Italian Baked Pork Chops

YUM YUM IN MY TUMMY TUM TUM! We haven't had pork chops in a very long time! I think swine is definitely the under appreciated other white meat! I mean... I'm just saying!

My trick to ensuring that pork chops are always tender and moist is to boil them completely covered in water in a skillet. I will cook them almost completely done where there is showing just the slightest shade of blush or pale pink! (Think Steele Magnolias, if you are too young to know that movie. I can't only say, Sorry)

I then remove the skillet from the stove and drain the water and take rinse the pork chops. The following recipe is for 8 servings.

2 TBL. spoons dijon mustard
2 TBL spoons olive oil
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup Italian Bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Please add more oil or mustard to form a crust like consistency when applying to chops! This recipe was created on whim and I added things as I went. When you get into it, you will be able to see and adjust to what looks right to you.

Preheat oven to 400 degress and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl whisk all ingredients together. Apply to both sides of the pork chops and place on parchment paper.
Bake 10 minutes or until just cooked through. It will form a slight crust texture. If you wish you could flip the pork chops over and cook again until just crusted or at this point, they are ready to be removed from oven. Let rest 5 minutes.

I served this with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes!

Orange Rosemary Ribs

This takes a little time, but is so worth the effort!

2 Racks (5#) baby back ribs
6 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped, divided
2 1/2 tsp klosher salt, divided
2 1/2 tsp minced garlic, divided
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, divided
12 oz orange marmalade
1 Tbls cider vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place rack in lower third of the oven. In a small bowl combine 4 tsp Rosemary, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp garlic and 1 tsp pepperflakes. Set aside.

Bake Ribs:

Rinse ribs, pat dry. Place on heavy duty aluminum foil and rub with combined seasonings; wrap foil tightly around ribs and place on a baking sheet. Roast 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until tender.

Grill Ribs:
In a small bowl whisk marmalade, vinegar and remaining seasonings. Cover and set aside.
Heat grill to medium high. Brush Ribs w/glaze. Remove from foil* and grill until golden brown.

As you can see from the picture, I elected to just open the foil and grill the ribs that way. They were very tender and I was concerned they would fall apart on the grill. The ribs browned just as nicely, and I think it helped retain the moisture.

SE North Carolina Pork BBQ

SE North Carolina Pork BBQ

BBQ in North Carolina is a noun, not a verb. It refers to pulled pork in a vinegar based sauce. Try it! You'll never eat tomato based sauce again!

5-6 lb boston butt roast

The Rub:

1/4 cup New Mexico red chili powder

1 Tbls dark brown sugar

1 Tbls ground cumin

1 Tbls Kosher salt

1 Tbls sugar

1/2 Tbls fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix together well and store in an airtight container.

The Finishing Sauce:

2 cups cider vinegar

1 Tbls peppercorns

1 tsp celery seed

1 tsp salt

1 Tbls hot pepper flakes

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer slowly, uncovered, for one hour. Strain to remove peppercorns if desired. Store in sealed container in the refrigerator.

To make the BBQ:

Rub the boston butt pork roast with a generous amount of bbq rub on all sides. Place the roast fat side up in a roasting pan and cover with tight lid or seal with tin foil. Bake at 250 F for 3 - 4 hours* or until meat pulls apart with a fork. Remove the remaining fat (much of it will have cooked off) and chop or pull meat. Pour a small amount of the finishing sauce over the meat and stir gently to coat. You don't want to overdue the sauce as it will pool in the bottom of the dish and can become rather strong. More sauce can always be added at the table to satisfy individual tastes.

*Meat may be cooked in a slow cooker if desired, cook for about 6-8 hours on low.

Sunday BBQ baby back Ribs

These are so simple but so delish! Our family loves BBQ ribs.
In the summer when we fire up the grill for ribs human and k-9 mouths begin to drool.
Purchase a slab of ribs or 2 or 3.

QUICK AND EASY SUNDAY WAY
I boil and cook the ribs in a large pot of lightly salted water.
Once the ribs are completely cooked pull out, rinse and drain in collander.

Line a large cookie sheet with foil. Cut or seperate ribs in 2 to 3 rib segments. Brush Sonny's BBQ sauce over each rib front and back.

Broil in oven until bubbly and re-coat ribs again with sauce. Turn ribs over and coat and broil again until bubbly. Remove from oven. Place on large serving pan and let the good times roll! These are soooo DELISH!

If you have plenty of time to SLOW cook your ribs the proper way.

Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 slab pork ribs, 3 pounds
1 1/2 cups white vinegar

Rub the contents onto the front and back of your ribs. Place in baking pan in refridge and let marinate. Pour the vinegar over the ribs and cover. Be sure to turn your ribs twice. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain the vinegar from the baking dish and roast the ribs for 1 1/2 hours. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove ribs from oven and brush with some barbecue sauce. Return ribs to oven and roast for another 30 minutes til tender. Serve ribs with extra barbecue sauce.