Celebrate National Pork Month with these 6 sweet and savory pork recipes.
Ham and Almond Pastry Ring
Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com
Times:
Prep Time: 20 minutes prep, Cook Time: 30 minutes cook
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked ham, diced
1/2 cup chive and onion cream cheese spread
2 tablespoons Caesar dressing
1 large apple, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup grapes, red or green, quartered
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
2 8-oz cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped
Nonstick cooking spray
Cooking Directions:
In large bowl, blend cream cheese spread and dressing. Add ham, apple, grapes, onion and green pepper; gently stir until coated. Set aside.
Line a large baking sheet with heavy foil. Lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Unroll both cans of crescent rolls and separate. On prepared baking sheet arrange triangles overlapping with shortest side of each roll toward center leaving 5-inch circle open in center. Points of crescent dough may hang over edge of baking sheet. Press overlapping dough to flatten and close center circle to 4-inches.
Spoon mixture evenly over widest part of dough. Pull points of dough over filling and tuck dough under dough in center to form ring. (Some filling will be visible.) Brush dough evenly with beaten egg and sprinkle with almonds. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes or until golden and pastry in inner circle is baked. (If necessary, loosely cover outer edge of pastry with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.) Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Using large spatula, carefully slide onto large serving platter.*
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
*If desired, use foil to lift and transfer pastry ring to serving platter. Cut foil in center of ring and underneath pastry ring; pull foil pieces to remove.
Apple and Cornbread-Stuffed Pork Loin with Roasted Apple Gravy
Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com
Times:
Prep Time: 30 minutes prep, Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes cook
Ingredients:
1 boneless pork loin, (4 pounds)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage
3 medium apples, peeled, halved, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup Calvados, OR apple brandy
1 1/4 cup homemade chicken stock, OR canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup apple juice, OR cider
1/4 cup heavy cream
Cornbread and Apple Stuffing:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup smoked ham, finely chopped, OR diced smoked sausage
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup apples, peeled and diced 1/4-inch
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 1/2 cups homemade cornbread, crumbled and dried OR dried cornbread stuffing mix
1/4 cup apple juice
Cooking Directions:
For stuffing, heat butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat; add ham or sausage and cook 3 minutes. Add onion, celery and a pinch each of salt and pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are quite soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in diced apple and cook 1 minute. Transfer apple mixture to a large bowl. Sprinkle with sage and stir in cornbread crumbs, apple juice and egg. The mixture should be moist but not wet. Add more apple juice if the mixture seems dry. Taste for seasoning and set aside.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. To double butterfly the pork loin, lay the meat, fat-side down, on a work surface and make a horizontal lengthwise cut two-thirds of the way into the depth of the loin and about 1 inch from the long edge nearest you, taking care not to cut all the way through. Flip the loin over so that the cut you just made is opposite you. Make another lengthwise cut, again 1 inch from the edge. Open up the two cuts so you have a large rectangle of meat whose diameter is roughly 3 times the thickness of the meat. Place fat-side down and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a cleaver or a meat pounder, gently flatten the meat to an even thickness.
Remove plastic wrap and spread apple stuffing evenly over the meat, leaving a generous 3/4–inch border. Roll up meat jelly-roll style so that stuffing is in a spiral pattern. Tie rolled roast at 2-inch intervals with butcher’s twine.
Combine 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and remaining sage and sprinkle over roast. Lay the sliced apples on the bottom of a roasting pan just a bit larger than the roast and set the roast, fat-side up, on the apples. Put roast in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, turn the oven down to 325 degrees and roast for 45 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the roast with an instant-read thermometer: The roast is done when it reaches 145 degrees. If it is not ready, continue to roast, checking the temperature every 10 minutes. When the roast is done, transfer it to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for at least 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the apples in the roasting pan to a bowl and keep warm. Pour off any fat from the roasting pan, leaving the meat juices on the bottom. Put pan over medium-high heat, add Calvados and deglaze pan allowing the alcohol to burn off, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a small saucepan and add stock, apple juice and cream. Increase heat to high and bring liquid to a boil. Simmer, stirring, until reduced by half. Taste for salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm while you carve the pork roast.
