Happy 4th of July!

 

I know its from last year, but I love it! 

Have a Porktastic 4th of July!

–    B

Introducing Jamie!

If it is any indication of my incredible talent in the world of culinary arts, I purchased a brand new stove in November of last year and didn’t unwrap the eight layers of super strength saran wrap until—well, mid-May. Even then, I only set the clock and I’m pretty sure all of the original paperwork is still—to this day—taped to the top rack of the oven. Sad? Yes, I know.

While I may have a few ‘Porktastic’ qualities, cooking sure isn’t one I will be winning an award for any time soon. And, while I’ve come to terms with that, the competitor in me just can’t settle for not at least attempting to excel.

Long story short, I am chronicling some of my adventures in the kitchen so all the Martha Stewart’s and Betty Crocker’s out there can feel better about themselves and their extraordinary abilities. Meanwhile, the rest of the real world can relate to my struggles and attempts at cooking. Check back for meal highlights, recipes and the occasional humor ingredient mixed in along the way… In the meantime, take a look at www.ohiopork.org and snag some great recipes from farm families that are busy taking care of their animals, children AND cooking fabulous meals. I could probably handle the pigs, perhaps even outwit the kids, but this cooking deal is a whole other story!

–JJ

A Few New Faces

Hello!  I’m Bethany and I’m an intern for the Ohio Pork Producers Council.  I, along with others at the Ohio Pork Producers Council and the Indiana Pork Producer Association, are going to add our two cents to this wonderful blog.  It’s time to get excited!

You may have some questions about what to expect such as what kind of recipes are going to be on the blog, will you talk about anything besides food, and what’s a pork butt.  Well, I have all those answers.

What kind of recipes will now be on the blog?

Anything with pork of course!  Since I can only contact my culinary genius, my mom, by phone since I left the nest, I believe in keeping my recipes easy and made from simple ingredients that are easy to find.  Unfortunately for you, I am going to take you on this journey with me as I try to feed myself and my roommate.  Other recipes will come from a variety of people with a variety of perspectives, so I hope you find something that helps you create a wonderful eating experience no matter what your level of experience.

Will you talk about anything besides food?

Well, personally I like food… I’m planning on eating it for the rest of my life.  However, I understand that not everyone is as obsessed with the smell of bacon and the next meal as yours truly.  So we are still planning to include updates on festivals, weird pork paraphernalia, and giveaways.

What’s a pork butt?

The answer is here!

Let me know if there is something you would like to see!  I’ll be talking to you soon!

–          B

A Meal to Fit Any Budget

It seems like everyone is trying to stay in a tight budget.  Unfortunately this prevents us from going out and completing our porktastic kitchen decor with a new pig spatula or pig corn on the cob holders. But then again why cut back on these kitchen necessities when we can easily fit into our budget by making a meal for a family of four under $10?  Heather’s BBQ pork recipe shows your easy and delicious it is to feed everyone in your family and still stay in the black.  Soon the cute pig spatula will be mine!

You can catch more of her recipes and budget friendly tips at Heather’s Helpings!

What are some of your recipes that help you stay on budget?

Eating Your Way to a New World Record

Sometimes you just have to face certain realities in life.  I will never be able to win a world record for the fastest furniture (currently held by a 92 mph sofa… gives the phrase couch potato a whole new meaning), the greatest distance walked with a milk bottle balanced on my head, or the heaviest weight dangled from a swallowed sword (yes that one actually exists).  These have all been painful but necessary realizations.

Still, I think I would be able to help Brat Fest achieve its world record because all I would have to do is eat sausage.  Could anything be simpler!

Brat Fest is on Memorial Day weekend at Madison, Wisconsin.  This year they managed to sell 209,375 brats by 5 p.m. on Monday, May 31^st.  Unfortunately I heard about this festival a little too late or they could have made it 209,380 or possibly 209,390…

This festival consumed about 20 miles of sausages if they were laid end to end, 300 gallons of Heinz ketchup, and 176 gallons of mustard.  The best part about this festival is that the profits go to charities and this festival has donated $855,723 since it began.  I love eating for a cause!

Check out it out here and I’ll see you there next year!

Grilled Brats with Onion Relish

Ingredients:

4 bratwurst, uncooked
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 12-ounce can beer
1 teaspoon brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup bread and butter pickles
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped

Cooking Directions:

In large deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat and add onion. Sauté, stirring frequently, until very soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add beer and brown sugar and cook over medium high heat until liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Continue cooking until the onion turns a golden brown, stirring constantly. Stir in bacon, pickles and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare a medium hot fire in grill. Grill bratwurst directly over heat, turning, until evenly browned, about 5-7 minutes and to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Remove from grill and top with onion relish.

Makes 4 servings

Note: The onion relish can be made ahead and reheated. Store it in the refrigerator. Serve it warm or at room temperature

Happy Father’s Day

A Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there!  Most of the fathers I know can’t pass up the opportunity to devour or showcase their own juicy grilled pork chop or pork loin.  So if you are celebrating your father, grandfather, great-grandfather, or any other father in your acquaintance, take a look at this posts so that you are prepared for the weekend! Then feel free to fire up that grill, barbeque, or the truly man worthy pit of fire. 

(Disclaimer: we guarantee you will love the pork you pull from the grill, but we do not guarantee you will still have your eyebrows if you choose to go with that pit o’ fire)

• Grilling Quick Tip
• Directions for quick and delicious pork chop
• A recipe for kebabs
• If you want to steer clear of the grill, but still want to deliver a meal worthy of your favorite father try the pulled pork or pork tenderloin sandwich!

