Entree – Pork

Mashed Potato Casserole with Smoked Gouda and Bacon

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Really good with pork roast or chicken, or anything that is not going to make gravy.

Ingredients:

  • 6 slices thick cut smoked bacon
  • 3 large green onions, white and green parts, finely chopped
  • 3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1½ inch cubes
  • ¾ c sour cream
  • 1/3 c whole milk
  • ¼ c (½ stick) butter
  • 2 c (about 8 oz) coarsely grated smoked Gouda, divided

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°
  2. Butter 9 x 13 baking dish.
  3. Cook bacon until golden brown and crisp.
  4. Transfer to paper towel to drain.
  5. Chop bacon, place in bowl with onions.
  6. Place potatoes in large pot, add enough cold water to cover, sprinkle with salt, cover (slightly ajar), boil until tender — about 15 – 20 minutes.
  7. Drain well, return to pot and cook over low heat, stirring often, until potatoes are dry and light film forms on the bottom of pot — about 2 minutes.
  8. Add sour cream, milk, butter.
  9. Using masher, mash until almost smooth.
  10. Stir in 1½ c Gouda and 1 c bacon mixture.
  11. Season with salt/pepper.
  12. Spread mixture in baking dish.
  13. Sprinkle remaining Gouda over.
  14. Bake until cheese melts and edges are bubbling – about 40 minutes.
  15. Sprinkle with reserved bacon mixture.

Serves: 6-8

Notes: I used red potatoes and did not peel them.

    Death Chili

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    Dave likes making chili, and he likes it spicy — and he likes bacon. So when he saw this recipe on line, it was a natural for him to try it out. The below is a two-pass modification of the original: stuff he did before making it at and stuff he wishes he’d done differently after that first time. 

    This is a large recipe (doubled from the original). How many it cooks for depends on how much people eat, but this filled up a very large pot on the stove. 

    The name, by the way, doesn’t have to do with the heat, but with the bacon. 

    Ingredients 

    2 lbs. bacon

    1 lb. chuck roast, cubed
    4 lbs. chuck, ground
    12 tbsp garlic ( = 1.5 x 4oz. tube crushed garlic)

    4 large onions

    8 tbsp ground cumin
    8 tbsp black pepper
    2 tbsp cinnamon
    3 tbsp seasoning salt
    2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

    1 pint beef stock
    2 x 32oz cans of chopped tomatoes
    2 tbsp maza / corn flour for thickener

    2 x 8oz cans chopped green chilis
    3 fresh Serrano peppers
    4 tbsp chili pepper

    Instructions 

    1. Fry bacon to a crisp. Pour off fat in the skillet.
    2. Brown meat and garlic, Set aside.
    3. Brown onions.
    4. Combine everything and simmer for a few hours.
    5. Let sit in fridge overnight

    Note that it really is much better when it sits in the fridge overnight.

    Serves: Lots. Like, dozens. Lots of left-overs. 

    Source: Original is here, by “timmah.” This recipe (doubled) has been modified to use a bit less cinnamon, half-again the garlic, no tobacco, and half the Serrano peppers. What is not modified is the bacon. “The secret is the bacon,” Timmah says. “Bacon makes everything better.”

     

    Cajun Coconut Spam Fritters

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    Hrm.  Yes, Spam.  We had a Hawaiian-themed murder mystery, complete with Luau, so Margie (playing the cook/witch doctor) cooked up some yummy hors d’oevres, including stuff involving Spam.  While subject to much ridicule, these were actually — tasty.  Who’da thunk?

    Ingredients:

    • 1 Spam Classic (12 oz.)
    • 1½ cups Bisquik (or similar complete pancake mix)
    • 2 tspn Cajun seasoning
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1½ cups shredded coconut

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375F
    2. Cut Spam into 32 spears. 
    3. Place a wooden toothpick lengthwise into each spear.
    4. In a bowl, combine pancake mix and cajun seasoning, gradually adding milk, stirring until smooth.
    5. Dip each spear into batter, roll in coconut until lightly coated.
    6. Place on baking sheet.  Bake 10-13 minutes, turning halfway* through baking, until golden brown and batter is cooked through.

    Serves: 32 or so, depending on how you slice it (so to speak).

    Notes:  These are tasty on their own, but the recipe notes you can dip in sweet-n-sour sauce.  Turning wasn’t necessary in a convection oven.

    Source:  Hormel, of course.

    Chorizo-Pork Burgers

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    Dave’s new favorite Burger. Make and extra large batch and freeze the left-overs for a quick diner

    Ingredients:
    2½ pounds Ground Pork
    1 pound Chorizo or hot Italian Sausage, casing removed and crumbled
    4 slices, (4 ounces) Bacon, finely chopped
    ¼ cup Chicken Broth
    ½ cup Red Onions, minced
    1 tablespoon Thyme Leaves, fresh or dried
    1 tablespoon Cumin, ground
    14 Hamburger Buns

    Directions:

    1. In a large bowl, mix Pork, Chorizo, Bacon, Broth, Onions, and Spices until mixture is thoroughly blended. Form into about 14 patties, ¾” thick.
    2. Place patties on a barbecue grill over medium heat; cover barbecue and open vents. Cook patties until firm when pressed and no longer pink in the center, turning once, about 12 minutes.
    3. When patties are almost done, lay rolls, cut side down, on grill and toast until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

    Serve with A1 and other burger fixings.

    Note: Boulder Sausage is great in this recipe. I use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness, 150 degrees. Freeze on wax paper, in a single layer. Then toss in a zip-lock bag and use as needed.

    Serves: 14

    Prep time: 0:35

    Source: MLK modified from Sunset Magazine

    Posole

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    Hands-down one of Dave’s favorites. This has evolved over the years and is a flexible recipe. It most recently made an appearance at my team’s YMCA chili fundraiser at the office – yes that chili fundraiser.

    Ingredients:

    • 10 ounces Dry Posole (or 2 (two) 29 oz cans of Posole if available in your area)
      ——–
    • 2 pounds Pork Shoulder Roast, cubed
    • 2 Onions, diced
    • 1 can Beer (optional)
      ——–
    • 3 quarts Chicken Broth
    • 4 cloves Garlic
    • 1¼ teaspoon Cumin
    • 1 teaspoon Oregano
    • 1 Bay Leaf
      ——–
    • 14 ounces Salsa Verde
    • 14½ ounces Crushed Tomatoes
    • Salt, seasoning, to taste

    Directions:

    1. (If using dry Posole) Soak Posole overnight in plenty of water.
    2. (Optional, for richer taste):
      1. Brown the Pork in a large stock pot, set aside.
      2. Brown the Onions in the same pot.
      3. Deglaze the pot with the Beer.
    3. In a large stock pot, simmer Pork, Chicken Broth, Onions, Garlic, Oregano, Bay Leaf and Cumin 1-2 hours, until Pork is tender.
    4. Remove the Bay Leaf.
    5. (Optional, if prepping the day before) Chill the Pork-Broth mixture, then de-fat before warming.
    6. (If using dry Posole) In 3 qt pan, cover Posole with plenty of water and cook until Posole pops and is tender, 1-2 hours.
    7. Drain Posole, saving some water/liquid if a soupier stew is desired.
    8. Add Posole, Tomatoes, and Salsa Verde to the Pork-Broth mixture. Season to taste.
    9. Heat and serve. Optionally serve with a dollop of sour cream and flour tortillas.

    Notes:

    • Heat-wise, this Posole is pretty mild. “Season to taste” is your opportunity to bump it up some, but remember: you can always make things spicier, but you can’t (easily) make them less spicy.
    • Also sometimes called “Pozole,” “Pozolé,” “Pozolli,” or even mistyped “Possole”. The is from the Nahuatl pozolli. The key ingredient is also known as hominy.
    • Posole can be made in a crock pot: Combine everything except Tomatoes and Salsa Verde. Add extra water and cook as for stew. One hour before serving, add Tomatoes and Salsa Verde. Heat and serve.

    Prep Time: 3 hrs. (Variables: Dry vs Canned Posole; if chilling before the final cook)
    Servings: 10
    Source: MLK

    Lasagna

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    Make sure you use teaspoons, not tablespoons, of fennel, otherwise you’ll end up with “Dave’s Infamous Fennel Lasagna.”

    Ingredients:
    ½ lb Lasagna Noodles, Cooked
    1 lb Mozzarella Cheese, grated
    ¾ c Parmesan Cheese, grated

    Meat Sauce
    1 lb Italian Sausage
    ½ lb Ground Beef
    2 c Onion, chopped
    4 cloves Garlic, minced
    1 tsp Sugar
    2 tsp Salt
    1½ tsp Basil
    ½ tsp Fennel Seed
    ¼ tsp Pepper
    28 oz Tomatoes, canned
    12 oz Tomato Paste
    1/4 c red wine

    Ricotta Mixture
    1 Egg, beaten
    15 oz Ricotta Cheese
    1 tbsp Parsley Flakes
    1 tsp Salt

    Directions:

    1. Brown meat.
    2. Saute onions, garlic
    3. Combine Meat Sauce ingredients and simmer to taste.
    4. Mix up Ricotta Mixture.
    5. In a 9×13 baking pan, put a thin coat of meat sauce on the bottom, then layer 3x (i.e., use 1/3 of ingredients in each layer) the following:
      • Lasagna noodles
      • Meat Sauce
      • Ricotta Mixture
      • Mozzarella
      • Parmesan
    6. Cover with foil; bake at 375° for 25 minutes.
    7. Uncover, bake another 25 minutes.
    8. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

    Prep Time: 2 hrs
    Serves: 8
    Source: “Mama Creamette” (modified)