PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES

This yummy recipe ended up as dinner last night and it was divine! Add a side of mashed potatoes and a crusty baguette.

2 1-inch thick bone-in pork loin chops
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
olive oil & butter
1 Gala apple, sliced

Place saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook pork chops about 5 minutes on each side until golden. Remove from pan and add add apple slices, adding a little more butter to the pan if needed. Cook one side until golden and then turn and cook the other side. Serve next to the pork chops with mashed potatoes and a crusty bread.

“There is poetry in a pork chop to a hungry man.”~Philip Gibbs (NY Times 1951)

BBQ RIBS BEACH-STYLE (Slow-Cooker)

On our last trip to the coast of North Carolina we developed a huge craving for BBQ Ribs. I had some honey barbecue sauce and discovered a can of pineapple rings, and added to this mixture a sweet onion and green bell pepper.  So I made layers of all of these ingredients in the slow cooker with generous sprinklings of sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and the rest as THEY say is history. The end result turned out to be some of the best ribs we had ever had the pleasure of passing over our tongues to out bellies. That being said....be sure and try it...it is simple and soul satisfying. Cook it on the LOW setting for 8 to 10 hours. You'll be glad you did!

"The story of barbecue is the story of America: Settlers arrive on great unspoiled continent, discover wondrous riches, set them on fire and eat them."~Anon

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, and the wheel's kick, and the winds song and the white sails skating, and a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking."~John Masefield

FEENA'S SWEET & TANGY POT ROAST (Submitted by Feena Rickard for the Recipe Contest)

My friend Feena Rickard is what us mountain people would call a "true character". Everything she comments on here on Facebook makes me smile. The girl can also cook and here is another of her wonderful sounding recipes. Thanks for sharing Feena.

3-4 pound beef roast
1 onion, sliced
1 bottle Italian salad dressing
1 1/2 c. brown sugar

Place roast in crock pot. dump brown sugar over and along sides. place onion on top. Pour entire bottle of Italian dressing over all. No water needed.
Cook on low 6-8 hours.

PORK with GINGERED CARAMELIZED ONIONS

You may find caramelized onions addictive, especially in this recipe with an exotic ginger accent. Try them with other meats or poultry or atop mashed potatoes.

2 (3/4lb.) pork tenderloins, cut into 1-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups sliced sweet onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 (8oz.) pkg. fresh mushrooms, cut in half
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
3 tablespoons apricot preserves

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add pork, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from skillet; cover and keep warm.

Add onion to pan; cook over medium heat 20 minutes or until onion is browned and tender, stirring often. Add ginger and mushrooms; cook 2 more minutes.

Reduce heat to low; stir in cranberries and preserves. Return pork to skillet; cook until glazed and thoroughly heated.
Serves 4

"Happy is said to be the family which can eat onions together. They are, for the time being, separate, from the world, and have a harmony of aspiration." ~Charles Dudley Warner, 'My Summer in a Garden' (1871)

MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH POT ROAST (Dated Nov. 26th, 2009)

This pot roast gets my highest rating and you can bet it will knock your socks off. The vinegar in the pickles combined with long, slow cooking contributes to its tenderness.

1/2 lb. bacon
1 (4-lb.) chuck roast
1 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 cup chopped dill pickle
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 cans condensed golden mushroom soup, undiluted

Cook bacon in large ovenproof Dutch oven until crisp; remove bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in Dutch oven. Crumble bacon, and set aside.
Sprinkle both sides of roast with lemon-pepper seasoning. Cook roast in reserved bacon drippings over medium heat until browned on both sides.
Combine chopped pickle, Worcestershire sauce, and soup; pour over roast. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until roast is tender. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve with pan juices.
Serves 10.

"As a result of trying to solve the big problems we face in life, many of us end up sacrificing individual relationships by doing things that we may consider as being small or insignificant at the time. This reminds us of the George and Gracie routine where George asks Gracie, How do you cook a pot roast? She replied, I put both a big pot roast and a small pot roast in the oven. When the small one is burnt, the big one is done just right!"-unknown source

MARINATED ROAST BEEF TENDERLOIN

I cook a lot of whole beef tenderloins in the summer time when I am working. Every now and then I'll throw one on the grill but the majority of the time I roast them in the oven. I always start them out at a high heat and then reduce the ovens temperature. This sears it quickly, thus allowing for the meats natural juices to stay where they belong, evenly dispersed throughout the meat.
A meat thermometer is a must to have when roasting any meats. I always cook the tenderloins to between 135 degrees and 140. 145 degrees is the normal reading for medium-rare. I cook mine below this number as it will continue to cook after it is removed from the oven. Cover it wth aluminum foil and allow it rest for 15 minutes before slicing with an electric knife. It will be tender and juicy, and should be a perfect medium-rare.
Always have your bucher trim the tenderloin of excess fat and then tuck under the ends and roll-and-tie it with twine. This allows for even cooking of the meat.

