Kiwi-Lime Pork Ribs

allrecipes.com Kiwi-Lime Pork Ribs

Another delicious recipe from my favorite website!

I think my family was a bit skeptical about this recipe, but they LOVED it! and best of all it was super easy!!

Madison wanted me to pair this with coleslaw, but I didn't get out to the grocery early enough to make the slaw. Also, I really felt with the sauce in this recipe would be too much sweetness (hard to believe I just typed that - can there be too much sweetness??). So, I opted for sauteed garlic baby spinach with mashed potatoes, and it was a winner! The flavors paired perfectly!

Because I can't leave well enough alone, I did adjust some of the seasonings in this recipe to suit our tastes

Ingredients

• 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (3 pound) package country-style pork ribs

Directions

1.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2.

Blend kiwis, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, salt, chili powder, cornstarch, and garlic in a blender until thickened into a sauce. Be sure to taste it and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

3.

Place pork ribs in a baking dish. The sauce will increase in volume, so be sure you use a baking dish with some depth.

4.

Drizzle blended kiwi sauce over ribs.

5.

Loosely cover ribs with a sheet of aluminum foil.

6.

Cook in preheated oven until pork reaches 140 degrees F. Check the temp around 45 minutes and remove when up to temp. Let rest for at least 5 minutes.

This pairs perfectly with Sauteed Garlic Baby Spinach on Mashed Potatoes

Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Ginger Glaze

Here it is! My favorite recipe! This is so yummy I make it anytime Pork Tenderloin is on sale.  I also make it when we have company, as it is quick, easy, and looks great too!

Ingredients

• 2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
•  
• Spice Rub:
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (you can sub in 1 tbsp of garlic powder if you prefer)
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
•  
• Glaze:
• 1 1/2 cups apricot preserves
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy)
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1/2 lime, juiced (taste and if more is needed juice the other 1/2 -I usually prefer just 1/2)

Directions

Place chili powder, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a jar; shake to blend. Rub spice mixture onto pork tenderloins. Wrap tenderloins in saran wrap and refrigerate overnight

Prior to cooking tenderloins, melt apricot preserves in a microwave by using a microwave safe bowl and heating on high for 30 seconds at a time until melted.  Stir in remaining glaze ingredients. Reserve 1/2 the glaze to use during cooking, and place the other half in a serving bowl and hold for service.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Sear the tenderloins over med-high heat - get a good sear on each side of the tenderloins. Be sure to use an oven safe skillet!

Once seared nicely, brush the top of the tenderloins with half of the reserved glaze

Place the pan in the pre-heated oven (be sure it is oven safe) and cook for 10 minutes;

After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and check temperature with an instant read thermometer

Turn tenderloins over and brush with remaining glaze. Place pan back in oven for another 7-10 minutes until temp reaches 140 degrees.   

Let rest for 10 minutes

Slice

Serve with the reserved sauce and enjoy...

I typically serve this with a salad when I make it just for us, but when I make it for company I whip up some garlic mashed potatoes with some sauteed spinach - yummmmm

This can also be cooked on the grill. Pre-heat grill to med-high heat and cook tenderloins for 5 mins on all sides for a total of 15 minutes or until temp reaches 140 degrees.  Brush with glaze on both sides during the last 5 minutes of grilling. Let rest for 10 minutes; slice and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Ginger Glaze

Tropical Pork Chops

Allrecipes Tropical Pork Chops

I am always on the lookout for great pork recipes, which is surprising to some as I never really liked pork.  However, several years ago I realized I was overcooking pork, and this is why it was always so bad when I made it!  Now it is one of my favorite meats to cook! 

The USDA has always recommended pork be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees - not wanting to kill anyone I, of course, followed the rules! Until i learned that chefs everywhere will tell you that is WAY overdone!  you could break a tooth on pork that is so overcooked! 

Recently the USDA has changed those guidelines and lowered the safe cooking temperature for pork to 145 degrees.  It's true! Check out this article. This is much better! Although with all of those meat thermometers out there that guide you to overcook pork - I'm sure many are still following that practice and eating 'the other white meat' overcooked.  When I cook pork, I take it out around 138-140 degrees and then let it rest for about 5-10 mins. I haven't made anyone sick yet... 

I served Tropical Pork Chops over the weekend, and we really enjoyed them. The sauce is delicious and very easy to make. I made some minor changes to the recipe as follows...

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon onion salt
• dash cayenne pepper
• 4 boneless pork loin chops
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup pineapple tidbits
• Hot cooked rice

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients. Cover and simmer until sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. In a skillet, cook pork, onion and garlic in oil until meat is caramelized. Add pineapple juice and reserved sauce. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until the meat is 140-145 degrees. Stir in pineapple and heat through. Serve over rice.

note:  Next time I make this I will be sure to use fresh pineapple instead of canned.