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

Pig Wings?

No, not this type of pig wing…

How about this type….

This little baby comes from around the ham bone and the meat is in fact made of ham.  Pig wings became a very popular fair food at the Ohio State Fair this year (stand back deep-fried Twinkies).  They were on the radio, television, and were photographed more than Brittany Spears on vacation!  It may look completely innocent but when pig wing and its fellow pig wingers (I just made that word up) were gone they caused exasperation, jealousy, and even anger.  All for a piece of ham!

I had my share of the pig wings during the fair and I can understand the excitement.  They proved to be juicy and delicious each time with or without the barbecue sauce, with or without the use of utensils, and without or without trying to eat it all in one bite… not that I would know.

What’s your favorite fair food?

-B

The Ohio State Fair!

I’m back from the 2010 Ohio State Fair! It was a crazy twelve days of selling, promoting, and celebrating pork production in Ohio.  I spent most of the time in the Taste of Ohio in the Pork Stand selling BBQ pulled pork, pig wings, and the best pork loin sandwich your taste buds will ever experience!

My Home Away From Home!

There you go!  That’s a picture of our pork stand!  (I could never catch someone dropping our plastic knives in front of the stand.  I just wanted to show them the trash can 10 feet behind them!!) Can’t you just feel the excitement and enthusiasm from the opportunity to provide the world with delicious pork!

The cashiers and I recorded the most asked questions from the fair this year.

What are pig wings?

One of the cashiers recorded the amount of times she got asked this question and it resulted in about 30 in one day.  This also happened to be the slowest day at the fair.  I’ll be sharing with you the inside scoop of the pig wings later.

Where can we buy that shirt?

We were all wearing some pretty sweet shirts.  Again, something I’ll be sharing later!

How did you cook the pork loin sandwich to make it so delicious?

Another question I’ll be answering but trust me it’s all in the temperature!

Can I have a cheeseburger?

I think the giant word ‘Pork’ on the banner should have been a little hint to the answer to that question…

More to come!

– B

Free Breakfast for A Year!

Every morning I pass a Bob Evans on my way to the office.  Every morning I think about the wonderful pancakes, omelets, and sausages that I have devoured at Bob Evans on Sunday mornings with my family.  Every morning as my stomach is digesting the Corn Flakes that seemed like such a good choice to an hour ago, it longs for the meals of Sunday past.

Well, now I have the opportunity to win a year’s worth of Bob Evan’s breakfast!  Thanks to the Ohio Livestock Coalition and Bob Evans all Ohio residents need to do is watch a video about a farmer and submit your name!  You can register seven times a day until October 15^th!

I was told that you have to be pretty open when writing a blog so I have a confession! Something that just may get me kicked out of Porktastic…  Part of registering for the free breakfast is choosing to learn about raising pigs, turkeys, lamb, beef, etc.  You think to yourself, “Well, I love bacon, ham and all things pork so I’m obviously going to choose Jim Heimerl.  Bethany is also going to choose the Heimerl’s because she works for the Ohio Pork Producers Council and helps write this blog.”

…Um, well… my dad happens to be the turkey farmer!  Wait, wait… before you start lighting the pitchforks and forming an angry mob, I need to let you know that he actually raises both pigs and turkeys (the man wears many hats).  I may have to choose both because not choosing the pig farmer would be denying my love of bacon and not choosing my father would be allowing my mom to pile on years worth of guilt.  (Seriously, my parents are some of the coolest people you will ever meet, but one time I forget to call home after my drive back to Columbus to let them know that I arrived unscathed.  Four years later, I still get the “Make sure to call when you get back and not forget like that one time…)

Whew, sorry for bringing up all those hidden emotions.  Back to the free breakfast! Seriously, the only real question is do I want the hotcakes, sausage gravy and biscuits, or turkey and spinach omelet…  The ethical dilemmas continue and if I have gray hair by the time I’m thirty, you will know why!

What’s your favorite breakfast food?

– B

National Hot Dog Month

I know, I know… it’s amazing that they don’t have cards, songs, and most important to any holiday, a JCPenney sale, to mark this momentous occasion.

Some hot dog trivia from the National Hog Dog and Sausage Council:

1. Americans eat more hot dogs on the 4^th of July than any other day.  Around 155 million of them!
2. Los Angeles is the #1 hot dog eating city!
3. Sausage is one of the oldest forms of processed foods.  It was mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey in the 9^th century!
4. The name ‘hot dog’ probably came from a dachshund dog that the German’s brought with them along with the idea of serving sausage on a bun.

Here are a few ways to celebrate this month the Porktastic way:

1.  Take a bite out of this monstrosity- a foot long hot dog, loaded with cheese, chili, and bacon.  Nothing like a little pork on pork!

2.  Attend Brat Fest and eat a few for philanthropy’s sake.

3.  Enjoy a listening to these songs:

1. Hot Dog by Elvis Presley
2. Hot Dog by Buck Owens
3. Who Let the Dogs Out by the Baha Men
4. Jack and Diane by John Cougar Mellencamp

Let us know how you are going to celebrate this month!

What is your hot dog of choice?

-B

Cooking Pork Chops- Victorious!

Catch up on my story!

I.   Introducing Jamie

II. Cooking Attempt Number One

Let us begin where we left off.  Introducing pork into my cooking repertoire!

Using the America’s favorite pork chop recipe from the Super Pork Recipes guide distributed by OPPC, I made eight pork chops, which I marinated for 30 minutes in reduced-fat Italian dressing. Yes, it is a children’s recipe guide, but don’t judge.

After marinating, I used a little of Lawry’s seasoning salt and grilled until the chops reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees. I combined the chops with my first attempt at green bean casserole, which was so easy I’m slightly mortified I had to Google a recipe for it! I also grabbed a dozen ears of amazing, Ohio sweet corn, which was so good it’s slightly ridiculous.

Despite the fact that my entire family left the house at the mention that I was cooking dinner, all did eventually return and sample supper. Only after I tried a bite myself to assure food quality and safety levels to all parties. Everyone lived to tell about the meal, their stomachs are still intact and even though they’d never admit enjoying it, everyone had seconds…

I survived marinated pork chops on the grill, so obviously you can too! It’s time to get grilling. Use this simple and tasty recipe to cook for your family tonight and check out other great pork chop cooking tips in this guide.  Love to hear back about how it works out for you! Oh and be sure to check back for how my round two of pork cooking went, where I insanely tried TWO different recipes!

–JJ

Learn more about this recipe here!

Ingredients:
-4 pork chops
-3/4 cup Italian dressing (or use a reduced-fat Italian dressing)
-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cooking directions:
Serves 4. Place all ingredients in a self-sealing bag; seal bag and place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (or as long as overnight). Remove chops from bag, discarding marinade and grill over a medium-hot fire, turning once, until just done, about 8 to 11 minutes total cooking time.

Nutrition facts:
Calories: 210
Cholesterol: 60 mg
Protein: 25 grams
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Fat: 11 grams

What’s your favorite marinade or rub?

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?