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It's been awhile since I cooked pork. While we haven't gone completely vegetarian, we are eating way less meat these days. I wanted a little variety and Katie has had this Roti de Porc au Lait on her weekly menu a few times since she made it for one of the recipe swaps so I figured I needed to give it a try.

This was definitely a fall meal, what with the mashed potatoes and green beans alongside the pork. I couldn't tell you the last time I bought potatoes - I feel like it's been ages since we've eaten them. Baby Girl was thrilled to see them on our plates - she loves mashed potatoes. We both enjoyed the pork but the sauce, which Katie complained was too thin when she made it, was too thick. I wish it had been a little thinner so it could have soaked into the meat and potatoes.

I really enjoyed the cooking method of slowly simmering the meat in the milk sauce, but my sauce was starting to burn so I had to check on it often, making this less of a "set it and forget it" meal than I'd hoped. Still delicious, though.



Roti de Porc au Lait
From Anthony Bourdain, as seen on So Tasty, So Yummy

3 pound boneless pork loin roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk (important not to "skim" on this)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf

Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, swirl in the butter. Brown the roast on all sides, 6 to 7 minutes total. Remove the roast from the pan and set aside on the large plate.

Add the onion, carrot, leek, and garlic and stir over high heat until soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stirring constantly, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, then add milk, parsley, thyme and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for 5 minutes.

Add the pork and any juices that have collected on the plate. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, making sure to periodically rotate the pork (the sugars in the milk can cause sticking and scorching). Remove the pork and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Using a hand blender, purée the sauce until foamy. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Carve the pork and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon the sauce over and serve immediately.

I've been very into pork tenderloin lately. Not only is it delicious, you can marinate it in so many different flavor combinations. I like that it cooks quickly in the oven after a quick sear on the stovetop and has very little fat, which means every ounce you pay for is edible. And speaking of price, my supermarket has club packs with four tenderloins for $2.99 per pound. Awesome.


After I posted the Greek Pork Tenderloin my friend Melissa insisted I try this Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Tenderloin. The chipotle in the title initially turned me off because I haven't been a fan of dishes where that's the dominant flavor, but when I realized it was just in the marinade I decided to go for it.


I marinated the pork overnight, a step I highly recommend. I don't think the flavor really penetrates the meat otherwise. Be careful reducing the sauce because it can go from saucy to sticky in a matter of seconds thanks to the honey in the marinade. I ended up dipping my pieces of pork in the sauce because I couldn't drizzle it. The flavor was intoxicating and SP deemed this his new favorite way to eat pork and one of the best meals I've made in a long time. Stay tuned for the recipe for the amazingly delicious corn and mushroom side dish I served with it.

Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Tenderloin
Alosha's Kitchen

1 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 cup lime juice
Zest from 1 lime
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
1/2 tablespoon adobo sauce
Canola oil
Chopped cilantro

Place tenderloin in a large plastic food storage bag or other container to marinate. In a bowl, combine lime juice, zest, honey, salt, and garlic powder. Stir to combine, then pour half over tenderloin, reserving half for sauce. Add chipotle and adobo sauce to tenderloin. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to cook, remove pork from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a heavy, oven-proof skillet, heat enough oil to coat over medium high. Remove tenderloin from marinade and sear in hot skillet on all sides, 3 minutes per side. Place the skillet in the oven and roast tenderloin for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking time.

Check temperature with an instant read thermometer. Remove pork from the oven at approximately 140 to 145 degrees, then cover pork in skillet with foil. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes or until temperature rises to 150 degrees. Remove pork to a cutting board and slice into 1-inch medallions.

Pour reserved lime juice mixture and leftover marinade into skillet with meat juices and heat on medium-high. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken slightly, then pour over sliced pork. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

I've recently discovered the beauty of pork tenderloins. While my favorite recipe is, hands down, Orange and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin , I'm always on the lookout for new ways to prepare it. My supermarket sells pork tenderloin in a club pack with four tenderloins, which is a great deal and means I've always got a few tenderloins in the freezer.


