Sausage Balls (large batch)

Ingredients: 

3 lb. pork sausage (suggest 2 lb. regular and 1 lb. hot), divided

2 blocks of cream cheese, softened, divided

5 cups Bisquick or other baking mix, divided

2 1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese, divided (DO NOT USE BAGGED CHEESE)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine half of the sausage and half of the cream cheese. NOTE: This recipe is large. Unless you have an industrial-sized miser, you will need to separate the mixture into two roughly equal parts, as well as the rest of the ingredients.

4. After meat and cheese are thoroughly combined, add half of the Bisquick slowly, so it can be evenly incorporated. Mix until combined.

5. Add half of the shredded cheese, and mix until combined.

6. Using a spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop mixture into roughly 1" balls and place on baking sheet, about 1" apart. Smooth out ball by rolling in hands, if necessary.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 with the other half of the ingredients.

8. Place baking sheets in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes, so that the balls get chilled. This helps keep them from spreading while baking.

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until top is crispy. If baking in batches, be sure to replace the used parchment paper with a fresh sheet before baking the next batch.

Ninja Foodi Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin, approx. 3 1/2 lb.

Cavender's Greek Seasoning

4 Tblsp. vegetable oil + 4 Tblsp. vegetable oil

2 cups water

Preparation:

1. Cut pork loin in half.

2. Coat entire outside of each piece of pork loin with Cavender's, pressing it lightly into meat.

3. Turn on the Ninja Foodi, and press the SEAR/SAUTE button.

4. Press START.

5. Put 4 Tblsp. oil into cooking pot of Ninja Foodi.

6. Once oil is hot, put one half of the pork loin into the cooking pot. Sear pork loin on all sides, so that it is crispy and slightly hard to the touch and the seasoning is locked onto the meat. You may need to spread the oil around to achieve this.

7. Remove the half pork loin to a plate, and repeat step 6 with the other half.

8. Once both halves are seared, turn off the Ninja Foodi, and insert the cook & crisp plate.

9. Pour water into the Foodi.

10. Place both halves of the pork on the cook & crisp plate, arranging them so that they don't overlap and so the lid will close securely.

11. Close the crisping lid, press the AIR CRISP button, and set the temperature to 400 for 10 minutes, and press the START button.

12. After 12 minutes, open the lid, and use tongs to turn the pork loins over. Brush the top of the pork loins with oil.

13. Repeat step 11.

14. After the second set of 12 minutes of cooking, open the Ninja Foodi, and test the center temperature of each pork loin half with a meat thermometer.

15. Continue repeating steps 11 and 12 in 4-minute increments until the center temperature of each pork loin half is 130 degrees.

16. Let pork loins sit in closed Ninja Foodi pot for at least ten minutes before serving. Pork is safe to eat at an internal temperature of 145 degrees, which should be achieved by carryover cooking.

17. Slice and serve immediately.

Steph's Jambalaya (no roux)

Ingredients:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

14 cups of water

2 Tblsp chicken base (or 4 bullion cubes)

2 Tblsp Tony Chachere's seasoning (divided)

8 Tblsp bacon grease

4 Tblsp minced garlic

1 very large onion, diced

1 very large bell pepper, diced

6 stalks celery, diced

3 lbs smoked sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3 1/2 cups medium grain rice

2 Tblsp dried parsley

2 Tblsp powdered garlic

Preparation:

1. Mix water with chicken base and 1 Tblsp Tony Chachere's in a large pressure cooker.

2. Add chicken breasts to pressure cooker, and cook for approximately 12 minutes (or according to pressure cooker directions), until chicken is done enough to be shredded.

3. While chicken is cooking, put bacon grease in a very large stock pot, preferably cast iron. Pot needs to be large enough to handle 24+ cups of ingredients. Heat bacon grease, and add garlic, onion, pepper and celery.

4. Sauté, stirring frequently, the vegetables until very tender. If needed, cook them with the lid on the stock pot for several minutes at a time between stirring. Vegetables should be tender, but not browned. Add more bacon grease, butter, vegetable oil or even water as necessary during cooking if they get dry.

5. Once the chicken is cool enough, remove it from the pressure cooker water/broth, but DO NOT DISCARD pressure cooker water/broth. Shred chicken and set aside.

6. When the vegetables are tender, add the sausage. Sauté the sausage with the vegetables until sausage begins to brown slightly.

