Spiced Up Pork BBQ

A while ago I shared with you my Mom's Pork BBQ Recipe which is delicious in its own right. I have never made it before, always managed to mooch left overs off of her as she makes a full crock pot full at a time! I finally decided to give it a shot as I knew I didn't have any big plans this weekend and would be around to see the crock pot and experiment some. Somewhere between picking up the pork shoulder and the condiments aisle I decided I was going to use my Mom's recipe as a guide but to switch up the seasonings to be my own. This was definitely worth the time and I will be making again! My family typically serves their pulled pork as a sandwich on a potato roll, but it is also good on its own, over rice, with potatoes, probably even on a flip flop, however you decide to have it you can't go wrong!



Spiced Up Pork BBQ: Serves 6-8

3.5-4lbs Pork Shoulder
3-4TB Montreal Steak Seasoning
1.5C Sweet Baby Rays Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce
8oz Tomato Sauce
1 Bell Pepper - Diced
1 Onion - Diced
15oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1TB Worcestershire Sauce
1tsp Liquid Hickory Smoke

Trim as much fat as you can off of your pork and give it a good rinse under cold water. Place in your crock pot and rub all over with the montreal steak seasoning. Carefully pour water half way up the roast trying to not knock off the seasoning. Turn your crock pot on high, cover with a lid and start all your errands...this part could take a while. In 4-6 hours your pork should start to fall apart when you push on it with very little effort (I did flip my pork after 2-3 hours). If your pork doesn't start to fall apart well keep on cooking! Once the pork is cooked to the point of falling apart remove it from the crock pot and shred with a fork.

As I didn't start this until 3pm I decided to put the pork in a container, covered with the broth in the crock pot and put in the fridge over night, drained in the morning and did part two. This isn't a necessary step but my pork was wicked juicy and tender from its soak in the broth over night.

Whether you put your pork in the fridge over night or continue immediately you need to drain the broth from the pork & crock pot to start the next part. Pork in the crock, then add all the remaining ingredients plus an additional tablespoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning. Stir it all together, place on low, cover and cook for 3-4 hours until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally.

Serve and enjoy!

Note: My mom often makes a much larger batch and freezes in 2-3 meal serving sizes. It definitely reheats/thaws well so do not be afraid to do this if you have the freezer space.

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WW: 7 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings **
5 Points Plus / serving @ 8 servings **

** Note my 3.5lbs Pork Shoulder made 14.5oz of cooked pork shoulder which is what the WW Points Plus Values are based off of.

Spicy Teriyaki Pulled Pork

This summer has been wicked hot in Baltimore! After a few days of no power due to unexpected severe storms and temporarily moving in with my parents so the dog and I didn't melt (Thanks Mom & Dad!) I was excited to be home in my AC and in no hurry to heat my apartment up with the oven on a 100+ degree day. In my genius I decided to pull out the great slow cooker my sister got me and put it to work. I had been seeing different teriyaki recipes online for pork tenderloin and decided to do a mix of 3-4 different recipes creating my own version. I was pretty pleased with this dish and think you will be too, it is sweet and spicy at the same time and goes well on its own or served over a nice bed of similarly spiced couscous!



Spicy Teriyaki Pulled Pork: Serves 6-8

2lbs Pork Tenderloin
1C Chicken Stock
1/2C La Choy Teriyaki Sauce (if you don't have La Choy add 1/4C brown sugar to the recipe!)
2TB Minced Garlic
1TB Sriracha
1 Large Onion - Sliced

Rinse the pork off then place in a slow cooker with the above ingredients. Cook for 4-6 hours on low until it easily pulls apart when a fork is inserted and twisted in the tenderloin. Remove from the pot, shred the pork and return it to the sauce. Serve and enjoy!

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WW: 4 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings
3 Points Plus / serving @ 8 servings

Mom's Pulled Pork BBQ

As you know I am on vacation this week, but I didn't want to leave you high and dry so here is a wonderful recipe of my Mom's that is a staple at the Christmas table and is one of those dishes that makes a lot, freezes well and reheats wonderfully. This recipe is versatile in that it can be made in a Crock Pot or on the Stove. The picture is actually from my sister who made this last week from my moms recipe.