Melissa posted this Greek Pork Tenderloin awhile back and I knew I had to make it ASAP. I was especially intrigued by the Mediterranean Couscous she served with it. Look for that post on Monday. One word - delicious. Check out this sneak peak in the photo below:


I marinated the pork all day and I think it would be even better overnight. The flavors really got into the meat and made it juicy and flavorful. I slightly overcooked the pork so definitely keep to the 3 minutes per side for the searing and 15 minutes in the oven.

This recipe has a permanent spot in my pork tenderloin rotation. Thanks for a fantastic meal, Melissa!

Greek Pork Tenderloin
I Was Born to Cook

1 (approximately 1 pound) pork tenderloin
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients with pork in a large ziploc bag. Move around gently, then marinate at least 8 hours or as long as overnight, turning a few times.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a little oil, then place pork inside and pan sear for 3 minutes on each side. Put skillet in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes.

Remove from the pan to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

As the weather gets colder I am all about comfort food meals. I also love an excuse to make mashed potatoes. They're one of my favorite things and Baby Girl is taking after me in that regard. She will happily eat a big bowl full of them whenever I make them. When Melissa posted this recipe for Smothered Pork Medallions what drew me in was a new way to use pork and a sauce that included buttermilk, which I bought for Buttermilk Mac and Cheese and still had in my fridge waiting to be used up.


When shopping this week I realized I've never purchased pork tenderloin. How is that possible? Thankfully my supermarket had it on sale so it wasn't too expensive, but imagine my surprise when I discovered that what I thought was two tenderloins turned out to be four (the club pack came with two packages of pork, but each package contained two tenderloins). That's four meals for about $10. Awesome.

I was hesitant to use the full 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper to season the flour and I think that was a mistake. The dish was a little too sweet, probably from the onions. The extra cayenne would have helped mitigate that. Even so, this was delicious and we both cleaned our plates. You know SP is a sucker for anything with mushrooms in it. And it couldn't have been easier, which was nice for the Sunday when we decorated our Christmas tree.

Smothered Pork Medallions
Slightly Modified from I Was Born to Cook

3/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pork tenderloin, thinly sliced into medallions
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 package (10 ounces) mushrooms, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup buttermilk
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Put the flour in a gallon food storage bag. Add garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the medallions and shake to coat.

Heat oil in a large skillet and add pork in an even layer. Fry pork on each side until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add a little more oil to the pan, then add the mushrooms and onions. Season with a little salt and pepper and cook until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated and the onions are soft, about 10-15 minutes. Add about 1 tablespoon of the seasoned flour to pan drippings. Mix together, then add chicken broth. Once liquid is reduced and slightly thickened, add buttermilk and stir.

Return pork to pan and cover in sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley to serve.

I've decided the way to successfully use my crockpot is to only cook with it when I'm home to monitor it. Yes, I realize this defeats the overall purpose of the crockpot, but until I feel like shelling out money for a new one this has become my only feasible option to prevent burnt food. Since I didn't want to miss out on this recipe for Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Ranch Dressing, I made it on a Sunday. It was perfect because I didn't really have to do anything except keep an eye on it and flip the meat over a few times so the side that wasn't completely submerged in the liquid didn't dry out.


With all the Thanksgiving leftovers taking up space in my fridge I couldn't fit the crockpot insert in there as well, so I double-bagged two galloon freezer bags and put them into a Corningware dish to sit in the fridge overnight. I was a little skeptical of the three cans of Coke, but all it added was a nice sweetness. The pork is definitely sweet, but the tanginess from the cilantro ranch dressing helps offset it.

I served my tacos with shredded cheddar and pepper Jack cheeses, with some extra sprigs of cilantro as a garnish. Absolutely delicious and even better the next day. This made a lot of food so I froze about half of it for another time. I'm thinking about making quesadillas with the leftovers - melty cheese, the sweet meat and maybe some tomatoes for freshness, all dipped in the delicious sauce. Yum!

Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Ranch Dressing
Cassie Craves

For the pork:
2 to 3 pound pork roast
3 cans Coca-Cola
1 cup brown sugar
2 cloves garlic
1 can diced green chilies
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning

For the dressing:
1 cup salsa verde
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1/3 cup cilantro
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup sugar

Tortillas and shredded cheese for serving

The night before you want to serve, place pork in the bottom of a slow cooker. Mix together all other ingredients for the pork and pour over the roast. Cover the slow cooker and refrigerate overnight.

