Pork

Baby Back/Spare Ribs

Baby Back or Spare Ribs are a delightful treat that to me always signify a good summer cookout (although I use my grill pretty much all year, sometimes in shorts in the snow).

I always like to apply a nice dry rub to the ribs or soak them in a marinade and then let them sit overnight in the 'fridge so they really absorb that flavor. It is important to either cover the ribs with plastic wrap tightly in a glass or plastic container (metal and acids don't go together) or even put them in a (new) garbage bag to lock in the flavor and prevent them from drying out. There are a million dry rub recipes you can use, here's one I like?

Dry Rub Recipe

• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

Marinade Recipe

• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Beer (you can drink the rest)
• 1/2 Cup Barbecue Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Salt

* Mix all of the ingredients together first, THEN pour over the ribs. I will usually dust the ribs with some spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne etc. right before I put them on the grill).

Turn on only half the burners on your gas grill. You will want to cook the ribs on the half of the grill that isn't on, keeping them away from the direct heat. This is called cooking with indirect heat. If you can control your gas grill's temperature, set it to 300 degrees F.

Take the ribs out of the marinade or dry rub container and place them on the side of the grill that is NOT on, so that the bone side is facing down.
Place your smoking chips in your grill's chip tray if you want to smoke the ribs. The best local woods for smoking are: Apple, Hickory, Maple, Oak or even Pear. If you can go out and get the wood yourself you are truly Mike's Organic material and we commend you. If not, you can buy wood chips from most food supply stores/websites and we will think no less of you. It is VERY important to soak the wood chips/pieces in water for at least 30 minutes before you put them into the chip tray, trust me on this one.

Close the grill cover, and do not open it for at least 30-45 minutes. Maintain your grill's temperature at 300 degrees F.
Cook the ribs for about 3 hours until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bone. Use your barbecue tongs to flip the meat halfway through the cooking time.

Remove the cooked ribs from the grill. Allow them to rest on a cutting board or serving platter, tented under foil, for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting them into portions and serving them.

Pork Chops

OVEN PORK CHOPS

There are many ways to cook pork chops, here are a few that I have tried that are tasty:

Ingredients

• 4 (1 inch) thick pork chops
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon. salt
• 1 1/2 cup milk (or 1 can cream of mushroom soup)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Parsley (to taste)
• Thyme (to taste)

Season the pork chops on both sides with pepper, salt, parsley and thyme and then brown them in a heavy skillet or frying pan. They should be lightly browned on each side. Then place them in a baking dish.

Combine the chopped onions, celery, salt and breadcrumbs in a bowl with ? cup of milk (or mushroom soup) until well mixed.

On each pork chop place a mound of the mixture. Pour the remaining milk (or mushroom soup) around the chops. Cover and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 45 minutes or until done. Remove cover and bake 15 minutes more until nicely browned.


PINEAPPLE GLAZED GRILLED PORK CHOPS

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized pork chops about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
• 1 can pineapple rings, drained (reserve juice)
• 1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. cup prepared mustard
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in about 1/4 cup cold water.
• Enough water to bring reserved pineapple juice to one cup

Drain pineapple and reserve juice and salt and pepper pork chops to taste.

In a small sauce pan combine pineapple juice, water, brown sugar and mustard and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat and stir in lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and cornstarch mixture. Simmer for 3 minutes until thick, stirring constantly.

Brush sauce on pork chops and place on a pre-heated medium grill. It is important not to cook them on too high of a heat because the sugar in the sauce will burn.

Brown pork chops for 2 minutes on each side, brush on more sauce and allow to cook for approx. 5 minutes. Brush with sauce again and flip, cooking for another 3-5 minutes. Check for doneness, use the feel test or use a meat thermometer. They should be 160 degrees.

Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for five minutes.

* At the same time they are resting you can take the pineapple slices and put them on the grill for 1-2 minutes per side so they are nice and grilled, and then place them over the chops before you serve.


Pork Tenderloin

A well cooked pork tenderloin is absolutely sensational, juicy, with delicate flavoring and very little fat. Here is a simple recipe I have used with great success in the past.

Ingredients

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup pineapple preserves
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

Combine salt and pepper and rub over the pork tenderloin. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with olive oil. Place one sprig of rosemary under the pork and one on top. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat preserves and horseradish until preserves are melted; stir until blended. Remove top rosemary sprig. Brush pork with 1/4 cup pineapple sauce. Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the remaining sauce.
Simple and Delicious!


Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

If you are feeling adventurous try this Indonesian twist for Pork Tenderloin on the grill!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons stir-fry sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin

In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Place the pork in a large resealable plastic bag and add half of the marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 2 hours, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting.
Drain and discard marinade. Grill pork, covered, over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, turning once, until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F and juices run clear, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.
Allow to rest, covered loosely with foil for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.