Our tent outside the Taste of Ohio

Some people ask us at the fair how we make our pork loin taste so absolutely delectable!  Trust me when I say we do nothing special with it.  We do use one of these:

Our Smokers

They are our smokers.  They give the pork a slight pinkish tint, which is good.  Most people want their steaks with a little pink in the center and pork is no different.  This is easily achievable on your grill at home.  Just grill a pork loin until it gets to around 145-150 degrees and take it off the grill.  Don’t worry about getting to that 165 degrees, the pork will continue to cook after you take it off.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes so that your pork is really juicy and cut and serve!  It’s all in the cooking temperature to get something that looks like this.

Trust me when I say we are doing nothing special. Okay except for maybe this picture!

You can find these shirts on Facebook under Ohio Hog Farmers!

What can I say… you got to have a little bit of fun!

-B

Catch up on my story!

I.   Introducing Jamie

II. Cooking Attempt Number One

Let us begin where we left off.  Introducing pork into my cooking repertoire!

Using the America’s favorite pork chop recipe from the Super Pork Recipes guide distributed by OPPC, I made eight pork chops, which I marinated for 30 minutes in reduced-fat Italian dressing. Yes, it is a children’s recipe guide, but don’t judge.

After marinating, I used a little of Lawry’s seasoning salt and grilled until the chops reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees. I combined the chops with my first attempt at green bean casserole, which was so easy I’m slightly mortified I had to Google a recipe for it! I also grabbed a dozen ears of amazing, Ohio sweet corn, which was so good it’s slightly ridiculous.

Despite the fact that my entire family left the house at the mention that I was cooking dinner, all did eventually return and sample supper. Only after I tried a bite myself to assure food quality and safety levels to all parties. Everyone lived to tell about the meal, their stomachs are still intact and even though they’d never admit enjoying it, everyone had seconds…

I survived marinated pork chops on the grill, so obviously you can too! It’s time to get grilling. Use this simple and tasty recipe to cook for your family tonight and check out other great pork chop cooking tips in this guide.  Love to hear back about how it works out for you! Oh and be sure to check back for how my round two of pork cooking went, where I insanely tried TWO different recipes!

–JJ

Learn more about this recipe here!

Ingredients:
-4 pork chops
-3/4 cup Italian dressing (or use a reduced-fat Italian dressing)
-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cooking directions:
Serves 4. Place all ingredients in a self-sealing bag; seal bag and place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (or as long as overnight). Remove chops from bag, discarding marinade and grill over a medium-hot fire, turning once, until just done, about 8 to 11 minutes total cooking time.

Nutrition facts:
Calories: 210
Cholesterol: 60 mg
Protein: 25 grams
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Fat: 11 grams

What’s your favorite marinade or rub?

A Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there!  Most of the fathers I know can’t pass up the opportunity to devour or showcase their own juicy grilled pork chop or pork loin.  So if you are celebrating your father, grandfather, great-grandfather, or any other father in your acquaintance, take a look at this posts so that you are prepared for the weekend! Then feel free to fire up that grill, barbeque, or the truly man worthy pit of fire. 

(Disclaimer: we guarantee you will love the pork you pull from the grill, but we do not guarantee you will still have your eyebrows if you choose to go with that pit o’ fire)

• Grilling Quick Tip
• Directions for quick and delicious pork chop
• A recipe for kebabs
• If you want to steer clear of the grill, but still want to deliver a meal worthy of your favorite father try the pulled pork or pork tenderloin sandwich!

Let us know how your Porktastic Father’s Day celebration turns out!

Remember the mornings your mom decided to make a breakfast? The Frosted Flakes and Wheaties were shoved to the back of the pantry; easily slipping out of your mind for a period of 24 hours.  The smells of bacon, sausage, eggs, or waffles greeted your senses and suddenly the day seems brighter and bursting with promise.

Perhaps it is this feeling that has been prompting people to experiment with that waffle iron and bring the power of breakfast to all parts of the day.  In fact, there are blogs out there who are trying to answer one of life’s greatest mysteries, “Will it waffle?”  Cookies, cake, pretzels, and burgers have been successfully waffleized.  We may have to dig through our pantry and find that waffle iron again… (I think it may be by the Drive ‘n Grill ).

We love the fact that Hormel has included a recipe on their website for a waffle grilled ham sandwich.  It just looks cool! And, what better way to encourage picky eaters to try something than to make it a little bit fun and interesting?  Take a look and we may have to come up with our own waffle iron recipe sometime!

Do you want to be the king of the kitchen, the maestro of the meat, or the sultan of the stove?  Especially with Memorial Day right around the corner, this little baby is definitely a necessity!  The meat thermometer is the number one tool when it comes to making a knock out dinner.  On second thought… maybe the pork is number one and the source of heat is number two…  Details, if you are really cooking to impress you can’t go wrong with this tool!

I have prepared a simple step by step instruction of how to properly use a meat thermometer.  Here we go:

1. Stick the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone.
2. Read the meat thermometer
3. Make an important decision based on the temperature: to cook more or not to cook more

That’s it!  It’s amazing how cooking your pork to the recommended 160 degrees will give it that juiciness and flavor!

After you have cooked your pork delicacy to the appropriate temperature feel free to serve it to whomever you may have around the supper table.  Your family, friends, and that pesky neighbor kid that just won’t go home will love your food so much that they will shower on you their endless devotion and will be so overcome with gratitude that they volunteer to do the dishes!  Now you won’t have to worry about the neighbor kid, he’s hard at work!

