Remember the recipe contest where we wanted to see your Passion for Pork? Well, with June now over, I can announce the winners who were randomly chosen from the submissions. It was great to see the versatility of pork in your recipes.

Our first prize winner, Meredith Mclellam , takes home a $150 gift certificate to her choice of participating restaurants (Memphis Blues BBQ House, Romer’s Burger Bar, Cache Bistro & Lounge, Campagnolo, Cioffi’s Meat Market & Deli in Vancouver, or Caramba Restaurante, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Ka-Ze Japanese Restaurant in Whistler)

She describes her feta-stuffed pork tenderloin chops as “a simple but classy entree sure to impress any guest, with minimal efforts from the chef.” I like the minimal effort part. 🙂

Feta stuffed pork tenderloin chops

Ingredients
Pork tenderloin
Pesto
Pine nuts
Feta
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Cut tenderloin into thick 2-3″ chops. Butterfly each chop.
Mix together crumbled feta cheese, toasted pine nuts and pesto to your own taste. Stuff each chop and secure with toothpicks.
Lightly coat chops with olive oil, and salt and pepper. Grill until done.

Natalie Van Apeldoorn is our second prize winner who receives a $75 gift certificate to one of our participating restaurants. She sent a recipe for BBQ Pork Spareribs with a twist; they’re done in the oven. However I’m sure the delicious sauce would work just as well on the barbecue. She says, “These fall-off-the-bone ribs are tangy and just hit the spot for those cravings for ribs.”

BBQ Pork Spareribs

Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs champagne vinegar
4 Tbs lemon juice
1 cup ketchup
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1/3 cup hot water
1 tsp salt
3 racks baby back ribs

Brown spare ribs under broiler in oven. Cook onion and celery until soft in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Place ribs in baking dish. Pour half sauce onto ribs. Turn spareribs over and add
remaining sauce. Bake uncovered at 325 for 3 hours. Serve with coleslaw and french fries!

Third-prize winner Alicia Barber will be looking sharp in a Passion for Pork chef’s jacket. Her recipe for pork tenderloin vindaloo came from an Indian cooking class and is a regular standard in her house.

“She told us that this is the most authentic preparation, to use pork and to simply call it Vindaloo as it is assumed pork is the main protein. Chicken, lamb & seafood are not traditional and are westernized versions of this traditional Goan dish. This is a wonderfully easy and aromatic dish using a combination of spices,” says Barber.

“This dish is best made in advance and is even better the next day — or so we are told, we usually devour it the same night! This recipe can easily be doubled to serve more hungry mouths.”

Pork Vindaloo

Ingredients

Pork tenderloin – for the 2 of us we use about 2 -4 lbs assuming leftovers
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 tbsp finely grated garlic
2 tbsp finely grated ginger
7 pieces dried red chilies
3/4 tsp turmeric powder or garam masala
6 cardamom seeds
5 cloves
2 tbsp coriander seeds
10 peppercorns
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dark mustard seeds (be careful not to add too much or your Vindaloo will be bitter)
5 tbsp oil
4-5 tbsp malt vinegar
1 tsp sugar (we like brown sugar)
2 tsp salt
Fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Trim silver skin from tenderloin and cube pork into 1 1/2″ pieces.
2. Place spices into a mortar & pestle or spice grinder and grind until powdery.
3. Heat oil in a wok, kadhi or large pan. Add the garlic & ginger. Sauté until they begin to slightly brown. Take care to not heat the pan too fast! Keep heat on medium/low. Add the onions. Carefully stir the mixture until the onions caramelize. This step is really important! Do not rush; keep heat on medium/low.
4. Once browned (not burnt!), add the powdered spice mixture for about 30 seconds. Once the pan is dried out and spices are aromatic, add the pork. Sauté the pork until the juices evaporate and then add about 3/4 cup of water. Add salt at this time. 5. Cover with a lid and cook on medium/low until the meat is fully cooked – approx 45 mins – 1 hour.
6. Add the vinegar & sugar and stir. Sprinkle in chopped cilantro. Serve with basmati rice & a green salad.