Cook pork mixture on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork. Remove pork from crockpot and shred. Spoon some of the cooking liquid onto the shredded pork to moisten it.

Blend all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Serve drizzled over pork.

I was all set to make this recipe for Pan Seared Pork with Citrus Rum Sauce for dinner this week. Then SP told me we didn't have any rum. Oops. We have quite a few bottles of liquor, mainly for cooking not drinking, but apparently rum wasn't one of them.

So off to Google I went. Since I had a bag of oranges for the original recipe I was hoping to find a sauce that would allow me to use them up. This recipe for Pork Chops with Orange-Soy Sauce sounded good, with the bonus of being healthy and not needing to marinate ahead of time. Excellent.


SP and I were both really, really happy with this recipe. It took very little time to make and the results were delicious. I ended up reducing the sauce more than I wanted to and we were fighting over it when making up our lunches for the next day. The orange provided a nice fresh burst and soy sauce is one of my favorite ingredients because of the great depth of flavor. Definitely a winner in our book.

Pork Chops with Orange-Soy Sauce
Slightly Modified from Eating Well

2 tablespoons oil
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (took me 6 medium oranges to get 1 cup of juice)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
4 pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet until shimmering. Combine orange juice, soy sauce, garlic and thyme in a small bowl. Set aside.

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork chops to the hot skillet and sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Lower the heat and continue cooking, turning as needed to prevent burning, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the chops to a plate and cover tightly with foil.

Add the reserved orange juice mixture to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until the sauce is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Return the chops to the skillet; heat through, turning to coat. Serve with the pan sauce.

Brianna over at Oishii recently posted this recipe for Spicy Pork with Asparagus and Chile. It looked great and was a departure from our usual meals so I put it on this week's menu. The same day I was planning to make it someone posted about it on my cooking board, prompting a discussion about the dish. As it turns out, the recipe (which came from Bon Appetit) lacked a little something according to those who had made it. Suggestions were thrown out about how to make it better so I ended up modifying the recipe.


The result was really good. I don't usually cook with ground pork and I liked the flavor, plus now that asparagus was in season I was happy for an excuse to use it.

Spicy Pork with Asparagus and Chili
Modified from the April 2011 issue of Bon Appetit

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry, brandy or Madeira
2 teaspoons cornstarch
12 oz. ground pork
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 bunch thin to medium asparagus, trimmed, cut diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
1 red (or green) jalapeño, minced with seeds
2 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
Salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine/brandy/sherry/Madeira, and cornstarch. Add the pork and toss to blend.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy large wok or deep skillet over high heat. Add asparagus, chili, and ginger. Toss until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer asparagus mixture to plate.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon olive oil to wok. Add pork mixture and stir-fry until browned, using wooden spoon to break up pork into small pieces, 2 to 3 minutes.

Return asparagus mixture to wok. Add oyster sauce, honey and rice vinegar. Stir-fry until pork is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add water by tablespoonfuls if it becomes too dry. Add green onions; toss to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve over steamed rice.

I love pork tenderloins. They're so easy to cook and stay juicy and flavorful. I used the same marinade I used last time and it was delicious.


I need to get my act together to actually marinate these overnight, although if I do I'll cut down on the lemon since SP said it overwhelmed the thyme after just three hours. I served the pork with au gratin potatoes (boxed), green beans and leftover biscuits.

I was looking for recipes to use up one of the pork tenderloins I bought and came across this one for Pork Paprikash:


I usually use a different recipe for paprikash and SP said he preferred that one. I have to agree with him. I just like the flavors in my usual version better, although this was pretty good.

Pork tenderloins were on sale at the supermarket so I bought a few without really knowing how to prepare them. I trust Ina, so when I saw her recipe for Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloins I knew it would be a winner.


I used dried herbs and the pork was still tender and delicious. I served the slices with couscous and green beans.

Our next-door neighbor, K, brought us some food a few weeks ago:


From the top, going clockwise: pulled pork, mac and cheese, green beans, squash, Parmesan chicken and roasted potatoes.