Pork & Cob Soup

Pork & Cob Soup

by Carol Ann

1½-2 lbs Pork Tri Tip; cut to 1½" cubes
6-8 medium Potatoes, quartered
3-4 Corn on the Cob, break into 3 sections
½ medium size Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 large yellow Onion; coarsely chopped
1 small can diced Stewed Tomatoes
3 cloves fresh Garlic, chopped
10-12 whole Baby Carrots
2 tbsp fresh (3 tsp dried) Parsley, chopped
2 stalks fresh Celery, sliced
¼ tsp Seasoned Salt
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Onion Powder
1 whole dried Bay Leaf
1 rounded tsp Oregano Leaves, crushed

Gravy:
¼ cup Manteca Lard (sub: vegetable shortening)
4-6 tbsp Flour
3-4 cups cold Water

Garnish:
1 cup prepared hot; medium hot; or mild Salsa
1 small yellow Onion; diced very small
¼ cup fresh Celantro; chopped small
1 large Lemon; cut into 6-8 wedges

In slow cooker, combine pork, carrots, corn, bell pepper, large chopped yellow Onion, stewed tomatoes, chopped garlic, baby carrots, Parsley, celery, Bay Leaf, and crushed Oregano. Cover and cook on high setting for 1 hour. Remove Bay Leaf, and add potatoes, garlic powder, onion powder and seasoned salt. Reduce heat to "low" setting, cover pot and cook another 6 hours.

About one hour before the soup is done, melt lard/shortening over medium heat in a 10"-12" skillet. When lard has melted completely, slowly add flour to the lard, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Cook flour until it turns a medium brown color. Do not burn flour. Once flour is browned, slowly add cold water to flour mixture, stirring continuously with a whisk in other hand, until gravy thickens. (Using a wire whisk prevents lumps from forming.) Immediately add the thick, smooth gravy mixture to the soup, and stir until well blended. Cover soup and continue cooking on medium heat until done.

Meanwhile, empty prepared salsa into small serving bowl. Top with diced onion and chopped celantro; with lemon wedges on the side. Use as garnish for Pork n Cob Soup. Enjoy!!

6-8 servings

Authentic Pork Tamales

Back in the 70's, while my sister in law was in California for her annual vacation, I talked her into showing me how to make authentic Mexican style tamales. It turned out to be a very interesting day, to say the least, because I spoke very limited Spanish, and Gracie spoke no English at all. Thankfully, she was very patient with me, and...by the end of the day, we managed to get the job done without suffering any obvious war wounds. And, the "bonding" experience we shared that day was something that neither one of us will ever forget. There's no better way to get to know someone than to share an entire day together preparing a meal.

Up to that point, I had never tasted a tamale. But, later that evening, with the kids in bed for the night, and my kitchen back to it's original condition, Gracie and I decided to sit outside on the patio, while we shared one of the tamales that we cooked earlier the same day.

If you're considering giving this recipe a try, be prepared to dedicate an entire day to cooking before you take one step into your kitchen. Making tamales is quite a job, and there is no way you can predict when the job will be done. So, if you're seriously considering taking on the job, you might want to invite a couple friends over to the house, to help with washing, filling, and folding the husks.

Remember, good company and plenty of laughter will make any job more enjoyable, no matter how long it takes to prepare the meal.

Authentic Pork Tamales
by Auntie Gracie

10 lbs Pork Shoulder, trim off excess fat and cut to 3", which will help pork cook faster
5 cloves Garlic, minced
¼-½ cup Manteca Lard
¾-1 cup Flour
1 Lg can Las Palmas Chili Sauce
2 Lg cans Sliced Black Olives
2 pkgs Corn Husks
1 Lg pkg Masa-Hirina
3-6 tbsp and 1 tsp Table Salt
6 cups cold water; set aside for the gravy
1 Lg wire rack
2 Lg Pots with lids; 4-qt & 6-qt
1 very large canning pot
1 wire canning/steaming rack to fit pot

Step 1- Cook the pork: In a large pot, combine: pork roast, water, garlic and 1 tsp salt. Cover the pot and cook over med-high heat until pork is done, and breaks apart easily with fork. Remove pork roast from the pot, reserving the water for later use. Remove any excess fat from water, cover and set aside. When the roast is cooled enough to work with, shred meat into a large bowl. Set aside and allow meat to cool while you are preparing the sauce and husks...but not more than one hour.


