Why is Our Pork Pink?

Our tent outside the Taste of Ohio

Some people ask us at the fair how we make our pork loin taste so absolutely delectable!  Trust me when I say we do nothing special with it.  We do use one of these:

Our Smokers

They are our smokers.  They give the pork a slight pinkish tint, which is good.  Most people want their steaks with a little pink in the center and pork is no different.  This is easily achievable on your grill at home.  Just grill a pork loin until it gets to around 145-150 degrees and take it off the grill.  Don’t worry about getting to that 165 degrees, the pork will continue to cook after you take it off.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes so that your pork is really juicy and cut and serve!  It’s all in the cooking temperature to get something that looks like this.

Trust me when I say we are doing nothing special. Okay except for maybe this picture!

You can find these shirts on Facebook under Ohio Hog Farmers!

What can I say… you got to have a little bit of fun! 🙂

-B

Pork [and apple] Pie á la Mode – a Porktastic Nine Recipe

Why should apples have all the crust and ice cream?

We’ve decided they shouldn’t. That’s why pork is crashing this pastry party and making it a full-blown feast to rave about. We just want our piece of the pie – and we’re willing to share it with Granny Smith.

Now, before all you purists get your snouts out of joint, we want to acknowledge our pork connoisseurs across the pond who are famous for their pork pies. In fact, the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association was created to protect the authenticity of Melton Mowbray Pork Pies. It’s that type of pork zeal that makes us proud to be distant, pork-loving cousins. The last thing we’re out to do is replicate their masterpiece.

We’re here in the heartland of the States in the heart of summer – and that screams picnics, pie and good times Americana style. But who has time to make a fabulous pork meal AND dessert?

We do, and all at once to boot.

Pork and apples are long-time stewing buddies. So it comes as no surprise that we’ve shoved them under the cover of a delicious flaky crust. This is no pot pie, my friend. This is a lean, mean protein pie that is meal worthy and snackalicously good.

If GM gets to “reinvent” Chevrolet, then we can take a little liberty with apple pie. Fair?

To the citizenry of Porktastic, we give you the second recipe worthy of making our Porktastic Nine. We think it’s a little slice of heaven that will have you clamoring for seconds, and thirds, and…

you’d better make two.

Oh…and don’t forget the ice cream.

Pork [and apple] Pie á la Mode

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground pork loin
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 medium-sized apples, peeled, cored, sliced (we prefer Granny Smith)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried cloves
Dash of pepper
Pastry for 2-crust 9 inch pie

Directions

Sauté ground pork and onion over medium heat until pork begins to brown and onion is tender. Remove from heat. Add bread crumbs, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Stir. Line a 9-inch pie plate with half the pastry and fill with meat mixture. Add sliced apples, brown sugar and cinnamon to pie. Apply top crust, seal and flute around edge. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Bake in 400 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Makes six servings. Four if your slices are generous.

Skewer This: The Pork Kebab Trifecta

Pork. Bacon. Summer sausage. All grilled to perfection on a stick.

Does life really get any better than this?

This concoction is for the certified pork fanatic and is the first in our series of “Porktastic Nine” recipes. Intersperse with red onion and bell peppers and you’ve got a winning meal. In fact, we’ll place our own bet that the neighbors will be crowding around your grill in record time. Be sure to mix up your marinades, from sweet and sour to spicy teriyaki.  Below we employ a simple honey-citrus barbeque glaze. Ahh, summer.

Ingredients

• 6 (12-inch) skewers (if metal they will get hot; if bamboo, soak in water to avoid burning)
• 6 slices bacon, cut into one-inch pieces
• 4 summer sausages, sliced to one-inch pieces
• 1-2 lb. pork loin, cut into six equal strips, then cube
• 1/2 large red onion, cut into one-inch pieces
• 1 bell pepper (red, green and/or yellow), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup honey barbeque sauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Directions

Brush cooking oil to your grate prior to grilling to avoid sticking.

Cook bacon pieces about 1 minute (microwave or pan) before adding to skewer. Drain before skewering.

Alternate applying meats and vegetables on skewer until fully loaded.

Add orange juice to honey barbeque sauce to add citrus flavor and slightly thin the sauce. Brush on kebabs.

Place skewers on hot oiled grill (medium heat) and 15-20 minutes, turning often.

Brush kebabs with barbeque glaze with each turn.

Remove from skewer and enjoy.