Mom's Pulled Pork BBQ: Serves 12

3lbs Pork Roast
8oz Tomato Sauce
2C Ketchup
2TB Worcestershire Sauce
2TB Soy Sauce
1/4C Butter - melted
2tsp Sugar
1 Green Pepper - Diced
1 Onion - Diced

Place the roast in a crock pot or large pot and cover half way up the roast with water and cook over medium heat for a few hours until the meat is cooked through and can easily be pulled apart. Once it is cooked remove it from the pot, drain the water, and pull the meat apart, add the remaining ingredients to the pot, stir and continue cooking for at least another hour, though 3 hours is preferable to really let the flavors merry together.

Serve and Enjoy! I Love this on a nice Potato Roll.

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WW: 8 Points Plus / serving

Apple & Onion Pork Chops

Back in college I had a roommate make a pork chop one time that was absolutely delicious with apple sauce & onions and I have been dying to recreate it for years yet I always forget to pick up the apple sauce.... not today! I was prepared and I am delighted to say that while it isn't the same as the pork chop she made it was pretty darn good. I think you will enjoy this meal which all happens in one skillet making for real easy cleanup.

Apple & Onion Pork Chops: Serves 2

2 Boneless Pork Chops (approx 1/3# each)
1C Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1C Diced Onions
1TB Dijon Mustard
1tsp Olive Oil
2TB White Wine
Salt & Pepper

In a large heavy skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the onions with some salt & pepper and cook until the onions turn soft and start to brown. Add the apple sauce and mustard with some more salt and pepper to the pan and stir to incorporate, heat until simmering and let it cook for 2 minutes. Salt and Pepper both sides of the pork chops and place each chop down into the pan and cook for approximately 4 minutes on each side until the pork is cooked through.

Remove the meat from the pan let it sit for 5 minutes, this process of letting the meat rest makes sure that all the juices won't make a run for it with the first slice of the chop. While the meat is resting add the wine to the pan over medium heat and stir to loosen any bits that may of gotten stuck to the bottom of the pan. Once the 5 minutes are up place a scoop of the apple mix onto the plate and place the pork chop on top of it and enjoy! I served with a side of Roasted Carrots which really added a nice splash of color to the plate.

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving

Pulled Pork Enchilada Style

The other day I made a wonderful Pulled Pork Tenderloin in the slow cooker. I used the majority of it with BBQ sauce but wanted to try something different tonight and decided that Enchilada Pork over Polenta was the way to go! Since the pork was already cooked the only cooking time involved is to make the polenta and heat the pork with the sauce. If you aren't a fan of Polenta or want a more waist friendly meal you could also serve this over a bed of greens for a nice salad as well as rice or with a Tortilla.

Pulled Pork Enchilada Nachos: Serves 2

6-8oz Cooked Pulled Pork
1C Tomato Sauce
2-3TB Tomato Paste
1/4tsp Cumin
1/4tsp Chili Powder
1/4tsp Onion Powder
Pinch Cinnamon
1.5oz Monteray Jack Cheese - Shredded
1/2C Corn Meal
2C Water
2tsp Butter

In a sauce pot put water, butter and salt and bring to a boil, once boiling, whisk in cornmeal and turn heat down to a simmer. Cook until all water has absorbed into the corn meal - the polenta should be really thick at this point, so much so that when you stir the polenta it doesn't immediately fall back into place. Pour into 2 bowls and let it firm up on the counter while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Mix the tomato sauce, paste and seasonings together and toss with the pork in a saute pan until heated through. Spoon on top of the polenta and sprinkle with the cheese.

Enjoy!

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WW: 11 Points Plus / serving

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Just a few days ago I said to my mom "you know I never use my slow cooker, I know it is a great way to cook without heating up the whole house, I really need to find some recipes to try." Well I was just talking to a fellow weight watcher who told me about this recipe and boy am I glad she did because if I had just read it without knowing someone who had tried it I would of thought "no way will that be good" and I would of missed out on a wonderfully tasty and easy recipe. So keeping in mind that I have tried this and thoroughly approve please read ahead with an open mind!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork: Serves 6

2lbs Pork Tenderloin
20oz Root Beer (I used A&W)
2-3tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Yes that is right, Root Beer. I know, I was a little shocked at first too then I thought about it and figured the spices would really go well with the meat, and you know what? They did!

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours until the pork is cooked through. If you are home you can turn it over once every 2 hours, if not don't worry about it, it will still come out good! Drain the liquid and pull apart the pork into strands. Once cooked a serving of pork weighs out at approximately 3-4oz.