Step 2- Equipment Prep: When you have free time; Prepare any pots and/or other equipment you may need before the end of the day. pot you will use to steam the Tamales. Prepare the pot as you would if you were canning fruit. Make sure you have at least 3" of water in the bottom of the pot, under the wire rack. Also, make sure the inside edge of the wire rack sits about 1" higher than the outside edge, so that the Tamales rest at an angle, with the open end facing the center. This will prevent the meat or sauce from falling out of the husks. Set aside until ready to use.


Step 3- Soaking the Corn Husks: Fill your kitchen sink with warm water (or an extra large container). Add the husks, and soak for 30 minutes, until they relax enough to open for cleaning. When you can fully open the husks, clean and dry each one, and stack them near the location where you intend to fill them.


Step 4- While husks are soaking: Melt a large spoonful of the lard inside a 4 quart pot until hot. With a wire whisk in one hand, slowly add flour to the hot lard. Whisk the flour until it turns a med-dark brown color. Once the flour is brown, slowly add the Las Palmas Chili Sauce (red), while stirring with a wire whisk to make sure lumps don't form. Follow immediately with water, until mixture reaches a thick, dark, gravy. When gravy is ready, add the shredded pork and olives to the pot, and simmer for one hour. Add water as needed to keep gravy from becoming too dry.

Step 5- When the pork is done, and husks are ready to fill: In a very large bowl, combine one-half pkg of the dry Masa with 3 tbsp salt, and mix very well. Slowly add the reserved pork-juice, ½-1 cup at a time, until the masa forms a very soft dough that you will be able to spread on the husks with a spatula or knife (similar to Peanut Butter). Set aside for later use.

Step 6- Filling the husks: Open and lay each husk flat on a clean towel. Spread each husk with masa ¼" - ½" thick, making sure the masa ends at an even line across the husk on the top and bottom. Spoon pork mixture down the center of the masa on each husk, and immediately fold the sides of the husks over to cover the pork mixture. Then fold up the bottom of the husk and seal it with a little dollop of masa. Immediately stack the Tamales inside the steaming pot, around the outside edge of the wire rack, with the open end facing the center of the pot. Once the pot is full of tamales (1" from top), Cook them on medium heat until the water begins to boil (4-5 minutes or so). Once the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 2 hours, until the masa inside the tamales on the highest row is done in all areas of the tamale. Check water level every 20-30 minutes to make sure the pot doesn't become dry. Without leaving the lid off the pot, add water as necessary.

Serve tamales hot or warm, with lots of fresh salsa. Or allow them to cool, pack them in plastic freezer bags, and store them in the freezer between servings. These tamales make a great addition to a pot-luck dinner at the church; or take 1 or 2 with you to work for your lunch.

25-30 Tamales

Pork Chop Suey

by Julie Quidachy

1-2 lbs Pork Tri-Tip Roast, cut small strips (2"x ¼"x ¼")
1 pkg Vermicelli or Angel Hair Noodles
2 tbsp Crisco Oil
1 med Yellow Onion, diced sm
¼ Green Bell Pepper, diced sm
2 med Carrots, grated
1 cont. Bean Sprouts, drained
2 cloves Garlic, minced
¼ Tsp Seasoned Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste

Prepare 1 pkg Vermicelli or Angel Hair Noodles. Rinse, drain and set aside.

Fry pork in hot Crisco oil until done. Add all vegetables and spices, reduce the heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender yet still crunchy, and pork is tender. Combine noodles, bean sprouts, and pork/vegetable mixture.

Serve with sliced green onions and soy sauce.

6 servings

Quick Fried Italian Pork

by Verlie Cox

1½-2 lbs Pork Tenderloin, cut to ½" thick slices
4 Extra Large Eggs
1 cup Milk
1 pkg Bread Crumbs, Italian flavor

2 tbsp Flour

1 tbsp dried Onion Flakes

1 tsp Garlic Powder

½ tsp Seasoned Salt

¼-½ cp Manteca Lard

Combine bread crumbs, flour, and spices in a large resealable plastic bag. Set aside.

