pork – Page 3 – Gastography

Charred Corn & Leek Salad with Carrot Top Pesto

September 14, 2014September 14, 2014CSA Shares, RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmmmm….. summer CSA corn. It’s not paleo, but damn is it ever good. And we’ve been swimming in it at our house – the best ears we’ve had in years, too. North Carolina Silver Queen, eat your heart out.

This salad is nutty and sweet from the toasting the corn gets and savory from the leeks – with a nice hit of smokiness from bacon and a side of carrot top pesto (waste not, want not) to round out the herbaceous notes.

Gluten-free

Charred Corn & Leek Salad with Carrot Top Pesto

2 ears corn
3 leeks
Coconut oil
2 Tbsp. carrot top pesto (see recipe below)
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground chipotle powder
2 slices thick bacon

First, char your veggies. Set your broiler to High, cover a cookie sheet with tinfoil and prep your veg. Shuck the corn and halve the leeks lengthwise (don’t forget to rinse). Brush with coconut oil and broil until charred on all sides – the leeks will be done first.

While the veggies are caramelizing, chop the bacon and fry. Drain and move to a large bowl. Add the vinegar, cumin, and chipotle. When the leeks and corn are browned to your liking, remove from the broiler and let cool a bit. Chop the leeks and add to the bowl. Remove the corn kernels (I shave off one side, flip onto the flat side and chop down the side of the ear as close to the cob as possible) and add to the bowl. Toss. Add the pesto, toss and taste for seasoning.

Serves 2 as a side dish if you use smallish corn and leeks.

Carrot Top Pesto

1 small bunch carrot tops (about 1/2 c.)
Olive oil
3 Tablespoons parmesan (optional)
1.5 tsp. citrus juice (I used lime)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper

Add the carrot tops, parmesan, red pepper flakes and a generous pinch salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Process until broken down. Add olive oil in a stream while the machine is running until you get the consistency you want. Add the lime juice and give another couple whizzes. Taste for seasoning and add more if necessary.

Makes enough to double the salad recipe.

Sausage, Chard & Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Peppers

August 23, 2014December 29, 2014Recipes1 Comment

Mmmmm…. stuffed peppers. When the CSA gives you pepper abundance, I can’t think of a better use of one or three than as a little bowl for some meaty goodness. Yum.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30 (if you use compliant sausage)

Sausage, Chard & Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Peppers

1 lb. Italian sausage
1 bunch swiss chard
1 (14 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion (about 1 c. chopped)
Sun-dried tomatoes (about 1/4 c. chopped)
3 bell peppers
Coconut oil
Salt & pepper
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano

Preheat your oven to 450 F. Chop your onions and garlic.

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent.

Add the sausage, slipping them out of their skins, and cook, stirring and breaking up the links, until browned.

While the sausage is browning, slice the chard into ribbons and chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Halve your bell peppers lengthwise and pull out the seeds.

When the sausage is ready, add the chard, hit the mixture with a liberal pinch of salt and pepper, and add the basil and oregano. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chard is wilted.

Add the canned diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Let cook 3-4 minutes.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine. Taste for salt and add if needed. Sautee an additional 5 minutes.

Stuff the mixture into your pepper halves and bake 20 minutes or until the peppers are soft.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

Franken Notato Salad with Sausages

July 19, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

It started with the best of intentions. I set out to make a nice little fauxtato salad – something along the lines of this one from Health-Bent. And then I started tinkering. There are a million different ways to make potato salad – and a million different flavor profiles to choose from – but when I think potato salad, I think of mustard and crunchy celery and hard boiled eggs and summer evenings spent picking bites of cold potato salad out of the fridge. And the deli potato salad from Food Lion. And Duke’s mayonnaise.

This is not that potato salad, but it filled a craving.

Behold: this ~~monstrosity~~ pile of yummy goodness. The franken salad. A dish that kind of tastes like a hybrid between german and Southern potato salads, but is definitely neither. This dish would be fantastic at a picnic or cookout, and is pretty freakin great on its own in a bowl for dinner.