Tonight I mixed 1 serving of the pork with my favorite BBQ Sauce, 1/4C of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ, in a saute pan and I put it in a warmed Pita Pocket as a sandwich with some nice fresh sliced watermelon on the side.

Stay tuned for at least one more way to have this pulled pork later in the week.

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WW: 5 Points Plus / serving (does not include any sauce, just the pork)

Dijon Honey Pork Chops

A few months ago I made a recipe from Men's Health Magazine - Dijon Maple Pork Chops. It was so good I wanted to make it again yesterday but was out of maple syrup. I decided to switch it up and use honey instead. The marinade had a much more predominant dijon flavor but the sweetness of the honey helped to caramelize and sear the outside of the chop.

Dijon Honey Pork Chops: Serves 2

2 Large Center Cut Boneless Pork Chops (approx 1lb total, 2" Thick)
2TB Dijon Mustard
1TB Honey
Salt & Pepper
2tsp Olive Oil

Liberally Salt & Pepper all sides of the pork then mix the Dijon & Honey together and rub all over the meat. I actually stabbed the pork all over with a fork which allowed the marinade to permeate the meat with flavor. Let this sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, though 60+ would be best (you could even do this in the morning). Let sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes right before cooking.

Bring a heavy bottom skillet up to medium high heat and add oil to the pan. Add the Pork Chops and let sear for 2 min on each side. Remove the pork to a greased oven safe pan and bake at 425° for 20-30 minutes (The size of your pork chop as well as the length of your sear will determine the cooking time). Cook until the juices run clear and there is no pink left in the center of the meat. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes (you can put a piece of foil over the pan to keep the meat warm) this step is crucial to a juicy chop, if you cut into the meat as soon as it comes out of the oven all of the juices will make a run for it leaving you with a dry cut.

Serve and Enjoy!





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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving

Sausage and Gravy

Sausage and Gravy....Oh how I love thee let me count the ways! What a great feel good meal! This is definitely a meal that I don't make often (maybe 2-3 times a year) but every time I make it I really enjoy it so I make it in it's full fat version using pork sausage. If you are watching your waist line feel free to substitute turkey sausage and some red pepper flakes which will help to lighten this meal up to have on a more regular basis, or you could do a 50/50 split of pork and turkey!

Sausage & Gravy: Serves 4
1lb Italian Pork Sausage
1TB Butter
4TB Flour
4C Milk
Salt & Pepper

In a large saute pan over medium heat brown and break up the sausage into small pieces, Remove the sausage to a bowl leaving the drippings and grease in the pan. If you have at least 1TB of drippings left in the pan you can omit the butter. If you do not have 1TB of drippings add the butter and let it melt, once melted prepare to stir stir stir. Add the flour to the pan and incorporate it into the grease/butter over medium low heat.

You need to continually stir - if the flour burns you need to toss it out, add butter to the pan and try it again! Let the flour cook for 1-2 minutes constantly stirring then add the milk and continue stirring to incorporate. I like to add at least 1/4tsp of pepper to the sauce and depending how salty the sausage is I will occasionally add some salt - taste it first though and see if it is needed! After a minute or two of cooking add the sausage to the gravy and continue to stir, as the gravy heats up it will start to thicken.

Your goal is to bring the gravy to a low boil while stirring which will cause it to thicken. Once it has reached a great thickness (you will know it is done when you can run a spoon down the pan parting the gravy and it doesn't immediately run back into self) it is finished.

Personally I like to serve this over biscuits and I have found that I love the Pillsbury Frozen Buttermilk Biscuits. I think they are great that as a single person I can cook just 1 or 2 instead of having to make a whole batch/container worth.

This recipe is also easy to halve if you are only cooking for 1-2!

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WW: 14 Points Plus / serving (does not include biscuit)

Pork Paprikash Pasta

I always get excited when I go on msn.com and see a headline for new recipes. A week or so ago I found pasta recipes that had been lightened up and this is a recipe from Martha Stewart that made their cut and as I happened to have all the ingredients on hand I wanted to give it a try. I would call this a great quick meal with the depth of a hearty stew. The egg noodles absorb the sauce which is full of flavor from the tomatoes, onions and paprika, yet silky and smooth from the sour cream and butter. The pork gives you a great healthy serving of meat that cooks very quickly - so be careful to not overcook!