Remove twine from the roast and cut it into 1/2-inch thick slices. (If you cut the slices too thin, they will fall apart.) Arrange the pork on a serving platter. Spoon the sliced apples around the meat and pour the sauce over all.
Serves 8.
*Adapted from “Bruce Aidells’s Complete Book of Pork,” courtesy of Harper Collins Publishers
Beer-Grilled Chops
Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com
Times:
Prep Time: 10 minutes prep, Cook Time: 10 minutes cook
Ingredients:
4 bone-in pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ginger root, grated
1 cup beer
Cooking Directions:
Place chops in a self-sealing plastic bag; add remaining ingredients and seal bag. Gently massage bag to evenly distribute marinade ingredients. Refrigerate 4-24 hours.
Prepare medium-hot coals in kettle-style grill. Remove chops from marinade and discard marinade; place on grill directly over coals, cover grill and grill for 8-9 minutes, turning once, or until thermometer inserted reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a 3-minute rest time.
Serves 4.
Bacon-Wrapped Figs With Maple Snakebite Glaze and Goat Cheese and Thyme Dip
Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com
Times:
Prep Time: 15 minutes prep, Cook Time: 15 minutes cook
Ingredients:
6 strips bacon, halved crosswise
12 figs, stemmed*
12 pecan pieces, toasted
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 cup soft goat cheese, (2 ounces)
1/4 cup cream cheese, (2 ounces)
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped OR 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Cooking Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place 4 layers of paper towels on microwave-safe plate. Top with bacon slices. Cover with two more layers of paper towels. Microwave on high 1 to 2 minutes to render fat from bacon but not crisp. While bacon cools, slice each fig twice, starting at stem end, and cutting three-quarters of way to bottom. Stuff each fig with a pecan piece. Wrap a half strip of bacon around each fig and secure with toothpick. Place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Turn. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until bacon is sizzling and begins to crisp. In small bowl, combine syrup and cayenne pepper. Brush mixture over appetizers.
For dip, combine all dip ingredients in small bowl. Cover and chill until serving time.Makes: about 1/2 cup Serve appetizers warm with dip.
Serves 12
*Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California work well.
Apricot-Dijon Pork Salad
Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com
Times:
Prep Time: 10 minutes prep, Cook Time: 15 minutes cook
Ingredients:
1 whole pork tenderloin, about 1 pound
1 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 10-oz package mixed salad greens
1 15-oz can apricot halves, drained, sliced
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
4 - 5 ounces Provolone cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
Cooking Directions:
In small bowl stir together preserves, vinegar, mustard and ginger. Reserve 3/4 cup for salad dressing.
Butterfly pork tenderloin (cut almost in half, but not quite through, horizontally; open and lay flat. Prepare medium-hot fire in kettle-style grill. Grill tenderloin over heat 5-6 minutes per side; brushing with remaining apricot mixture during last 2 minutes on each side until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 145 degrees F. Remove tenderloin to cutting board and let rest for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile in large bowl toss together greens, apricots, cherries, cheese, pecans and onions. Divide mixture evenly among 4 plates. Slice pork into 1/2-inch pieces. Arrange portions of pork on top of greens on each plate; drizzle with reserved apricot mixture.
Serves 4.
*To toast pecans, place pecan halves in shallow baking pan in a 350 degrees F. oven for about 10 minutes. Let cool, chop coarsely.
Grilled Pork Panini
Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com
Times:
Prep Time: 10 minutes prep, Cook Time: 10 minutes cook
Ingredients:
3 cooked pork chops, thinly sliced *
8 slices Italian bread
1/2 cup pesto
4 1-oz slices Provolone cheese
olive oil
Cooking Directions:
Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on each slice of bread. Top four slices of bread with sliced pork chops and cheese; top each sandwich with remaining bread. Lightly brush outer surface of sandwiches with olive oil; grill in a medium-hot skillet until toasted on each side.
Serves 4.
*Use the leftovers from Balsamic Pork Chops.
Recipes and photos courtesy of National Pork Board. For more information about pork, visit PorkBeInspired.com.