Gluten-free, paleo and Whole30 compliant (check your labels/check with your butcher)

Franken Notato Salad with Sausages

2 large Hot Italian sausages
1 large fresh chorizo
Tokyo turnips (about 2 cups diced)
4 medium carrots (about 1 cup diced)
Half a Vidalia onion (about 1 cup diced)
2 hard boiled eggs
3-4 Tbsp. bacon fat
4 Tbsp. grainy mustard (I use Maille – check your label)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. celery salt (check your label)
2 stalks celery
2 scallions
Optional toppers: olives, chopped garlic scapes, chopped parsley

First, get your eggs on to boil and prep your veggies. You want everything in a fairly small dice so it cooks nice and quick.

Uncase sausage and add to a large pan over medium heat. Cook, breaking the sausage up as you go, until browned. Remove from the pan and add to a large mixing bowl.

Add the bacon fat to the pan. Add the turnips, carrots, and onion. Sautee, stirring occasionally, until everything is softened and beginning to brown around the edges. (about 10-15 minutes)

While this is working, dice the celery and slice the scallions. Don’t forget your eggs, which should be finished sometime during this step.

Add the mustard, cider, celery, scallions, and celery salt to the sausage bowl and stir. When the veggies are done cooking, add those as well. Taste for seasoning and add more vinegar/salt as needed.

Chop your cooked, cooled and peeled egg and gently fold in.

Top with halved olives, chopped parsley and chopped garlic scapes if desired.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

Paleo Pork Picadillo

June 14, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Picadillo is a Cuban dish that can be made a million different ways, but generally includes ground meat (generally beef), some sort of sweet something (raisins or dried apricots or both), tomatoes, and olives. To me, the combination is magical. The brine of the olives gets under my skin, leaving me craving more for days to come. Luckily, the other half of this household is olive-adverse, so more for me.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole30-compliant

Paleo Pork Picadillo

2c. chopped butternut squash
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 tsp. dried oregano, divided
1 lb. ground pork
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 bell pepper (any color)
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. capers
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
Hand full of golden raisins (or more, if you’re a raisin lover)
1/2 cup olives (or more, if you’re an olive lover)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive juice
Kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 400. Dice the butternut squash and spread out on a cookie sheet. Toss with 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, 1 tsp. oregano and a few pinches salt. Bake 20-35 minutes, or until tender. You’ll want to turn the squash a few times during cooking to avoid burning.

Heat the other Tbsp. coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, breaking up as you go along. Hit with a big sprinkle of salt.

While the pork is working, dice the onion, garlic and pepper. Add to the pan and sautee until the onion is translucent.

Add the second tsp. oregano, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon and capers plus another big pinch of salt. Sautee 1-2 minutes to let the spices bloom.

Add the diced tomatoes, raisins, olives, vinegar, and olive juice. Bring to a boil. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Drop the heat to a simmer and let go 5-10 minutes.

Serve the picadillo over the butternut squash.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

Vietnamese Pork Bowl

May 31, 2014Recipes1 Comment

This simple bowl takes humble leftover pulled pork and quickly transforms it into a sticky/sweet/tangy Vietnamese-inspired dinner bowl that’s simple to prepare and on the table lightning-fast. This dish isn’t strictly paleo as written – the Ketjap Manis features both sugar and soy sauce – which is easily remedied by using coconut aminos + an additional dash of honey. The sugar can also be omitted in the pickle if needed. This dish is, however, delicious.

Paleo with substitutions, Gluten-free with label policing

Vietnamese Pork Bowl

1 medium carrot
2-3 radishes or 1-2 inches daikon
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Liberal pinch salt
Liberal pinch sugar (omit for paleo)
Leftover pulled pork (or fresh pork; whatever you have)
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
Small shallot
2 large cloves garlic
2 big pinches Kosher salt
Few grinds black pepper
2 tsp. ketjap manis (swap for coconut aminos + a dash of honey for paleo)
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. sriracha (check your labels!)
1-2 jalapenos
Hand full cilantro
Extra lime juice
Broccoli slaw

First, make a quick pickle. Dice the carrot and radish and place in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, sugar and a liberal pinch of salt to a boil. Pour over the carrot & radish and let sit half an hour (or up to overnight) to pickle.

