Stuffed Pork Tenderloin w/ Beurre Blanc Sauce

Ingredients
Stuffing:
1 shallot, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 cups roughly chopped mushrooms
4 ounces fresh andouille or hot pork smoked sausage, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Splash whiskey
Cornbread, dried out and crumbled, about 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons chopped curly parsley leaves
Pork:
2 pork tenderloins
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Oil, for grilling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Beurre Blanc or Whisky Beurre Blanc Sauce

Directions

1. Stuffing:  Put the shallot, garlic and mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the sausage, again pulsing until incorporated with the mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pulse again. 
2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the mushroom-sausage mixture and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Deglaze with a splash of whiskey, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the crumbled cornbread and parsley. Mix to combine. Set aside.
4. Cut tenderloins lengthwise, but not through, to open and lay flat. Lightly pound to even the meat, if needed. Paint the tenderloins lightly with mustard, then add the stuffing mixture. Roll up the tenderloins and tie the middle of the roll with kitchen string to secure. Repeat the ties about every 1 to 2 inches. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and put on the grill to sear. Remove the tenderloins from direct heat to indirect heat and tent with foil. Grill until the internal temperature registers about 140 to 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, another 15 minutes. Remove the tenderloins to a cutting bowl and let rest before slicing into medallions.
5. Arrange a bit of grilled kale on center of each serving plate and top with 3 slices of pork medallions. Drizzle the beurre blanc over the medallions and around the rims of the plate.

Credit:  Claire Robinson from the Food Network

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup peas or 2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)

 

Directions

1.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
2.  Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add mushrooms, onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add peas and garlic, and cook 1 minute more.
3.  Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through.
4.  Combine heavy cream, eggs and Parmesan cheese.  Beat mixture.
5.  Add egg mixture and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add nutmeg and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
6.  Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

Meatloaf

Ingredients
1/2 cup of finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 carrot, chopped fine
1/4 cup of finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Worscestershire sauce
4 Tbsp ketchup, plus 1/3 cup to cover loaf
3/4 pounds of ground chuck
1/4 pound of ground pork
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten slightly
4 Tbsp cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and scallions in butter, over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cover the skillet and stir occassionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.
3. In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Cover the loaf with 1/3 cup ketchup.
4. Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour.

Pork Sliders

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, casings removed
1/4 C. pepper jack cheese, finely grated
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 small dinner rolls, sliced in half (try Hawaiian rolls)
Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Sriracha)

Directions

1.  Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise, mix all of the ingredients together in s medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving, allowing the flavors to meld. Can be made a day ahead. 

2.  Preheat a flat top grill pan to medium-high heat.
3.  In a medium bowl, mix the ground pork, sausage, cheese, shallot, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Form the meat mixture into small equal-sized patties.
4.  Cook the burgers for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove them from the pan and serve on split rolls with Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise.

Credit:  Adapted from a recipe from the Neely's, Food Network.

Sinigang

You can make this with pork or shrimp.  I prefer pork.  If making this dish with shrimp, I would add it with the string beans so you don't over cook the shrimp.  Also keep the shells on the shrimp, it adds to the flavor.
Ingredients
1 pkg. sinigang mix
1 lb. pork, cut in 1 1/2 inches chunks
4 C. water
1 small onion, quartered
1 tomatoes; sliced
1 radish, sliced (optional)
2 string beans, cut in 2” length
1/2 cup kangkong leaves (river spinach)
3 pieces gabi (taro); peeled and cut in half
1 long green pepper
Salt to taste
Patis (fish sauce)

Directions
1.  In a medium sized pot, add water and meat.  Boil until tender.
2.  Reduce to a simmer and add onion, tomato, and tamarind mix.  Cook for about 15 minutes.
3.  Add gabi until tender and thicken the soup.
4.  Add string beans, cook until tender. 
5.  Add kangkong leaves.
6.  Season with salt to taste.
7.  Serve with patis on the side and over steamed white rice.

Honey Garlic Spareribs

If you can get the butched to cut the ribs in half, do it.  I like to serve these as an appetizer.  Lip smackin' good!

Ingredients
4-5 lbs. pork spareribs, 2 racks
2 T. garlic powder
3/4 C. honey
2 T. cider vinegar
3/4 C. soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Sliced green onion (optional)
1/2 tsp. Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions
1.  Cut racks into individual ribs and season with garlic powder.  Arrange in a 13x9-baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour, or until very tender.
2.  Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and simmer 5 minutes.
3.  Remove ribs from oven and drain ribs well - careful, there will be lots of steam under the foil.
4.  Pour honey mixture over spareribs and make sure all ribs get coated.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 for another hour. Baste well about every 10 minutes.
5.  Remove from oven and garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds.

Credit:  Sam the Cooking Guy

Adobo

One of my all time favorite Filipino dishes. This has been a staple growing up and I now cook it often for Will and the girls.  Feel free to double the sauce part of the recipe.  I like to drizzle it all over my rice!

Ingredients
1 lbs. chicken or pork (use ribs)
1/4 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. vinegar
3 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Black pepper to taste
1 T. sugar
2 T. vegetable oil

Directions
1.  Heat oil in medium sized pot.  Add galic and saute.
2.  Add chicken or pork and brown lightly on all sides
3.  Add sugar, soy sauce, water, vinegar, & bay leaves.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes or until meat is very tender.
4.  Add a pepper to taste.
5.  Serve over hot sticky rice.