Alligator Stew!

You may remember several months ago, my daughter-in-law brought me two packages of Alligator meat that her brother got from a hunt they went on last year. I took one package and fried it. It turned out tougher than I hoped because it was chunk meat and not cutlets from the tail. So, I decided to cook it like a beef stew or roast. I cooked it long enough for the tissues to break down and render tender pieces of meat! You can also do this with pork. You'll basically get the same taste. Alligator has much of the same taste and texture as pork loin.

2 pounds Alligator Meat, cut into chunks **
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 soup can of water
2 teaspoons minced, dried onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 1/2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the meat in a casserole dish. Mix the other ingredients together and pour over the meat. Cook in the oven 2-3 hours or until the meat falls apart when pressed with a fork.

**You can substitute pork loin cut into chunks for the alligator meat.**

Pork Schnitzel with Jaeger Sauce

Basically, this is the same as my scallopini recipe that I rave about...
One big difference is the sauce or gravy that is poured over the top when served. Jäger (German pronunciation: Yeager) is the German word for "hunter". One source that I found said that it is called hunter's sauce because of the vegetable used were found by hunters searching for food. Another said that it was created to make tough game birds and meats more appealing. Either way, it is very tasty and a complimentary sauce.

BTW... ***Do you know the difference between sauce and gravy???
The answer is at the bottom of the post. :-)

Scallopini is called Schnitzel in Germany. It is a boneless meat, thinned with a meat mallet or tenderizer, coated with flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs, and then fried. In German-speaking countries, the term Schnitzel means escalopes (cutlets), not just bread crumbed, fried escalopes such as Wiener Schnitzel. A popular food in many countries, it is made from veal, chicken, beef, turkey, or pork. There are worldwide names for this process... cutlets, scallop, escalope and paillard. All of which refer to a piece of meat that has been pounded thin.

Pork Schnitzel

4 boneless pork chops
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup beef broth


Flatten cutlets to 1/8-in. thickness.

In a flat dish, combine the flour, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add chops one at a time and coat evenly. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and oil. Add chops; cook over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Place chops in a 13x9 casserole dish. Add enough broth to come to the sides of the chops. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed.

Jaeger Sauce

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 pkg fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 tsp German Maggi Seasoning Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 Cup of beef broth

1/2 Cup sour cream

Saute onion, mushrooms and garlic until tender, being sure not to let the garlic burn. Add seasonings. Remove from pan. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter. Melt and add flour. Whisk until golden brown. Gradually add the wine and broth. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream. 


*** The answer... $20 a plate!

Pulled Pork Chili

This was really a recipe that just kept growing. It's called add what you can find, when the pantry is extremely low! LOL  It started out as a pot of beans with some left over pork for seasoning. Then I thought to add some chili seasonings, and Pulled Pork Chili was done!

I started with one pound of dried kidney beans. I soaked them in hot water for a couple of hours. I rinsed them and put them in my stock pot with plenty of water or stock to cover them. I added some dried minced onion, garlic powder and salt & pepper. Cook them for a few hours or until nice and tender. I shredded some of the left over pork loin roast. and added it to the pot.

It was yummy on it's own!!!

I had a couple of packets of chili seasoning mix in the pantry, so I added one packet. The pork already had tons of flavor, so I really didn't have to add anything else. I did add some Colby/Jack Cheese and sour cream for garnish! Throw in some cornbread or crackers, and it's a one bowl comfort meal!

Ingredients:

1 lb dried Red Kidney Beans

4 cups water, or stock

1/2 tsp dried, minced onion

1 tsp minced garlic, or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 cups of shredded or pulled pork

4 tablespoons of chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons paprika

2 tablespoons ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and drain the beans several times. Add the water, onion, garlic and salt and pepper to a large pot and cook for a few hours or until beans are tender. Add the seasoning and stir until dissolved and mixed well. Stir in the pork and heat through. That's it! You're done!

Pork Moscato

Yesterday, I set out to make several special dishes and a few new dishes to try out before company arrives for the holidays. I made my list for the hubby to pick up while he was out. He planned to do the manly thing a make a run to Lowes, so I tacked on a trip to The Pig (Piggly Wiggly grocery store). It was rainy and cold so he tells me late in the afternoon that he has talked himself out of going because its cold and raining. I'm left in mid-cook mode with unfinished dishes. Time to switch gears and go into improvise and save mode... after ditching the kill hubby mode! Sooooo... I came up with the Pork Moscato and made a simple dressing and gravy. Oh my goodness, after tasting the pork, the hubby says that I should thank him for making me do the pork this way! Yeah! That's gonna happen!!!

4 lbs Pork Roast

1 cup Moscato Wine

Carrots, cut into sticks

Onions, quartered

Cherry Tomatoes

Banana Pepper Rings

4 cloves garlic

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mince garlic and combine with salt and pepper to make a paste. Rub on the fat side of the pork. Pour wine into the roasting pan. Place pork, skin side up in the wine. (so the garlic rub doesn't wash off) Place the rest of the ingredients in the pan and cover. Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Uncover and either broil or cook until the fat is browned and a crust forms. 