7. Add the Rotel tomatoes, the shredded chicken and both of the cans of soup to the stock pot. Stir to combine everything, then add 8 cups of the pressure cooker water/broth. Keep the remaining broth set aside, in case it is needed later.

8. Bring the broth, soups, sausage and vegetable mixture to a slow boil, then stir in the rice.

9. Reduce the temperature to medium-high, and begin to cook the rice, stirring VERY frequently, to ensure the rice is evenly distributed throughout the vegetable/broth mixture as it cooks.

10. Continue to stir and let the rice cook for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is done. If rice is getting sticky and cooking too fast, turn the heat down to medium. Once the rice is done, most of the broth should be absorbed. If the rice isn't quite done but there is no broth left in the stock pot to be absorbed, add more broth, one cup at a time. Mix each cup thoroughly into the rice before adding the next cup of broth. Continue adding broth until there are 8-10 small tablespoon-sized pools of broth on the top of the rice, but the rest of the broth is absorbed.

11. Turn the heat down to low, and cover the pot. Let the rice absorb the rest of the liquid for about 5 minutes, then stir one last time before serving.

Tijuana Street Fries

Ingredients:
Spice Mix:
1 Tblsp. smoked paprika
1/2 Tblsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper

Pork:
3-4 pounds pork roast
4 Tblsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup tequila
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tblsp. honey
8 Tblsp. vegetable oil (reserved for final steps)

Fried corn:
1 can Mexican roasted corn, drained
1/2 stick butter

Slaw:
2 cups coleslaw mix
3 Tblsp. black beans
1 Tblsp. green chiles, chopped
4 Tblsp. fried corn (see recipe below)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
Diced jalapeños, to taste
Tajín, to taste
Freshly-squeezed lime juice, to taste

Salsa:
Equal parts:
  Medium heat verde salsa
  Fire roasted tomatoes
  Green chiles
  1 Tblsp. garlic

Queso:
1 1/2 cups freshly grated pepper jack cheese
6 Tblsp. milk
4 Tblsp. sour cream
3 oz. cream cheese

Fries:
6 servings frozen French fries, straight cut
Vegetable oil for frying

Additional toppings:
Sour cream
Diced onions
Guacamole or avocado chunks
Shredded cheese


Preparation:
1. Mix spice mix and set aside.

2. Dry pork roast and pat 1/3 of spice mix onto outside of roast.

3. Heat vegetable oil in cast iron skillet. Once hot, add pork and sear roast on all sides until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side).

4. Mix liquids (tequila, water, honey) together and put into crock pot. Add pork and cook on medium-low for 8-10 hours.

5. Heat butter in cast iron skillet, then add Mexican corn. Fry corn until about 1/3 of the kernels are crispy brown. Remove from skillet. About half of the corn will be used for the slaw; reserve the remainder for topping the fries.

6. Mix all slaw ingredients together and refrigerate for several hours.

7. Put salsa ingredients into food processor or blender, then blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

8. Put queso ingredients in saucepan on low heat. Stirring frequently, melt cheese and mix ingredients together until smooth. Adjust with additional sour cream and milk to taste.

9. When pork is tender, remove from crock pot and discard juices.

10. Using two forks, shred pork.

11. Heat 8 Tblsp. vegetable oil in cast iron skillet until hot. Add shredded pork and remaining 2/3 of the spice mix and stir. Cook pork until about 1/3 of the pork is slightly crispy. If pork is too dry, add more vegetable oil. Can finish in oven, if desired, while frying French fries. Otherwise, keep hot by putting a lid on the pork or placing in a low-heat warming drawer or oven.

12. Fry the French fries and lightly salt them.

13. To serve, place serving of French fries into bowl or large plate. Drizzle them with a little bit of the queso. Top with slaw, salsa, and any other toppings desired.

Easy Roasted Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin

Cavender's Greek seasoning

Black pepper

Preparation:

1. Line casserole dish with aluminum foil.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  

3. Rinse pork and pat dry with paper towel.

4. Coat the outside of the pork with Cavender's Greek seasoning and black pepper. Pat into meat.

5. Cook pork uncovered until internal temperature reaches 145-160 degrees. Depending on the size of the roast, this could be 1-2 hours.

6. Let roast rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Smoking Ribs on the Kamodo

Ingredients:
Hickory chips and chunks
Ribs
Yellow mustard
BBQ rub (dry)
Pineapple juice
Apple cider vinegar
Louisiana hot sauce
Honey
Brown sugar
BBQ sauce


Preparation:
1. Soak hickory chips and chunks in water for 30 minutes.

2. Remove the membrane on the back of the ribs by using a paper towel to grab the membrane from one end and pulling it off.

3. Once the membrane is removed, trim any excess fat.

4. Rub yellow mustard on the ribs.

5. Sprinkle a generous amount of BBQ rub all over the ribs.

6. Load the grill with charcoal, mixing the hickory chips and chunks in evenly with the charcoal. Heat grill to a temperature of about 250 degrees.

7. Put the heat deflector in place, and wait for the dome temperature to stabilize at 250 degrees.

8. Place a drip pan filled with pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar and Louisiana hot sauce under the grate, then put the grate on.

9. Put the ribs on the grill. Cook them for at least 3 hours at 250 degrees, using a rib rack, if desired. If not using a rib rack, place them bone side down.

10. Coat the ribs in honey and brown sugar mixture (add some BBQ sauce, if desired), and wrap them in foil.

11. Place the ribs back on the grill in the foil, and cook them for another 2 hours.

12. Remove the ribs from the grill and take off the foil. Brush them with BBQ sauce, and place them back on the grill for an hour to "crisp" them up. Brush them with BBQ sauce as they cook.

13. If the ribs are not falling off the bone, you can finish them in the oven at a low temp (250 or 225) until they get to the desired level of tenderness.

How to Smoke a Pork Butt on a Kamado Grill

1. Wash and pat dry a pork butt roast. Get a large roasting pan ready to put it in.
2. Rub a thin layer of yellow mustard all over the roast, then pat a generous layer of dry rub barbecue seasoning ALL OVER the roast. All of the entire outside of the roast should be covered.
3. Let the roast sit with the dry rub on it for several hours in the fridge. Bring it out an hour before you are ready to put it on the grill and let it get to room temperature.
4. Soak hickory chunks (not chips) in water for an hour.
5. Layer charcoal and hickory chunks in the grill. Fill the grill with enough fuel to last for however long you will need to cook the roast. Estimate an hour and a half per pound of meat. If you are cooking two roasts at the same time, be sure they are the same weight. You do not need to double the cooking time if you have two roasts, provided they can be on the grill without touching each other.
6. Add the fan to your grill and plug all the probes into the PitViper.
7. Light the coals and let them start burning/smoking.
8. Once the coals are well lit, put the plate setter in. Add a drip pan, then the rack.
9. Put liquid in the drip pan (recommended cider vinegar, pineapple juice and hot sauce), then add the grate and clip on the pit thermometer.
10. Close the grill and barely open the top vent. Let it get to 200 degrees.
11. Put a probe in the roast, being careful to put it deep into the middle of the roast but DO NOT let it touch the bone. Set the desired probe temperature to 165.
12. Put the roast on the grill, fat side up.
13. Close the grill and the top vent completely.
14. When the PitViper signals the roast is to 165 degrees, take it off and double wrap it in foil, with the probe still in it.
15. Put the roast back on the grill. Increase the grill temperature to 225 degrees. Set the desired probe temperature to 190 degrees.
16. Close the grill, and let the roast cook until it reaches 190 degrees.
17. Remove the roast and wrap in a towel. Place it in an ice chest to finish cooking for at least an hour.
18. Pull apart/shred the roast just before serving.

Tamale Pie

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons seeded chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus couple spoonfuls of sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin (a scant palmful)
• 1 tablespoon coriander (a scant palmful)
• 2 teaspoonsunsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 bottle Mexican beer, such as Negra Modelo (12 ounces)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• About 1 cup quick cooking polenta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 generous tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or smoked cheddar cheese

PREPARATION

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the pork and sirloin and brown. Add the onion, garlic, chipotle, adobo sauce, cumin, coriander, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes to soften the bits of onion. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beer and scrape up the drippings. Add the beef stock and heat through to combine the flavors, then cool completely and store for a make-ahead meal.

The night you would like to serve the Tamale Pie, reheat the meat in an ovensafe skillet over medium heat while you make the quick-cooking polenta.

Pre-heat the broiler.

Heat the chicken stock and milk to a boil, then whisk in the polenta and cook until thick, 3 minutes. Cook's Note: The polenta needs to be very thick.

Stir in the butter and honey and season with salt and coarse black pepper. Spread the thick polenta in an even layer over the tamale filling. Top the polenta with cheese and brown under the broiler.

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin roast
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Directions

1. Arrange onion slices evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker, and then place the roast on top of the onion. In a bowl, mix together water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and hot sauce; pour over roast.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours, or on High for 3 to 4 hours.

Korean-Style Chicken or Pork Noodle Bowls

• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 2 large cloves garlic, grated
• About 1/4 cup Tamari (dark soy sauce)
• About 3 tablespoons honey or agave syrup (eyeball it)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• About 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (a couple of healthy splashes)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Sriracha, plus more to pass around the table
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thigh meat, chicken breast meat or thin-cut boneless pork chops, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 small cabbage, very thinly shredded
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced or chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is working, using a blender or food processor, combine a splash of the boiling water (before you add salt), the ginger, garlic, Tamari, honey (or agave), tomato paste, vinegar, sesame oil and hot sauce until smooth.

Get all of the remaining ingredients ready for a quick stir fry. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Add the chicken or pork and stir fry until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and bell pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the scallions and ginger sauce and toss for 1 minute. Pour over the drained noodles and top with the sesame seeds. Pass more hot sauce around the table.

Asian Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup lite soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian chile paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 (2 pound) fat-trimmed pork tenderloin

Directions

1. Pour into a medium bowl the soy sauce, sesame oil, and Worcestershire sauce. Then whisk in brown sugar, green onions, garlic, chile paste, and pepper. Place the tenderloin in a shallow dish. Pour sauce over tenderloin, turning the meat a few times to coat. Cover dish, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Transfer pork with marinade into an aluminum foil-lined baking pan.
3. Roast in a preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes. Remove, and let stand 5 to 10 minutes before carving.

Meat Pies

2 pre-made pie crusts
1 1/2 lb ground meat
1 potato (peeled and cubed)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

1. Cook potatoes in olive oil and salt & pepper
2. Add ground meet and brown.
3. Season with salt & pepper to taste
4. Cut pie dough into 4 quarters
5. Fill a quarter of dough with meat mixture and fold up the dough into a ball
6. Bake for 20 min at 425 degrees

Mummy Dogs

Ingredients

Hot Dogs

Crescent Rolls

Mustard or ketchup

Preparation

Cut crescent roll dough into thin strips and wrap around hot dogs. Bake according to crescent package directions and use ketchup or mustard for eyes. Can cut hot dogs in half to make them bite-sized.

Source: ourbestbites.com

Quick Posole

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 pounds ground pork or turkey
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
10 tomatillos, husked and halved
1 tablespoon honey
3 cups chicken broth
One can hominy (15.5 ounces), drained
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (a generous handful)

1 lime, halved
1 avocado, cut into small chunks
2 cups corn tortilla chips, lightly crushed
1/2 heart romaine lettuce, shredded

PREPARATION
1. In a deep skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the pork and season with salt and pepper; add the cumin. Cook until brown and crumbly, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic and jalapeño.

2. Using a food processor, pulse the tomatillos until coarsely chopped, about a few seconds.

3. Stir the tomatillos into the pork, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the honey and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth and hominy and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and turn off the heat.

5. Squeeze 1/2 lime over the pork; stir. Squeeze the other 1/2 lime over the avocado. Serve the pork in shallow bowls with the avocado, tortilla chips and lettuce on top

Hula Joes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/4 pound smoked ham or bacon, diced
1 1/2 pounds ground meat (turkey or pork)
1 sweet onion, such as Maui or Vidalia, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Kaiser rolls
1 cup shredded yellow cheddar cheese

Preparation
Pre-heat the broiler.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Cook the bacon in the pan until crispy, about 3-4 minutes, and remove it to a small bowl.Return the pan with the bacon drippings back over the heat. Add the ground pork and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes.

While the pork and onion are cooking, in a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Pour into the skillet with the pork and onion, cook about a minute, then stir in the pineapple. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

While the filling is cooking, split open the rolls and toast them under the broiler. Be careful not to burn them!

To serve, place a bun bottom on a plate with a scoop of Hula Joe mixture and a sprinkling of cheese. Top with the bun cap and serve with Pacific Rim Potatoes alongside.