Combine eggs and milk in medium size bowl and whisk until well blended and frothy. Dip slices of pork into egg mixture, coat well on both sides, and place into the plastic bag with bread crumbs. After you have added 4-6 slices of pork to the plastic bag, seal the end and knead the bag gently with hands until the pork slices are well coated with bread crumbs.

Heat the lard in a large skillet over med heat. Test the temperature with a drop of egg mixture. When the egg begins to cook shortly after being dropped into the hot lard, add several slices of breaded pork to the skillet, and fry until they are golden brown, and crispy on both sides. Use a knife to cut a small slit in the center of the cut, to make sure it is cooked through, and no red or pink color can be seen in the center. Cook pork slowly, turning often to seal in the flavor.

Serve with mashed potatoes and homemade pork gravy, as instructed just below my "Pork Chops & Gravy" recipe.

6 servings

Pork Sandwiches

by Carol Ann

2½-3 lb Pork Tri-Tip Roast
6 Extra Sour French Sandwich Rolls, sliced down center
1 Lg Yellow Onion
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 tbsp Dry Ground Mustard
½ tsp Red Chili Powder
½ cp Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Lemon Juice
cp cold Water

In Lg plastic resealable bag combine all ingredients, except pork roast. Seal and gently knead bag with hands until ingredients are well blended. Add Tri-Tip Roast, and chill overnight, kneading bag 2 or 3 times to distribute mixture evenly over roast.

BBQ or bake roast until tender, and meat begins to pull apart with fork. Let cool for 5-8 minutes, then cut into thin slices. Serve with soft or grilled sandwich rolls.

6 servings

Slow Cooker Pork Ribs

by Verlie Cox

4½-5 lbs Pork Ribs Ask the butcher cut them to 3"-4" long
1 cp Flour
1 tsp Table Salt
½ tsp Black Pepper
½ cp Brown Sugar
1 Lg Yellow Onion, diced small
¼ cp Prepared Salsa
cp Worcestershire Sauce
6 cloves Garlic, minced
¾ cp Beef Broth
¾ cp Vegetable Broth
cp Butter
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
½ cp Red Wine Vinegar
¼ cp Tomato Ketchup
1 Bay Leaf
½ cp Water

In plastic resealable bag, combine flour, salt and pepper. Seal and knead bag until well blended. Add ribs and toss gently until well coated.

In Lg Skillet (12"-14"), brown ribs in melted butter on all sides. Remove the ribs from the skillet, and place them into a 5-6 qt slow cooker. Add diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet, and saute for 2 minutes. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the skillet, stir and cook on medium until just boiling. Pour this mixture over the ribs in the slow cooker, add Bay Leaf, and cook on medium heat for 8 hours, or until pork is tender and begins to fall away from bones. Remove Bay Leaf after 2 hours. Add water if mixture becomes too dry, being careful not to cause sauce to become too thin.

8 servings

Pork Chops and Gravy

by Carol Ann

6-8 Center Cut Pork Chops (1"); rinsed in water & dried
1 cp Flour
4 Ex-Lg Eggs
¼ cp Milk
tsp Seasoned Salt
½ tsp Granulated Garlic (sub: Garlic Powder)
½ tsp Granulated Onion (sub: Onion Powder)
¼ tsp Black Pepper
¼ - cp Manteca Lard (Sub: Shortening)
1 Lg Plastic bag (resealable)

In plastic bag, combine: flour, seasoned salt, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and black pepper. Seal bag and knead gently with hands until well mixed, and set aside.

In bowl, combine egg and milk, and whisk until very frothy. Coat each pork chop well, and immediately place inside plastic bag. Toss the bag after each pork chop has been added, to coated on all sides. Seal and toss the bag gently until coating is thick and almost dry on the outside of each pork chop. Set aside. Do not remove pork chops from the bag.

In Lg Skillet (14"), melt lard and preheat until a drop of egg mixture bubbles instantly when dropped into pan. Add pork chops and fry until golden brown, and crispy on both sides.

Bake in uncovered dish on 350' heat for 30 minutes, or longer for thicker cuts of pork. Do not to over-cook.

Pork Gravy
15 minutes before the chops are done, Place a container of cold water (6-8 cups) close to your stove to use later. Reheat the lard left in the skillet, and enough of the left-over flour mixture to make a slightly thick paste. Add extra lard if necessary. Small pieces of crispy flour mixture adds to the flavor of the gravy.