 Ready for the oven!

After 1 1/2 hours in the oven and browning time for the crust... 

Prettiest view :-) 

Remove the pork and slice. Spoon the juices over the meat.

Add the veggies to the plate and serve!

My plate with a side of dressing and gravy! It was yummy!

Pork Loin Roast with Greek Seasoing

What started out as a plan of pork scallopini for the kids, turned into a roast when it thawed out! LOL  I thought I had pulled out a bag of pork chops. The hubby didn't label them before he stuck them in the freezer! No problem... I sprinkled it with Greek Seasoning and topped it with sliced lemon. I also baked potatoes sprayed with oil and sprinkled with Coarse Sea Salt. I finished the meal off with a side salad with carrots and cucumbers.

I like the end piece. It has more seasonings and flavor.

Pork Loin

Cavender's Greek Seasoning

Lemon slices

Preheat oven to 400. Place loin in a casserole dish. Sprinkle pork loin with Cavender's Greek Seasoning and top with slices of lemon. Bake for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours or until center reaches 160 degrees. I prepared the potatoes and put them in the oven 15-30 minutes after the loin. Everything was done at the same time!

Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Bar-B-Que Sauce

Cooking Spray
1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper

garlic powder
1/2 cup Blackberries
3 tablespoons prepared thick bar-b-que sauce
2 T Texas Pete

In a small bowl, mix blackberries with a sprinkle of sugar and let sit until they release some of their juices. Then mash them with a fork to break apart. 

Spray grill grates with no-stick cooking spray. Heat grill to 350 degrees F to 375 degrees F. Generously season tenderloin with salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

In a sauce pan, add blackberries, barbecue sauce and Texas Pete. Heat until warm; stir to blend. 

Grill pork, turning occasionally, 16 to 20 minutes (or until thermometer reads 160 degrees F). Baste liberally with 1/4 cup blackberry barbecue sauce during last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer tenderloin to platter, tent with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve pork over brown rice, drizzled with additional sauce and sprinkled with chopped parsley, if desired.

A Pictorial Version of the Pork Scallopini Recipe

The ingredients

The pork chops have been pounded thin.

The breading station

Dipped in the egg wash...

Then coated with seasoned bread crumbs.

While the chops are frying, heat a cup of
beef stock or both and pour in a baking dish.

Drain the chops.

Add to the pan of broth.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

When done, most of the both will be absorbed.

Seriously... fork tender!

Supper's done! I usually make my homemade Mac-n-Cheese,
but Elliott requested Shells and Cheese...

Pork Chop Scallopini

This is another one of those recipes that you can play with. Traditionally, this is made with veal, but you can make it with pork, chicken, turkey or venison. Basically it can be done with any meat or poultry that can be pounded thin. You can also play with the spices. I love garlic so I add garlic powder to the flour. I also like some lemon incorporated, so I substitute lemon pepper for the pepper. I also add a touch of lemon to the sauce. If you have followed my blog or read some of my recipe posts. You know that I never follow recipes to the letter and I hardly ever cook something the same each time. Recipes are suggestions! So, play with your food today!!!

2 boneless pork chops

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Flatten cutlets to 1/8-in. thickness.
In a resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add chops; seal bag and shake to coat evenly. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and oil. Add chops; cook over medium heat for about 1 minute on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Spoon over chops. Stir broth into skillet, stirring up any browned bits. Add parsley and remaining butter; cook and stir 2 minutes longer or until slightly thickened. Pour over chops and mushrooms.

Stuffed Pork Loin with Maple Mustard Glaze

This recipe is very easy to make, but it looks like it took you all day. It's very moist and delicious!

1 Pork Loin (2lb), butterflied*
Salt, Pepper & Garlic
1/4 cup Beef Broth

Stuffing:
1 prepared Jiffy Mix cornbread, crumbled
1 Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Mushrooms and liquid
Salt, Pepper & Garlic

Glaze:
2 Tbsp Maple pancake syrup & 2 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix stuffing ingredients in a medium size bowl. Spoon into cut side of the pork loin. Roll up the loin. Place cut side down in a casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Pour 1/4 cup beef both in the bottom of the dish to keep the pork moist. Sprinkle pork with salt, pepper and garlic.

Bake for 1 hour. Mix mustard and syrup. Baste pork loin and return to oven for 20 minutes. Let it stand 10 minute before slicing.

* For this recipe I made a roll cut on the Pork Lion instead of butterflying it. It takes more time and patience, but worth the trouble!

Roll Cut: To roll cut a roast, place the trimmed roast on a cutting board so that one end is directly in front of you. Take a very sharp knife and begin cutting on the side, parallel to the cutting board about 1 inch (more or less is up to you) from the board. As you cut, "unroll" the roast. This is kind of like unrolling a roll of paper towels. The great advantage to this technique is that once you really master it you can cut a roast to 1/2 inch thickness or less.