Now go about your business.

The pork portion of this recipe can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 8+ hours, depending upon what type of meat you use and whether you want to marinate it or not. I used leftover pulled pork and did not marinate. If you are using fresh, marinating might be nice, but it is optional. Either way, make your sauce.

In a separate small bowl, combine the sesame oil, fish sauce, shallot (minced), garlic (minced), salt (2 big pinches), pepper, ketjap manis (or substitution), honey, lime juice and sriracha. Stir to combine. Marinate your pork or not.

Bring a large pan up to temperature over medium-high heat. Add the pork. If coming straight from the fridge, some pork fat is a great addition here. Heat through. Pour the sauce over top and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until the sauce gets sticky and reduces a bit.

While the pork is working, add broccoli slaw to a bowl (a couple hand fulls per bowl is perfect). Top with the pork when ready. Add the quick pickled veggies (drain first). Dice the jalapeno and cilantro and add to the top. Squeeze some extra lime as a topper and maybe a drizzle of sriracha if you’re feeling saucy. Enjoy.

Serves 2-4, depending upon how much pickle you have, how much pork you use and how much broccoli slaw you serve. I used 10-12 ounces pork, and 1/3 of a bag of broccoli slaw per serving and had enough for two for dinner with leftover broccoli slaw.

Bunless Banh Mi

May 10, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Y-U-M. This is a stellar dish, packed with tons of flavor and a good wallop of veggies – perfect for the (finally!) warmer days we’ve been having around here. This dinner (and later, lunch) didn’t bog me down and felt like exactly what I needed to be eating. I love it when that happens.

Gluten-free, paleo

Bunless Banh Mi

1 lb. ground pork

1 – 2 Tbsp. fat

2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce

2 Tbsp. coconut aminos

1 tsp. honey

2 cloves garlic

2 scallions

1 inch ginger

1-2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 medium cucumber

2 medium carrots

1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

1.2 tsp. honey

Black pepper

Kosher salt

Shredded brussels sprouts

Cilantro

Radish

Chili aioli

First, get your carrots & cukes marinating for a quick pickle. Julienne your carrots and cukes and place in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the apple cider vinegar, 1.5 tsp. honey, a big pinch of salt and a few cracks black pepper. Bring to a boil and then quickly pour over the veggies. Add water to bring the liquid level up to just covering the veg. Set aside 30 minutes to an hour.

On to the pork. In a large pan, heat your fat over medium and add the pork. Break up with your spoon or spatula and let work while you prep the sauce. In a small bowl, add the fish sauce, coconut aminos, honey and lime juice – grate the garlic and ginger and add that, too. Pour over the pork and quickly stir to mix well. Let the pork cook until it reaches the crisp little nibblins stage.

While the pork is cooking, thinly slice the scallions, tossing the white and light green parts in with the pork and reserving the dark portion for garnish.

Thinly slice the radish and chop the cilantro. Put aside.

Prep the aioli (to make the ailoi, blitz 1 egg, the juice of half a lemon, 2 big pinches kosher salt and a sprinkle white pepper with an immersion blender – drizzle olive oil into the mix until you reach a nice thick consistency. Once your aioli is made, combine with your favorite hot sauce).

To serve, spoon the pork nibblins over a cup – cup and a half of brussels and top with the carrot & cuke pickles, radish, scallion tops, cilantro and chili aioli.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

Sweet Potato Galette with Pan Seared Pork Chops and Apple Whiskey Compote

April 12, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

For this meal, I wanted something winter-y (pork and apples) and pretty (sweet potato galette). It was a good one.

Gluten-free, paleo-ish

Sweet Potato Galette with Pan Seared Pork Chops and Apple Whiskey Compote

Sweet Potato Galette

2 large sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp. ghee
Sprinkle parmesan (optional if strict paleo)
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Brush some ghee over the bottom and up the sides of a large oven-safe pan. Peel and slice your sweet potatoes thin (I used a mandoline). Place a layer of potatoes – fanned out like cards – in the pan (I started in the middle and worked my way out, making sure to overlap a bit) and hit with a sprinkle of salt and few cracks of black pepper. Make another layer and hit with the cheese (if using). Stack another layer and brush with ghee. Continue layering until out of potatoes.

