I had a little pork loin in the freezer leftover from a previous cook and only had just a bit of time to to whip up some dinner. While thinking about what I was exploring the pantry, thinking about what I was going to cook, I came across a cast iron cooking insert for my Char-Broil RED gasser. The light bulb went off and stir fry was now on the menu.
 Stir fry on the grill is perfect for me. Taking Asian flavor profiles and fusing them with the grill gives you a unique flavor blend. The char and caramelization you get from cooking on the grill makes things pretty special. In this case it wasn’t on the grill but the something that resembles a cast iron skillet. One of the cooking utensils on my “wish list” is a big cast iron wok. It’s not going to happen for a while so the next best thing is the cast iron insert on my grill.
The only problem with the insert is it’s to small so I had to cook everything in stages and then combine in a bowl. Not really that big of a problem, but I’m sure the flavors would have been better if I could have cooked everything together. But even with the handicap of to small of a “wok” it came out pretty good.
Continue reading Meaty Monday: Simple Stir Fried Pork And Veggies
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Take an ordinary, run of the mill cheeseburger and add some chopped braised pork belly and some onions sauted in balsamic vinegar BBQ sauce and you’ve got my creation for National Burger Month. The @SirPorkaBurger!
The @SirPorkaBurger is named after my good fried @SirPorkalot. I had to name this after him because he fed me some amazing Pork Confit on New Year’s Eve. He hasn’t told me exactly how he did it yet, but none the less I’m naming this burger in his honor.
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Steelhead salmon (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are commonly known as trout, but in fact they are a species of salmon native to the Pacific region. Land locked steelheads are also known as rainbow trout; in fact that is their common name. The term steelhead is used to differentiate between those rainbows that stay in fresh water permanently and those that go out to the ocean. Both rainbow and steelhead trout will return to the place where they hatched in order to spawn; therefore, steelheads are an anadromous species. Unlike their Pacific salmon cousins, steelheads and rainbows can spawn numerous times before dying. — gosalmonfishing.com
I stop into my local supermarket this morning to pick up some salmon for dinner and left with steelhead instead. I guess, based on the paragraph above I did actually get salmon but since I’ve never grilled steelhead I figured I’d try something a little different. It really wasn’t all that different, the taste was slightly different but most people at the table didn’t really know the different.
Continue reading Steelhead with Salmonberry Glaze
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Every once in a while I have some leftover steak, tri-tip or brisket. Often times it just gets eaten, sometimes on a sandwich or just eaten as a snack. This time around I needed something quick for lunch and some Frito Pie came to mind. Not sure why, but I did.
Continue reading A Little Leftover Tri-Tip Frito Pie
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| Original content here is published under these license terms: | X | | | License Type: | Non-commercial, Attribution, no Derivative work | | | | License Summary: | You may copy this content, and re-publish it in unmodified form for non-commercial purposes, provided you include an overt attribution to the author(s). You are not permitted to create derivative works. | | | License URL: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ |
I like tacos because each guest can pretty much decide how much meat or veggies they want wrapped in their tortilla. A tortilla with just the pork would be great, better with a little slaw, but still good. For the non-meat eater the black beans and slaw will make a tasty and hearty meal.
Normally, I will cook beans with ham or salt pork to kick up the flavor but this time around I decided to just try seasonings and stock. In this particular case I used chicken stock but substituting vegetable stock would work also if you’ve got vegetarians at the table. Depending on the black beans you’re using you may have to pump up the spices. If you can find and afford heirloom black beans get those, they are much more flavorful and require less seasoning to make the taste pop.
The Avocado Slaw was, simply, one of the best things I’ve come up with. This slaw uses green and red cabbage, red onion, avocado, red bell pepper, radishes, carrots, jalapeno and cilantro. I really enjoy this combination of tastes and color. The red bell pepper adds a nice sweetness that works well with the acid in the slaw vinaigrette.
Don’t be afraid to adjust the veggies in the slaw to suit your needs or produce availability. You can easily use green bell pepper, green onions. Drop the radishes if you want. Maybe use a Serrano chili instead of a jalapeno for more heat. Toss in some Jicama for extra crunch. It’s really up to you. Recipes should only be a guide, take them a make them your own.
Continue reading Pork Loin Tacos with Avocado Slaw and Black Beans (Part 2) and Banana Vinegar | Original content here is published under these license terms: | X | | | License Type: | Non-commercial, Attribution, no Derivative work | | | | License Summary: | You may copy this content, and re-publish it in unmodified form for non-commercial purposes, provided you include an overt attribution to the author(s). You are not permitted to create derivative works. | | | License URL: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ |
I love to cook and I love to eat. And for the past couple decades eating healthy has not always been a priority. As I’ve gotten older, and hopefully a little wiser, I’m starting to realize that I need to put more emphasis on healthier eating.
For those of you who have enjoyed all the bacon, sauces, butter and other fun stuff, don’t worry they aren’t going away. But I will be posting more “healthier” alternatives on the blog than I have in the past. And pork is going will be a big part of my healthier eating lifestyle change.
Today’s pork makes it easier to eat healthier. Today’s pork cuts, on average, have 16 percent less total fat and 27 percent less saturated fat than they did just 21 years ago. Compared to many other outdoor cooking alternatives pork is one of the healthier proteins to cook. And with the USDA agreeing with what many of us already knew, that pork may be served medium rare (145 degrees followed by a three-minute rest) you can get some great tasting, tender and juicy dishes.
Continue reading Pork Loin Tacos with Avocado Slaw and Black Beans (Part 1) | Original content here is published under these license terms: | X | | | License Type: | Non-commercial, Attribution, no Derivative work | | | | License Summary: | You may copy this content, and re-publish it in unmodified form for non-commercial purposes, provided you include an overt attribution to the author(s). You are not permitted to create derivative works. | | | License URL: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ |
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and it wasn’t long before I had picked out a recipe to try. One of the things I like about cooking with cast iron is that I can use many different outdoor cooking devices as a heat source. As a Boy Scout Scoutmaster I used traditional dutch oven techniques to teach the Scouts how to cook outdoors. But now I think you could consider me a little non-traditional in my cast iron cooking.