Let us know how your Porktastic Father’s Day celebration turns out!

$30,000 in Cash and Prizes

Do you love Johnsonville sausage? Well, this contest is made especially for you!  Just create a two minute video for any of these four categories and upload onto their website.

“Share Your Ville” Categories

• FRIENDSVILLE – Who is part of your VILLE?  How do you hang out and use the great taste of Johnsonville Sausage to make these moments even better?
• FAMILYVILLE – These are your folks.  Share how you spend times together with the great taste of Johnsonville Sausage.
• EVENTVILLE – Share with us what takes you to your special place.  A day on the lake?  Tailgating before the game?  How does the great taste of Johnsonville Sausage make this a more memorable event?
• LOCATIONVILLE – Where do you live?   Share your Johnsonville Sausage grilling recipes & tips.  Happen to live in a “VILLE” of your own (Jacksonville, Bentonville, Libertyville)?  Share your “VILLE” experience!

If you are an amateur with the video you could win about $3,000 in great summer items, including grilling and camping gear from Coleman®, gift cards from Gander Mountain®, a collection of products from Hefty® and coupons for free Johnsonville® products.  More experienced “professional” videographers will be able to enter a category of their own, and they’ll be trying for a $10,000 cash prize.  I’m planning on picking up a camcorder or even my cell phone and submitting a Porktastic video for the contest!

Check it out at here!  You have got until June 20^th. Good luck!!

The Power of the Waffle Iron

Remember the mornings your mom decided to make a breakfast? The Frosted Flakes and Wheaties were shoved to the back of the pantry; easily slipping out of your mind for a period of 24 hours.  The smells of bacon, sausage, eggs, or waffles greeted your senses and suddenly the day seems brighter and bursting with promise.

Perhaps it is this feeling that has been prompting people to experiment with that waffle iron and bring the power of breakfast to all parts of the day.  In fact, there are blogs out there who are trying to answer one of life’s greatest mysteries, “Will it waffle?”  Cookies, cake, pretzels, and burgers have been successfully waffleized.  We may have to dig through our pantry and find that waffle iron again… (I think it may be by the Drive ‘n Grill ).

We love the fact that Hormel has included a recipe on their website for a waffle grilled ham sandwich.  It just looks cool! And, what better way to encourage picky eaters to try something than to make it a little bit fun and interesting?  Take a look and we may have to come up with our own waffle iron recipe sometime!

Jake Gyllenhaal Cooks Bacon

Every once in a while, cooking feels exactly like this: we don’t feel like we know what we’re doing; get frustrated with the options and choices; throw a bunch of things together and end up cooking an iPad instead! Okay, well maybe not the iPad, but the same feelings exist.

I have to say that Jake did do something right- slightly shocking, I know- by wrapping that iPad in bacon.  It seems today that if you want to add a little bit of flavor and culinary finesse to any recipe, it’s as simple as wrapping it in bacon.  Wrap a little bacon around a pork tenderloin, a pork chop, or even a jalapeno if you dare, and you have dressed up the main course for any situation.  All of these recipes are porktastically simple and versatile.  Go ahead and use them for your next family meal, party, or dinner for two!

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Medallions

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin, 1 to 1 1/4 pound
4 slices bacon, hickory-smoked
Wooden picks
Salt and pepper

Cut tenderloin in 8 slices (medallions) approximately 1 to 1 1/4-inch wide. Place two slices (medallions) together and wrap bacon slice around both pieces to hold together to make pork “mignons.” Secure with wooden pick. Repeat with remaining pork medallions and bacon. Season both sides with salt and pepper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Broil or grill per directions below.

*Remove wooden pick and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Directions for Broiling: Pre-heat broiler to 500º. Broil pork mignons about 4-inches from heat source for 7 to 8 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 160º F.

Direction for Pan-broiling: Heat skillet or grill pan over high heat; add pork mignons. Lower heat to medium-high; cook (uncovered) for 6 minutes or until nicely browned. Turn; cook an additional 6 minutes or until internal temperature reached 160º F.

Directions for Grilling: Pre-heat grill to 400º. Place pork mignons directly over high heat. Close grill lid; grill for 6 to 7 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 160º F.

Memorial Day Grilling Quick Tip

Do you want to be the king of the kitchen, the maestro of the meat, or the sultan of the stove?  Especially with Memorial Day right around the corner, this little baby is definitely a necessity!  The meat thermometer is the number one tool when it comes to making a knock out dinner.  On second thought… maybe the pork is number one and the source of heat is number two…  Details, if you are really cooking to impress you can’t go wrong with this tool!

I have prepared a simple step by step instruction of how to properly use a meat thermometer.  Here we go:

1. Stick the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone.
2. Read the meat thermometer
3. Make an important decision based on the temperature: to cook more or not to cook more

That’s it!  It’s amazing how cooking your pork to the recommended 160 degrees will give it that juiciness and flavor!

After you have cooked your pork delicacy to the appropriate temperature feel free to serve it to whomever you may have around the supper table.  Your family, friends, and that pesky neighbor kid that just won’t go home will love your food so much that they will shower on you their endless devotion and will be so overcome with gratitude that they volunteer to do the dishes!  Now you won’t have to worry about the neighbor kid, he’s hard at work!