Cover the whole pretty shebang with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until browned. Take out of the oven and let cool.

When cool, place a large plate (larger than the pan) over the pan and flip quickly. Your galette – if you used a sufficiently nonstick pan – should flip onto your plate. If you’re lucky, this will be in one piece. If you’re me and weren’t careful while doing your layers and let some cheese snake its way to the bottom, yours will come out in pieces. It’s still good, even if it isn’t pretty.

Serves 4

Apple Whiskey Compote

While your potatoes are baking, make a sauce.
1 shallot
2 tsp. ghee
1 apple (I used Fuji)
1 tot Honey Jack (or your favorite brown alcohol)
1/4 cup water
Sprinkle salt
Sprinkle cinnamon
Sprinkle nutmeg

Peel your apple and chop into half-inch pieces. Dice the shallot.

In a small pan over medium-low heat, sautee the shallots in ghee until beginning to soften. Add the apple and honey jack and let cook 1-2 minutes. Add the water, salt and spices and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened and most of the water evaporates.

Whiz with a blender if you want a smooth sauce.

Serves 4

Pan Seared Pork Chops

1 pork chop per person (I used inch-thick boneless butterflied chops)
Salt & pepper
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Heat a large pan over medium high. Add the coconut oil and bring up to almost smoking. While that is working, pat your chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place in the pan and sautee 3 minutes per side, or until your desired doneness has been reached.

Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serves however many you need to serve

Bread-Free Pork & Sweet Potato Stuffing

November 30, 2013RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmm… stuffing. Some people seem to go bugnutty over stuffing this time of year. I think Stove Top has addressed this issue properly in their holiday 2013 spots – hilarious. I remember just such “wars” breaking out at Thanksgiving when I was a kid. My family was divided – some preferred Stove Top, some Pepperidge Farms, and some my grandmother’s oyster dressing made with wild rice (which, to be fair, was always served alongside stuffing – and was gross).

Me? I’ve never been too crazy about stuffing. Or dressing, for that matter. I loved bread as much as the next kid – but dressing, not so much. And stuffing in the bird always freaked me right out. About the only part of the whole stuffing/dressing issue I dug were the two bites of almost burnt, butter-drenched bites on the top (or bottom – depends on who was doing the scooping) of the bowl (but only if it had a lot of celery) and that’s about it. Mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and that infernal canned cranberry jelly were really where it was always at for me. Don’t get me started on cranberry sauce vs. cranberry jelly. I realize the stuff in the can is possibly radioactive and only maybe once met a cranberry somewhere way back in its past – but yum. Gelatinous tart and sweet tastiness. “Fancy” cranberry sauce is just wrong.

Enter adulthood, and my own Turkey Day traditions – and nary a stuffing or dressing in sight. I still do a green bean, usually some sort of gravy (sadly, not my grandmother’s giblet gravy – that recipe I don’t have and can’t find), a bevy of potatoes, and generally some sort of decadent pork dish at the center.

This paleo-ified and gluten-free stuffing would make the perfect holiday get-together side – and makes a darn tasty dinner in and of itself. Plus, any leftovers can be transformed into a luxurious lunch with the addition of — wait for it — you’ll never guess — an egg.

Bread-Free Pork & Sweet Potato Stuffing

1 pound ground pork
4 ribs celery
1/4 c. chopped pecan bits
1 Tbsp. fresh picked thyme
5 small cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. granulated garlic
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted grass-fed butter (Kerrygold)
2 small sweet potatoes (about 2 cups when diced)
Kosher salt & cracked black pepper

Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium – medium-high heat. Add the pork and start breaking up with a spatula. Sautee until deeply browned, mashing and stirring frequently to break up into as tiny pieces as possible and avoid over-browning.

While that is working, peel and petite dice the sweet potatoes. Chop the celery and garlic. Pick the thyme and chop.

When the pork is done, remove to a paper towel lined bowl to hang out for awhile (keep the fat in the pan to use for the veggies).