When paste mixture is golden brown, slowly begin adding cold water to the paste, while CONTINUOUSLY whisking this mixture with your free hand. When mixture begins to thicken, add more water, small amounts at a time, until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. Adding too much water will result in thin gravy.
Add salt to bring out the flavor.

8 servings

Pork Roast

by Carol Ann

3 lb Pork Tri-Tip Roast
½ tsp Ground Mace
½ tsp White Pepper
½ Ground Dry Mustard
½ tsp Allspice
2 tbsp Pickling Salt
1 tsp Garlic Powder
tsp Seasoned Salt
1 Gallon Sz Plastic Bag

Place Picking Salt into plastic bag. Lay flat on cutting board and roll with rolling pin until salt is broken into smaller pieces. Add remaining spices to bag, seal and toss bag gently until spices are well blended. Place roast inside bag and toss until roast is well coated.

Wrap roast tightly in Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil and bake in a 350' oven for 2½ hours. Allow to cool 5 minutes before slicing.

8 servings

Baked Pork Roast

by Verlie Cox

2-3 lb Pork Roast
¼ cup Honey
1 tsp Fresh Horseradish
2 tsp Garlic Powder
¼ tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Crazy Mixed Up Salt
½ tsp Rosemary, broken
½ tsp Parsley Flakes, crushed
tsp Ground Ginger
½ tsp Onion Powder

Combine all spices on large paper plate and blend well with fork. Combine honey and horseradish in a small bowl, and mix with fork until well blended. Rub honey mixture over entire roast until well coated, then roll roast in the spices, until roast is evenly coated with spices and none are left on the plate. Coat

Wrap roast tightly in Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil, and bake in a 350º oven for 2 hours. When done, open foil and let roast stand for about 5 minutes. Slice and serve warm with baked potatoes and C & W Petite White Corn.

Save juice from pork roast, and use to make fresh au jus dip. Left-over roast makes a tasty sandwich on a Sour Dough Roll.

6-8 servings

Authentic Mexican Pork Stew

by Gracie Perez

2 lbs Pork Shoulder Roast
2 tsp Red Chili Powder
1 Jalapeño Pepper, diced
1 tsp fresh ground Oregano leaves
1 tsp fresh Pimento, diced
3 cloves fresh Garlic, minced sm
½ tsp fresh Cumin (¼ tsp ground)
12-16 fresh Flour Tortillas
1 head Iceberg Lettuce, sliced thinly
1 container fresh Salsa
1 lg Yellow Onion, sliced
1 whole Purple Chili Pepper
8-10 red radishes, sliced
2-3 med Tomatoes, sliced

In large Pot, combine first 7 ingredients and cook over high heat until boiling. Cover pot, reduce heat and continue cooking for 35-40 minutes, or until pork pulls apart easily with 2 forks. Turn heat down to low, add purple chili pepper and remaining tsp red chili powder, mix well and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Stir well to distribute chili pepper flavor.

Serve with warm flour tortillas and fresh salsa, and garnished with sliced lettuce, tomatoes, radishes and chopped onion.

Optional: May add fresh carrots, celery, cabbage and/or potatoes last 30 minutes of cooking.

4-6 servings

Pork Roast with Red Potatoes and Artichoke Hearts

by Carol Ann

8-12 sm Red Potatoes, cut into quarters (if tiny, cut in half)
2-3 lb Pork Tri-Tip Roast

10-12 fresh tiny Artichokes, (sub: 1-lb Deli Artichoke Hearts)
1 tbsp Reece's Steak Salt
2 tbsp Butter; melted

3 cloves fresh Garlic; cut into quarters
½ tsp fresh Parsley; finely chopped
2 dashes Ground Basil

2 dashes Celery Salt

¼ tsp Garlic Powder

¼ tsp Onion Powder

¼ tsp fresh ground Pepper

In medium bowl, combine all spices with the melted butter (except Reece's). Add red potato wedges and toss well until potatoes are heavily coated with fresh parsley. Set aside.

Rub Pork with Reece's Steak Salt, and place, fat side down, in center of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Arrange potato wedges and artichoke hearts around roast, cover with aluminum foil, and bake in 350º oven for 1½ to 2 hours, depending on preference (rare, med or well). Transfer roast to the center of a serving dish, and arrange the potatoes and artichokes around and over the top of roast. Serve hot.

6-8 servings