Pork Paprikash Pasta: Serves 4

8oz Egg Noodles
2TB Butter
1lb Pork Tenderloin - Cut into 1" Cubes
2TB Paprika (I use Hungarian Paprika)
4tsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
14oz WholeTomatoes (Canned)
1/2C Sour Cream

Bring a pot of water to boil and add some salt, once boiling add egg noodles and cook until tender. Drain and place in a covered bowl with the butter and toss.

In a separate bowl mix pork, 1TB Paprika & some salt and pepper then in a large skillet add 1TB of Olive Oil over medium heat and cook the pork until lightly browned on all sides - approx 2-3 minutes. Remove pork back to a clean bowl and then in the same saute pan add remaining teaspoon of olive oil and onion and cook until the onion turns translucent. Add back the pork, then remaining paprika, tomatoes with juice and 1/2C water. Bring to a boil and reduce to to a simmer. Let the sauce reduce for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Once you have finished reducing the sauce remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream adding salt & pepper to taste. Toss with the egg noodles and let sit for a few minutes, allowing the noodles to absorb the sauce. Serve and enjoy!

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WW: 12 Points Plus / serving

Pork Ribs - Guest Post!

As my sister continues her cooking marathon Pork Ribs were on her list! She is very proud of her ribs and is always looking for ways to make them even better and more fall-off-the-bone good. I trust her judgement when it comes to these recipes. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Pork Ribs: Serves 4

8-10 Pork Ribs with or without bone
~2 cups water
~2 cups white wine
1/8 cup marsala wine
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp Worchester sauce
1 shake soy sauce
½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder

In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients, add the ribs, cover, and refrigerate for at least a day.

Put ribs in individual foil packets and place on a cookie tray. Bake at 225° for 2 hours in foil packets. If you want to grill them, bake and then remove from their foil packet, put on a grill, baste with BBQ sauce, and grill for ~10 min. If you don’t have a grill, drain juice from foil packets, baste with BBQ sauce, and cook at 350° for 10 min. Enjoy!

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

The first pork tenderloin I had was the one my mom makes which I call a fool-proof recipe. It is delicious and succulent every time I make it and is extremely simple to make, but impressive to serve.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin: Serves 3-4

1 Pork Tenderloin - Approx 1lbs
1 Packages Lipton French Onion Soup Mix
1 Medium Onion - Sliced
6-8 Carrots
Water

In a 13x9 Pan place the pork tenderloin, rub 1 package of soup mix all over the tenderloin, toss the onions on top of and around the tenderloin, then peel and chop the carrots into equal size pieces (approx 3" long 1/2" thick - you could also use a bag of baby carrots) and put them around the pork as well. Add 1/2" of water to the pan. Stir to incorporate any of the soup mix that has fallen into the dish into the water.

Bake at 375° for 30-40 minutes, turning the pork half way through, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Remove the pork from the pan, and place on a carving board and tent it with foil to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This is a crucial step which will ensure that your pork does not dry out, cutting any meat before it has had a chance to rest will most always result in dry meat.

While the meat is resting return the pan to the oven and turn the heat up to 450 degrees to finish cooking the carrots. After 10 minutes remove from the oven and remove the vegetables to their own bowl. You can either serve the gravy as it is or add some corn starch that has been mixed with a 1/4C of water to the gravy in a sauce pot and it will thicken it up when you bring to a boil.

To store leftovers place the slices of pork in a container and pour gravy on top of it, this will help it retain its juiciness.

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WW: 5 Points Plus / serving @ 3 servings
3 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings

Dijon Maple Pork Chops

Today I have a package of center cut pork chops that I am going to pan fry in a decadent Dijon maple sauce.   I read this recipe on Men’s Health website and thought it sounded delicious and turns out I was right!

Dijon Maple Pork Chops - Serves 2

2 Center Cut Bone in Pork Chops
1TB Maple Syrup
1TB Dijon Mustard
1tsp Minced Garlic
Salt & Pepper
1tsp Olive Oil

Mix syrup, mustard, & garlic in a small bowl and set to the side.  Salt and pepper pork chops on both sides and then spread half of the sauce evenly over both pork chops.  Heat a skillet up over medium high heat with the olive oil.  Place the pork chops in the skillet cooking 3-4 minutes per side,  a minute or two after flipping the chops pour the remainder of the sauce over the chops to finish the meal.  Remove the pork from the pan and let sit for at least 2 minutes before serving to ensure the pork chops do not dry out.

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving