Here Piggy, Piggy

[Lady Winter Wolf]

Beer-Braised Pork Loin


INGREDIENTS:

1 pork loin roast, about 5 pounds
3 cups chopped onion
4 to 6 carrots, pared and diced
12 ounces dark beer
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
4 whole cloves

PREPARATION:

Brown pork loin roast in hot oil in a large Dutch oven or roasting pan. Drain all but 3 tablespoons of fat from pan. Sauté onions ad carrots until softened; stir in beer, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and whole cloves. Return pork to pan or Dutch oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 2 hours, or until pork is tender. Place pork loin on a serving platter and keep warm.
Pour cooking liquid from pan into a large bowl; skim off fat and remove bay leaf. Place liquid with vegetables into a blender; cover and process at low speed until smooth. Or, press through sieve or process in food processor in batches.

Pour processed beer sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Spoon sauce over sliced pork to serve.

Pork loin recipe serves 8.

[Lady Winter Wolf]

Hungarian-Styled Pork And Sauerkraut

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 14 ounce can sauerkraut, rinsed
and drained
1 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
4 (1-1/4 pounds total) 1/2" thick
center-cut pork chops
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup sour cream


Preparation:

Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add onion; sauté until lightly browned. remove onion to bowl; mix in sauerkraut, apple juice and paprika.

Season pork chops with pepper. Brown on both sides in a skillet.
Add sauerkraut mixture; cover tightly and simmer 30 minutes over low heat. Turn chops occasionally and baste with pan liquids.

Remove chops to warmed serving platter or dishes. Stir sour cream into sauerkraut and heat through. Do not allow sauce to boil, or it may curdle. Top meat with sauerkraut mixture.


Serves 4.

[Lady Winter Wolf]

Italian Pork Pies


Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dry basil
½ lb shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package Pillsbury Pie Crusts, thawed in refrigerator
water
1 egg, beaten

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In large skillet, brown pork meat; drain off excess fat. Add olive oil, onion, bell pepper, garlic and basil. Mix thoroughly; let cook till vegetables are tender, but not limp. Drain off any excess oil.

Open up pie crust and cut each round into 4 sections. In the first 4 sections, spoon mixture into center, leaving ½ inch margin all around; top with cheese. Place the other 4 pie sections on top of loaded pie crusts; seal edges with water and crimp. Brush tops with the beaten egg.

Place the four pies on a non-stick jelly roll pan, in case of leakage, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes four pies.

[dngnmstrbailey]

Barbecued Pork Chops for Two


2 (1-inch-thick) boneless pork loin chops (about 3/4 lb.), trimmed of fat
2 slices onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch


1 . Place pork chops in 2 to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Top each with onion slice. Sprinkle with garlic. Pour barbecue sauce over pork.
2 . Cover; cook on low setting for 5 to 6 hours.
3 . About 5 minutes before serving, remove pork from slow cooker; place on serving platter. Top each chop with onion slice; cover to keep warm.
4 . In 2-cup glass measuring cup or small microwave-safe bowl, blend water and cornstarch until smooth. Pour juices from slow cooker into cornstarch mixture; mix well. Microwave on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens slightly, stirring once halfway through cooking. Serve sauce with pork.