Add the potatoes, celery & garlic to the pan. If there is less than a Tablespoon or so of fat in the pan, add a little coconut oil. Add the onion powder, thyme, a few pinches salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Sautee the veggies, stirring frequently and turning the heat down to medium if necessary until the celery is beginning to soften and the potatoes have gone soft and golden in spots. This should take 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a smallish pan over medium heat and add the butter. Add the pecans and cook until beginning to brown.

To serve, mix all components – the reserved browned pork niblets, potato mixture and pecans and chow down.

Makes enough to feed 2 for dinner as a main dish + 1 for lunch bolstered with a couple of eggs. If you want to serve a whole gathering, scale up – keeping the ratio of thyme-heaviness, celery and onion powder appropriate to your amount of sweet potatoes.

Pork Chops with Bacon-studded Sweet Potato Puree and Apple Bourbon Gastrique (paleo)

October 19, 2013Life, Recipes1 Comment

This dish screams fall all over. Orange! Apple! Bourbon! Pork! Bacon! And yum, don’t forget yum. Although this dish might look long and complicated, once you get going it is quick to prepare – and only dirties up a single pan + a small pot. Win-win.

Blergh. Picture taking fail - no other pictures turned out. — Blergh. Picture taking fail – no other pictures turned out.

For the apple bourbon gastrique

1/4 c. apple juice or apple cider
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar (I used Dr. Bronner’s)
1/4 c. bourbon or whiskey (I used Honey Jack – yes, I’m aware bourbon – especially a bastardized bourbon – isn’t strict paleo. Suck it, paleo police. It’s delicious.)

Add to a small pot over high heat. Boil until reduced by a third.

For the bacon-studded sweet potato mash & apples

2 small sweet potatoes
4 c. vegetable stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme + 2 tsp. thyme leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
4 slices thick cut bacon
1 granny smith apple

Peel and dice the potatoes (about 1/4 inch cubes – I ended up with about 2 cups). Add to a medium pot and cover with the stock. Add the thyme and set over high heat. Boil 5 minutes, or until tender. When the potatoes are fork tender, drain – reserving about half a cup of cooking liquid – and add to a food processor. Mash with 2 tsp. chopped thyme, the chili powder and salt until smooth, adding splashes of reserved cooking liquid as you go.

While your potatoes are boiling, fry the bacon until crispy and slice the apple thinly. When the bacon is browned, remove from the pan and set aside to drain. Crumble and mix in with the mashed potatoes.

To the hot pan, add the apple and fry in bacon fat until browned. Remove and set aside.

For the pork

2 boneless butterflied pork chops
Salt
Pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped thyme
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Heat the coconut oil in the vacated pan over medium-high heat. Pat the chops dry with paper towels and liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper and thyme on both sides. When the pan is hot, add the chops and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until done to your liking.

Let the meat rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 2

Sweet Potato & Zucchini Hash with Pork (paleo, Whole30)

August 10, 2013December 29, 2014Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

I had a craving. Well, two cravings. I wanted my old best friend comfort food – eggs and hashed browns – and a new friend – Thai laarb (a spicy, deeply flavored crispy pork dish). This version of the standby hash is kicked-up in the nutrition department, features bunches of crumbly crispy pork, and uses up everyone’s favorite summer ~~menace~~ staple, zucchini.

Sweet Potato & Zucchini Hash with Pork (paleo, Whole30)

1 pound ground pork
2 tsp. coconut oil
2 tsp. sea salt + more to taste
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. granulated garlic
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. ground chipotle
1 large sweet potato
1 medium zucchini
1 small onion
2 eggs per person
fat of choice for the eggs
Whole30 approved sriracha
Black pepper

Heat the coconut oil over medium high and add the pork. Break up with a spoon into the smallest pieces possible and add the spices and salt, stirring after each addition. Sautee until deeply browned and crispy and remove to a bowl (reserving the fat).

While the pork is cooking, grate the sweet potatoes, zucchini and onion. Add to the pan with the reserved pork fat when the pork is resting comfortably. Cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and the sweet potato is beginning to brown in spots. Salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate pan, fry the eggs in a fat of your choice until your desired doneness is reached. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with sriracha (I used 2 tsp. per serving)

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch (with 5-6 eggs)

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: