cup orange & 1/4 cup lime juice)

2 cups water

1 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 fresh onion sliced into rings

lime wedges

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

Cut pork into 2 inch chunks. To prepare marinade: mix together garlic, chopped onion, orange juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, oregano, cumin and salt. Pour over pork chunks and marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Remove meat from marinade. Place in pot with two cups of water and 1/2 cup olive oil. Simmer, uncovered until all water boils away -- about 30 to 45 minutes. Brown the pork in the oil until crispy on the outside -- DO NOT overcook! Add onion slices and saute briefly. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve with rice and plantains. You might want to say that it came out dry and that next time, I'm going to slow cook it to make it nice and tender and then brown it in olive oil to make it crispy.

Hawaiian Chicken Bowl

Recipe from my friend, Ronna.

Hawaiian Chicken Bowl

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple
1 bottle (16 oz) [gf] barbecue sauce
4-6 cups rice, cooked
Steamed broccoli
Ranch dressing

Place meat in 3 1/2-5 quart slow cooker. Combine pineapple and barbecue sauce and pour over meat. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Layer in bowls: rice, chicken, broccoli, and a little ranch dressing. Makes 4-6 servings.

*I used pork and it still turned out awesome !!!

Fillback's Fried Rice

Recipe from Deborah in Arizona.

Fillback's Fried Rice

4-6 cups rinsed white rice

cooked ham, chicken, or pork, diced

5-6 eggs, beaten

3 carrots, julienne

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 cup [gluten-free] soy sauce

salt & pepper

1-2 bunches green onions, chopped

Place rice in large pan and cover with water plus 1". Boil until almost dry or approximately 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Scramble eggs in large wok. Add meat and carrots and cook 3 minutes. Add cooled rice, spices, and soy sauce and mix thoroughly. Lift rice from bottom, do not stir. Add green onions and hear for 10 minutes.

*may add peas as desired

Guest Chef: Adriana Velez on Pork Chops

Herb-stuffed Pork Chops

Recipe, post, and photo by Adriana Velez of What I Made for Dinner.

I sliced boneless pork loin chops lengthwise in half and filled them with fresh herbs. Then I smeared a mixture of olive oil, toasted sesame seeds, salt and pepper on either side before grilling. I threw the herbs in whole, stems and all, so we discarded the herbs before eating. I loved the taste of the herb-infused pork, but in retrospect it does seem a pity to interrupt a thick, juicy, toothsome chop like that. So I'm not sure I'd do it again without first mincing the herbs and mixing with blue cheese or something fatty like that.

Baby artichoke hearts featured as the side dish in this photo.

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Salad & Dressing

Recipe, post, and photo by Lindsey Johnson of Just Recipes.

Spinach Salad with Pork, Avocado and Oranges

1 bag baby spinach

1 (not overly) ripe avocado, sliced and cut into chunks

2-3 oranges, peeled, segmented

2-3 green onions, thinly sliced--white and green parts

1/2 sliced, toasted almonds

sliced olives

shredded pork (you can also use chicken)**

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing (recipe below)

Toss all the ingredients together and serve with the dressing. Serves 2-4.

**To prepare the pork:

I like to use my crock-pot for slow cooking pork roasts. This was a very lean pork loin roast. I seasoned it well with salt and pepper and seared it in a very hot cast iron skillet. I cooked the roast on high for a few hours to get it going and then turned it to low for about4 or 5 more hours. Because it didn't have a ton of fat, I also added a bit of water.I let the pork cool a bit and then shredded it with two forks. This makes more than enough for the salad. You will have some leftover. Use in tacos or add some BBQ sauce.

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Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

1 cup low fat buttermilk

2-3 Tbsp. light mayonnaise

1/2 cup tomatillo salsa

1 small bunch of cilantro (to taste....)

juice 1/2 a lime

freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

Puree in a food processor or blender

Guest Chef: Adriana Velez on Pad Thai

Pineapple Pad Thai

Recipe, post and photo by Adriana Velez of What I Made for Dinner.

1 package rice noodles

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

broccoli, chopped and lightly steamed

1 fresh pineapple or 1 can of pineapple rings, cut into 1" cubes

1 pound pork loin or tofu cut into 1" cubes

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup chopped salted peanuts

1 bunch mint, chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

1. Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and 1/4 cup water; set aside.

2. Drain the noodles. Set a wok over high heat for 1 minute, then add the oil and heat until almost smoking. Add the garlic and ginger; saute for 30 seconds. Add the pork and saute until almost cooked through, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. [Skip this step if you're using tofu.]

3. Add the noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour in three-quarters of the tamarind sauce and toss to coat the noodles. Add more sauce if needed. Cook until the noodles are al dente, then push them to one side of the wok and scramble the eggs in the remaining space. Add the protein whatever, broccoli, pineapple, and half the peanuts. Toss to mix. Divide among plates and garnish with the remaining peanuts, the mint, and lime wedges.

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Bacon-wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Recipe, post, and photo by Lindsey Johnson of Just Recipes.

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb. each

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp dried thyme

12 slices (more of less) bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a jelly-roll pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.Trim the fat and silver skin from the pork tenderloins. Dry off the surface of the tenderloins with a paper towel.

Mix together: pepper, garlic and onion powder, and thyme. Rub the surface of the tenderloins with the spice mixture. You may also need to even up the ends by tucking the thin part underneath, but you won't need twine, the bacon will help hold it just fine.Begin at the end and wrap the bacon around each tenderloin at a slight angle--overlapping and layering each strip to completely cover the tenderloin.

Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 150 to 160 degrees. Any higher and the tenderloin will be overcooked. You want the center to be slightly pink, but not raw. Let the tenderloins rest for a few minutes before serving. To serve, cut into 1-2" slices.If you aren't on a diet, drizzle the tenderloin slices with the rendered fat and juices. YUM.

**I used regular bacon. Usually I buy uncured, nitrite-free bacon. It is thicker cut and has better flavor. I think that bacon would be better in this recipe. But, regular bacon was delicious, too.

Baby Back Ribs

Pork Baby Back Ribs

1 package pork baby back ribs

1 bottle barbecue sauce (I use Baby Ray's Original)

Cut ribs into sections, about 2-3 ribs per section. Place in a large stockpot. Cover with water by a couple of inches. Add about 1 cup barbecue sauce to the pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer until tender, about 1-2 hours. Remove from pot while someone else fires up the grill. Place ribs on grill and slather with remaining barbecue sauce. Grill for about 10 minutes.

This is quite simply the easiest recipe ever. I've seen many rib recipes that require rubs or indirect grilling or other labor intensive requirements. I'm not a labor intensive kind of girl. You just boil and grill. Easy.

If, say, you don't have a grill, I'm sure you could baste them with barbecue sauce and stick them in the oven for a while to let the sauce caramelize. I've never tried it, but I'm assuming you would get similar results.

This one's for you Liz.

Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork Salad

I got this recipe from Hap.haz.ard today and had to try it. The only words that come to mind are "best meal I have ever made". I hope you will give it a shot, it's worth work that goes into it.

***
3-4 lbs pork roast (can substitute chicken)
1 cup brown sugar
3 cups salsa

Mix above ingredients in a crock pot and let cook for 10 hours on low.

Dressing:
1 packet of buttermilk ranch dressing
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
Cilantro (1-2 bunches to taste)
1/2 cup salsa verde
Jalepeno pepper (use a little at first and determine level of spice you want)
2 medium cloves of garlic

Put all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
** I halfed this recipe and it was still plenty for 4 people.

Trimmings for the Salad:- Tortillas- Black/Pinto beans- Guacamole- salsa- Rice (I use spanish rice with pinto beans)- Cheese- Sour cream- Tortilla strips (or crumbled chips).

To assemble- I heat a tortilla with cheese in a skillet on the stove (I just layed chips). Then move to a bowl or plate. Add rice, pork, lettuce, tortilla strips, sour cream, guacamole, and any other above trimmings listed.