Coarsely ground fresh black pepper
1 (5 to 6 lb.) beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied
1 1/2 cups soy sauce
3/4 cup bourbon
2 to 3 garlic cloves, crushed
4 slices bacon
1 medium sweet onion, sliced

Generously sprinkle the tenderloin with the pepper. Place meat in a large sealable plastic bag. Combine soy sauce, bourbon and garlic and pour over the tenderloin in bag. Seal tightly and marinate at room temperature for up to 8 hours prior to cooking.
When ready to cook, drain marinade, reserving it. Place the tenderloin in a large roasting pan. Arrange the bacon over the top and drizzle with the reserved marinade. Top with the sliced onion.
Place tenderloin in a preheated 450 degree oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Roast for 30 to 50 minutes or to the desired degree of doneness. Test with a meat thermometer after 30 minutes of cooking. Whatever you do don't overcook it as this will ruin such a nice piece of meat.

"Heaven sends us good meat, but the devil sends us cooks."-David Garrick (1717-1779) English actor, producer, and dramatist

SIRLOIN STEAK WITH WILD MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE

Steak is one of my top favorite food items to sit on my plate. Top it off with this wild mushroom cream sauce and your tongue will dance a little jig.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup brandy
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
8oz. fresh wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, morel or oysters or a combination-sliced)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (8-ounce) sirloin steaks, 3/4-inch thick

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the shalot and saute 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the brandy and ignite it with a match. Return the skillet to the heat when the flames subside. Add the beef stock, boil for 15 minutes or until reduced to about 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Stir in the mushrooms and reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are fork tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the steaks. Cook for 2 minutes or until brown on both sides. Reduce heat. Cook for 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. remove steaks to serving plates and keep warm. Add the mushroom sauce to the skillet and simmer, scraping up browned bits. Spoon the sauce over the steaks. Serve with Ruffino Aziano.
Serves 2

RUFFINO AZIANO: A ruby red Tuscan wine with a vibrant and inviting aroma. The Sangiovese grapes in this Chianti Classico are characterized by notes of sweet violet, red berries and Morello cherries with slightly spicy undertones.

Ruffino is a leading Tuscan winery with 130 years of winemaking experience. Ruffino wines are easy to drink and an ideal match with Italian cuisine.

AWESOME AND EASY MEATLOAF

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 sleeve saltine crackers-crushed
1 small onion-diced
1 green pepper-diced
1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce
1 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
2 eggs

Mix everything together and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Can top with ketchup if you like during the last 10 minutes of cook time. Serve with mashed taters and green beans and a slice of love.

"Gramma said when you come on something good, first thing to do is share it with whoever you can find; that way, the good spreads out where no telling it will go. Which is right."-Forrest Carter..author of "The Education of Little Tree" and "The Outlaw Josey Wales"

PERFECT PRIME RIB

A different but very tasty prime rib.

1 (4 to 6) lb. rib roast
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. cracked pepper
2 (4lb.) pkgs. rock salt
1/2 cup water

Brush roast with Worcestershire sauce; sprinkle with garlic powder. Rub pepper on all sides. Pour rock salt to depth of 1/2-inch in a disposable aluminum pan. Add roast. Add remaining rock salt to cover roast. Sprinkle with water. Bake at 500 degrees for 12 minutes per pound. Crack salt with a hammer, remove roast, brush away salt.

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."-Virginia Wolfe

SIRLOIN TIP ROAST WITH VEGETABLES

This is for Jeri Bracey who I take water aerobics with at the YMCA. This would be good to come home to on a cold rainy day like today.
1 (3lb.) sirloin tip roast-trimmed
2 Tbsp. canola oil
4 lg. carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces
3 potatoes, cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, minced
3 cups water
1 (10oz.) can beef broth
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup dry red wine
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. hot sauce
3/4 tsp. salt
Brown roast on all sides in hot oil in large pot. Remove and cut in to 3 equal pieces. Place in Crock-pot. Add vegetables and remaining ingredients which have been mixed together. Cook on HIGH 2 hours; reduce heat to LOW and cook 7 more hours. Remove meat from crock and shred with two forks, return to pot with veggies and sauce.
Would be very good with a cake of my Mama Joe's Cornbread which you can find in the recipe group.
" Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains; another, a moonlit beach; a third, a family dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes during a myrtle-mad August in a Midwestern town. Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines hidden under the weedy mass of years. Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth." ~Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses