A few days ago I posted that October is National Pork Month. Pork is often referred to as the “other white meat”. Did you know that ounce for ounce pork tenderloin has less fat than a chicken breast (according to MensHealth.com). Chops are also very lean and contain the least sodium compared to other cuts. Fresh pork is also a healthier option compared to cured meats such as bacon or deli cuts. Pork is also an excellent source of B vitamins such as B-6, Thiamine, and Riboflavin. If you Google pork you’ll be pleasantly surprised about the things you’d find about pork.
FYI… Temperature News: The USDA reduced the temperature guideline for pork loins, chops and roasts from 160 to 145 degrees F, with a three minute rest. This will yield a juicy, flavorful product that may be pinker in color than most home cooks are used to. Ground pork, like all ground meat, should be cooked to 160 degrees.
In honor of National Pork Month, Costco is having sales on pork. This week for example (until 10/7/12) Boneless Pork Chops and Roast are $2.50 off at Costco. To find a Costco location near you visit Costco.com. I’m also giving away $50.00 in Costco cash which you can use to stock up on some delicious pork (or what ever else you want). You can find the giveaway here, http://bit.ly/OCn8Cg. While you are there make sure to check out the video recipe for Pan-seared Pork Chops with Maple Gravy and Apple Bacon Hash. It looks so good! I am going to try making it some day.
Speaking of recipes, I created my very own recipe I thought I would share with my readers. I even took a little inspiration from the Pan-seared Pork Chops with Maple Gravy and Apple Bacon Hash by adding in some maple into my recipe too.
Please note that I created this recipe. I cannot provide you with nutritional information or anything like that. I can tell you that my family raved about it. 🙂 They were very impressed by my creation.
I don’t have a creative name for my recipe so let’s just call it Autumn Pork & Stuffing. My son said the smell reminded him of Thanksgiving. My daughter agreed with him. I think this would be a great recipe to make for the holidays. I am considering making this for Christmas Day dinner. Of course I want to make it a few more times so I can perfect it.
Autumn Pork & Stuffing
Ingredients:
5-6 boneless pork chops
1 cup of low sodium chicken broth (you can use regular broth too)
1 medium size white onion
3-4 Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 box of instant stuffing (such as Stove Top)
1/4th of a cup of maple syrup
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cut the pork up into bit size chunks. It will make approximatly 2 – 2 1/2 cups of meat. You can add more or less if you prefer.
2. Cut the entire onion up into small chunks. Set aside.
3. Skin the Granny Smith apples and cut them up into small pieces. Set them aside in a bowl and drizzle some lemon juice on them to keep them from getting brown.
4. In a large pan add the Olive Oil, meat and chicken broth. Put on medium heat and cook approx. 5 minutes, stirring often, until meat turns white on all sides.
5. Spoon the meat out of the pan and put aside. Leave the juice in the pan and add in the onions. Cook the onions until they are translucent (approx. 5 minutes).
6. Add in the apples and meat. Sprinkle in seasoning (pepper and salt) and stir.
7. Cover and reduce the heat to low-medium and let simmer for approx. 20 minutes until most of the broth has reduced and the apples are soft.
8. While the pork mixture is simmering prepare the box stuffing according to directions.
9. To serve spoon some stuffing on to a plate and then top with a scoop or two of the pork mixture.
10. Warm the maple syrup in the microwave 10-15 seconds then drizzle it over the pork mixture and stuffing.
I think steamed string beans and a garden salad would be the perfect side dishes to this meal. Mmm… yummy!
My family LOVED it. I think I did a great job too. I may not be a “foodie” but I enjoy creating my own recipes. I once made a breakfast recipe that offered me the opportunity to got to NYC to compete for the $5,000 grand prize. The morning I was suppose to go to the cook off there was a death in my family and I couldn’t attend. I often wonder if I could have one. That would have been awesome!
Pork is a great meat to play around with. You can do so much with it. It’s great with fruits, herbs, spices, with pasta, kabobs, on the grill… the options are endless. Not only is pork great year round it’s also a delightful meat to serve to family and friends during the holiday season. I know it’s cliche’ to serve roasts or turkey for the holidays, but don’t forget about pork. Pork is a wonderful addition to any holiday table.
With a little creativity you can make pork the centerpiece of a holiday meal.
You can find other mouth watering pork recipes at www.PorkBeInspired.com. You can also check out Pork Be Inspired on Facebook and Twitter (@AllAboutPork).
Kimberly
*I am going to be compensated for my participation. All opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way.