Today is the most important day of the year. It is a day to stay home from work. It is a day of celebrating with family and friends. It is bigger than Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year’s and the Fourth of July combined. It is a day to honor the reason there can be delicious bacon and pork chops and swine inspired doo-dads and even a nation of Porktastic. My fellow Porktasticans prepare yourselves because today is National Pig Day.

My friends, we will be grilling, baking and slow roasting all of our favorite forms of pork throughout the day, not to mention watching our favorite famous pigs like Babe, Porky, Gordy and Miss Piggy. So come party with us! We’ll be easy to spot since we’ll be the ones decked out head-to-toe in true pig style – nose, ears and of course curly-q tail.

But, if for some crazy reason your boss won’t let you off to celebrate this holiday of holidays, we have a few ideas to help you take the party to work with you:

1. Choose your favorite pig tie or jewelry to commemorate the day.
2. Hang a string of pig lights around your office or cubicle.
3. Grill up some pork loin chops and bring enough to share with your coworkers, remembering they want to be home celebrating just as much as you.
4. Get a pig piñata filled with bacon candy.
5. Wear your favorite pig inspired tee underneath a button-up dress shirt. When everyone complains about missing Pig Day rip your top shirt off like Clark Kent and set up a completely awesome celebration of pigs and pork.

Have a Porktastic day holiday and be sure to tell us how you celebrated National Pig Day by emailing stories or pics of your celebration to Mr.Oinkers@gmail.com.

Listen up pork lovers! In case you haven’t seen it, there’s a NEW GIZMO on the block that allows grilling pork on the go. And, surprisingly, this is no joke…the Drive n’ Grill is the real deal. Here in Flavor Country we’re not only cautious behind the wheel, we actually savor our time with the Other White Meat. It prompts us to ask, “What’s the hurry? Pull over for pork!”

Pizza delivery: 30 minutes.

Porktastically grilled pork chops: 10 minutes.

Hang up the phone, light the grill.

We’ve seen this scenario time and time again: You’re hungry.  You don’t have a lot of time to prepare a meal. You’re capable of lighting the grill.

That means you’re half way to flavor country…so let us reacquaint you with the joys of the versatile and always pleasing pork chop.

Unless you fall asleep at the grill and incinerate your chops, we find it nearly impossible to ruin this fine slab of meat. You’ll quickly discover that your chops can take on many different flavors and adapt to various cuisines by doctoring them with a cornucopia of spices or marinades. This is where we could go on and on about the many flavorful approaches you can take. Curry. Soy Sauce. Pesto. Citrus. Pepper. Mustard. Molasses. Herbs. Spices. Ketchup. Barbeque or Worcestershire sauce. Take your pick or create your own concoction. They all can contribute to making a glaze, sauce or marinade to fit your specific taste. We’ll focus on some delicious marinades soon.

Grilled Pork Chops 101.

Here are the basics to becoming Chop Master of the grill, followed by some really simple instructions:

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat
• Apply 6-ounce chops (approximately 1-inch thick) to the grill
• Grill chops on each side for approximately 3-5 minutes
• Grill until chops reach an internal temperature of  145 degrees F.
• Remove. Garnish. Eat.

That’s how easy it is to grill delicious, juicy pork chops – and it doesn’t matter if you choose center cut or boneless chops.

Now that you’ve got the basics down pat, experiment with spices, sauces and marinades and continue to apply as you grill (never mind what your mother said, we give you full permission to play with your food). If you plan ahead, your taste buds with thank you for allowing those chops to baste in a marinade for few hours or overnight in the fridge.

NOTE:  Baking pork chops will take significantly longer based on oven temperature. Expect cooking time up to an hour in a 350-degree oven.

Charcoal?  Gas?  Hibachi?  Man-made pit of fire?

Sure, we have our preferences, but when the grillmaster yells “DONE!” know that it’s all about navigating the grate, the flame, and the butcher shop for a fine cut o’ pork.  How you choose to belly up is your call.

As a Porktastic Public Service, we’re here to remind you – or perhaps inform you for the first time, ever – of the forgotten holidays, misplaced celebrations, and manufactured reasons to round up your herd and clink a fork to pork.

Use your tongs. Flip often. And enjoy the [pork] loins of your labor this month. After all, it’s your month. Go get ’em, Griller!

Don’t have a recipe to inaugurate this important month? Relax. We’ve got your back. Check out our pork kebab trifecta.

Pork. Bacon. Summer sausage. All grilled to perfection on a stick.

Does life really get any better than this?

This concoction is for the certified pork fanatic and is the first in our series of “Porktastic Nine” recipes. Intersperse with red onion and bell peppers and you’ve got a winning meal. In fact, we’ll place our own bet that the neighbors will be crowding around your grill in record time. Be sure to mix up your marinades, from sweet and sour to spicy teriyaki.  Below we employ a simple honey-citrus barbeque glaze. Ahh, summer.

Ingredients

• 6 (12-inch) skewers (if metal they will get hot; if bamboo, soak in water to avoid burning)
• 6 slices bacon, cut into one-inch pieces
• 4 summer sausages, sliced to one-inch pieces
• 1-2 lb. pork loin, cut into six equal strips, then cube
• 1/2 large red onion, cut into one-inch pieces
• 1 bell pepper (red, green and/or yellow), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup honey barbeque sauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Directions

Brush cooking oil to your grate prior to grilling to avoid sticking.

Cook bacon pieces about 1 minute (microwave or pan) before adding to skewer. Drain before skewering.

Alternate applying meats and vegetables on skewer until fully loaded.

Add orange juice to honey barbeque sauce to add citrus flavor and slightly thin the sauce. Brush on kebabs.

Place skewers on hot oiled grill (medium heat) and 15-20 minutes, turning often.

Brush kebabs with barbeque glaze with each turn.

Remove from skewer and enjoy.