braised pork Archives - Passion for Pork

Braised Pork soup — Adding braised pork to something like French onion soup will make everyone around your table very, very happy.

Happy New Year! I hope you haven’t decided on giving up on all of your resolutions as of yet because I’ve got one more for you to aim to stick to for 2015…finding more creative ways to use braised pork! Obviously! Now, we’ve all had delicious pulled pork sandwiches, but there is so, so much more you can do with the slow-cooked piece of meat that you may have never considered before.

Firstly, here’s a basic braised pork recipe to start off with and here are 6 ways for you to to use the finished product when you’re cooking up a meal at home.

Biscuits

Try using a simple biscuit recipe and stuffing some braised pork in the middle, folding the dough over-top and then baking. A little pocket of tender, meat-y goodness. Best when eaten warm on a chilly day!

Breakfast Hash

Skip the bacon (gasp!) and try adding some braised pork into your basic breakfast hash. Cook until the pork starts to get a little crispy on the bottom, then top with a fried egg. Breakfast of champions.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

It’s true, you can shove pretty much anything between two slices of bread with some cheese and grill it to perfection. Try smearing the bread with some grainy mustard, a bit of barbecue sauce, topped with braised pork and provolone cheese. The result? An ooey-gooey mess of a meal, but definitely a delicious one.

Pasta

Kick the typical bolognese (meat sauce) and try adding a generous amount of the pork into a homemade tomato sauce. Cook up some spaghetti, then toss the pasta with the meat, along with a splash of lemon juice, pesto and olives for a surprisingly filling dinner that isn’t loaded with a million calories. I mean, it is January, after all…

Soups

As pictured above, braised pork is something that doesn’t grace many soup pot, which is a shame. Such a shame! Everyone’s had a bowl of chicken noodle soup before, so why not try adding in some of this pork near the end of the cooking process instead of the chicken and a richer flavour and more tender texture. Beef and Barley? More like braised pork and barley. Actually, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a soup that the pork won’t go well with.

Vegetable Dishes

Whether you’re roasting carrots, brussels sprouts or cauliflower, give some cooled braised pork a rough cut, toss it with the sliced vegetables along with some oil and spices and roast until everything starts to caramelize. Finish with a drizzle of maple syrup for a touch of sweetness and you’re pretty much winning at life, kid!

A piece of pork and a few slices of apple are a match made in kitchen heaven. A sweet and bright apple is often the perfect balance for the richness of the meat, which is why you’ll often see the two grace the same plate when it comes to the dinner table.

(Did you know it’s Apple Month in Canada? Perhaps pork month will be coming soon too! We’ll see!)

It may be cold outside, but just because it’s winter right now does not mean that you can’t find comfort in a salad. This recipe uses tender-braised pork, which is crisped up in the oven with some roasted green beans and warm cracked wheat which makes for perfect lunch or light dinner.

Since I’m a huge fan of multi-purposing, this vinaigrette can also be used on your standard roasted pork chops or tenderloin. Enjoy!

What you’ll need…

Vinaigrette:

1 meyer lemon (zested and juiced)

1 tbsp pickled jalapeños (minced)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp grainy dijon mustard

2 tsp liquid honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

*note: Meyer lemons are seasonal so substitute 1/2 a regular lemon in lieu)

Salad:

2 cups braised pork (loosely chopped, follow the first portion of this recipe)

1 1/2 cups green beans (1″ sliced)

2 tbsp canola oil

3 cups water

1 tbsp salt

1 1/2 cups pearled wheat

2 cups kale (finely chopped)

2 stalks celery (trimmed and very thinly sliced)

1 ambrosia apple (cored, halved and very thinly sliced using a mandolin if possible)

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

salt and pepper (to season)

Directions:

For the vinaigrette, whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until ready to dress and serve the salad.

Preheat your oven to low broil. Place the chopped pork and green beans in a large baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and let cook in oven until pork starts to crisp, about 15 minutes.

Place the water and salt into a small pot and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Add in the wheat and boil until el dente, approximately 12 minutes.

Strain and spoon out cooked wheat into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and toss until well-combined.

Remove pork and beans from the oven and let cool slightly before combining with grain salad. Dress with jalapeño vinaigrette and serve warm.

Serves 3-4

Total cook time…20 min

Tag: braised pork

6 Ways To Use Braised Pork