Pork and Vegetable Pot Stickers

These are great appetizers and can be made and eaten immediately or straight into the freezer for later. You can steam or pan fry them. Serve them with a ponzu sauce and enjoy.

 

Pork and Vegetable Pot Stickers

 

Here are the Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound lean pork, ground
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons rice wine
• 1 cups cabbage, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup leeks, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 30 to 40 wonton wrappers

Take the salt and sprinkle over the chopped cabbage and let it stand for 5 minutes and then squeeze and remove liquid. In a large bowl mix the pork, soy, wine, cabbage, leek, sesame oil, ginger and garlic very well. To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush 2 of the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold over, seal edges, and shape as desired. Place on a baking sheet and keep moist with a wet kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining wontons until filling is gone. In a double boiler steam 8 to 10 dumplings at a time for 6 to 7 minutes. Serve steamed with ponzu sauce or allow to cool and fry in vegetable oil. Freeze any remaining dumplings and fry or steam at a later date.

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Chorizo

One of my favorite restaurants named The Village Idiot stopped making one of my favorite items on their menu, bacon wrapped dates. Since I’ve eaten them a few times I decided to try and replicate the recipe. I think I may have come close! Serve with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce.

 

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Chorizo

 

Here are the Ingredients:

• 16 pitted dates
• 1/2 pound Spanish chorizo, (to fit into the dates)
• 8 slices bacon, cut in half
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

 

Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Make an incision on one side of each date and stuff with chorizo. Squeeze the date shut. Wrap each date with a bacon strip and secure with a toothpick. Place all the dates on the prepared sheet tray. Roast the dates in the oven until the bacon on top is starting to crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the dates over and bake another 6 minutes. Remove the dates from the oven and and drizzle with the maple syrup. Return the dates to the oven and bake another 2 minutes. Serve with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce (see recipe).

Sauerkraut and Ribs

Serve this with mashed potatoes (see recipe) and you’ll have a trio made in heaven. This has been one of my favorite meals since I was a kid. I hope you try it.

 

 

Sauerkraut and Ribs

 

Here are the Ingredients:

• 1 rack pork baby back ribs, cut into individual ribs
• 1 pound bag sauerkraut
• 1 medium onion, quartered and separated
• 2 cups water
• salt and pepper

Put the following layers in a dutch oven or large pot. First layer 1/2 sauerkraut, then 1/2 onion, then ribs, then 1/2 onion, then remaining sauerkraut. Season with a little salt and pepper. Pour in water and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 1 1/2 hours until meat is tender and falls off the bone.

Pork Tamales

It’s a Christmas and New Year tradition to make and eat tamales. Great as gifts too. Yields 25 tamales

Pork Tamales

 

Here are the Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 lbs pork shoulder or 1 3/4 lbs pork butt, trimmed of fat and cut up
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 medium onion, quartered
• 1 1/2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups red chili sauce, see below
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3 cups masa harina
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 25 dried corn husks (about 8 inches long)

In a 5 qt Dutch oven, bring pork, water, onion, garlic and 1 1/2 salt to boil. Simmer covered, about 2 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender. Remove meat from broth and allow both meat and broth to cool. (Chilling the broth will allow you to easily remove the fat if you desire to do so). Shred the meat using 2 forks, discarding fat. Strain the broth and reserve 6 cups. In a large sauce pan, heat the red chili sauce and add meat; simmer, covered for 10 minutes. To make masa beat shortening on medium speed in a large bowl for 1 minute. In a separate bowl, stir together masa harina, baking powder and 2 teaspoons salt. Alternately add masa harina mixture and broth to shortening, beating well after each addition. (Add just enough broth to make a thick, creamy paste). In the mean time, soak corn husks in warm water for at least 20 minutes; rinse to remove any corn silk and drain well. To assemble each tamale, spread 2 tablespoons of the masa mixture on the center of the corn husk (each husk should be 8 inches long and 6 inches wide at the top. If husks are small, overlap 2 small ones to form one. If it is large, tear a strip from the side). Place about 1 tablespoon meat and sauce mixture in the middle of the masa. Fold in sides of husk and fold up the bottom. Place a mound of extra husks or a foil ball in the center of a steamer basket placed in a Dutch oven. Lean the tamales in the basket, open side up. Add water to Dutch oven just below the basket. Bring water to boil and reduce heat. over and steam 40 minutes, adding water when necessary. To freeze these for future meals, leave them in the husks and place them in freezer bags. To reheat, thaw and wrap in a wet paper towel and reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes for one or two or re-steam them just until hot.

 

Red Chili Sauce

 

Here are the Ingredients:

• 4 -5 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or 2 teaspoons melted shortening

Remove stems and seeds from dried chili peppers. Place peppers in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in 350°F oven for 2 to 5 minutes or until you smell a sweet roasted aroma, checking often to avoid burning. Remove from oven and soak in enough hot water to cover for about 30 minutes or until cool. Put peppers and 2 1/2 cups of the soaking water into a blender (save the remaining soaking water). Add garlic, cumin and salt. Cover and blend until smooth. In a 2-quart sauce pan, stir flour into oil or melted shortening over med heat until browned. Carefully stir in blended chili mixture. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. (If sauce gets too thick, stir in up to 1 cup of the remaining soaking water until you reach the desired thickness) Note: When working with chilies, use rubber gloves to protect your skin, and avoid contact with your eyes. Wash hands throughly with soap and water to remove all of the chili oils.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

If you like pork you should try Pork Tenderloin. It’s the leanest cut. It has lots of flavor and fairly inexpensive.

 

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

 

Here are the Ingredients:

• 3 pound Tenderloin
• vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• salt and pepper
• cooking twine

Preheat oven on 425

 

Remove any tendon as it is chewy. Tie the tenderloin along it’s length with cooking twine. Brush with oil, season and place in roasting pan. Roast for 30-35 minutes basting and turning halfway and baste and complete roasting. Let rest for 5 minutes covered loosely with foil. Remove string and slice on the diagonal.