Bacon Bourbon Brussels Sprouts Skewers

How were your Thanksgivings??  Have you been eating leftovers for days, like me?  Have you been having food-induced night terrors, like me?  (I should also credit watching Breaking Bad before bed to those lovely dreams... too much stuffing + Walter White is a terrifying combo apparently.)  Well, I hope you enjoyed eating your faces off with your loved ones.  I thought I'd share with you one dish that I made, these Brussels Sprouts skewers.  Other than the fact that I added too much cayenne, they were delicious and appropriate for any wintertime meal.  Try them!    

Recipe here.

Brown Sugar Peppered Bacon

As a kid, if I ever found myself in a breakfast buffet type situation, I would typically eat close to 10 pieces of bacon.  Multiple trips, zero willpower, lacking parental supervision??  It is my weakness.  As long as it's crispy, of course.  I recently tried a sweet and peppery bacon that might be the best thing I've ever put in my mouth.  If you ever find me rocking bath and forth in a dark corner, all 500 pounds of me, it's because this bacon took over my life.  I knew I could easily recreate this deliciousness at home, and so I did.  You can, too:

 Preheat oven to 350.

Line a baking sheet with tinfoil.  Place a rack on top.

Put bacon on rack, as much as you can fit.

Sprinkle with brown sugar and freshly cracked black pepper.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until it's CRISPY.   

*Tara, you have won the Annie Chun's Giveaway!  Please email me your mailing address.

Baking Bacon

How do you cook your bacon?  I usually let it sit over the stove on a low heat until it crisps, but over the weekend I baked it.  Baking sheet, aluminum foil, rack, cooking spray, bacon, 375, 20-30 minutes or until it crisps, I mean, REALLY crisps.  There is nothing worse than chewy bacon if you ask me.  I've also heard of cooking it in the microwave but I don't know how to do that, do you?  Learn me.  

Crock Pot Ribs

Want to impress everyone you know?  I mean it, absolutely everyone you know in the world, minus maybe your vegetarian friends, but even they will be impressed because they secretly want to eat ribs too.  I know I often push that something is very easy to do, but these ribs, they are SO EXTREMELY SIMPLE.  A child could make these, no really, go get your child and I'll explain...

Child?  H e l l o  c h i l d!!!  Ok, have your mommy go get the crock pot, because it might be heavy for your iddy biddy arms.  Now Child, you can do this part, spray the pot with cooking spray, all over the bottom and sides (I like to use the olive oil kind).  Now, take a rack of pork ribs from the grocery store - what?  Pork comes from pigs.  Yes, pigs.  Yes, like Wilber.  Are you crying??  Ok, make your mommy come back and p.s. bacon comes from pigs too.

Cut the ribs into 3 or 4 slabs and generously season with salt and pepper.  Ok, here comes the most important part... you can not layer the ribs.  The skin must be touching the bottom and sides of the crock pot.  If you're making this for a large group, I recommend borrowing extra crock pots.  If you don't want to listen to me, and you do end up layering them, the result will still be tasty but you won't get that crispy exterior which is to die for.     

That's all you do.  Cooking spray, ribs, salt and pepper.  I like to cook mine on high for half the time and low for half the time - between 6 and 8 hours.  Just keep and eye on them, and when they start to fall off the bone yet have that crispy exterior, they're done.  

You can serve with your favorite BBQ sauce, but they don't need it.  We eat these plain.  They are succulent and moist and juicy and crispy all at the same time.  Now off you go, impress your friends, and I'm sorry I scarred your child for life.  

The Meat and Potatoes Foodie Guest Post ~ Maple Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin

by Alisa at The Meat and Potatoes Foodie...

It's back-to-school-mania.  I don't even have kids but it's even affected (infected?) me.  The flurry of Facebook posts.  First day of school wardrobe pictures.  Moms fretting about their little ones' first day of kindergarten.  First day of first grade.  First day of high school.  

And while I can't appreciate the insanity of back to school on a personal level, I can appreciate all that goes along with it.  Cooler weather (on the horizon at least).  Football.  The return of Hell on Wheels, American Horror Story, Glee.

And of course my own personal favorite - fall cooking.  This is the time of year cooking becomes more relaxed and laid back.  When the oven is no longer the enemy but a source of comfort and deliciousness.  Fall cooking is for all intensive purposes, the Michael McDonald of cooking seasons.  And damn if I don't love me some Michael McDonald. 

This pork recipe is a perfect seque for fall.  It's rich and earthy like a fall dish but easy to assemble ahead of time so you can still enjoy the summer sunlight hours.  Simply grill off the pork just before you sit down to eat.  Serve it with roasted acorn squash to accentuate the change of seasons or leftover summer squash sautéed in a little butter finished with fresh basil.  Because as sweet as the idea of fall is, Lord knows it's just a matter of time before we're wishing summer was back.

Maple Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin

From Allrecipes with minor changes

(Serves 4-6)

Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 chopped green onions and handful of chopped cilantro or basil, option, plus extra for garnish

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin OR 4-6 smallish pork chops

1. Combine mustard, sesame oil, garlic, pepper, maple syrup and salt and green onions if using.  Place pork in a shallow dish and coat thoroughly with marinade.  Cover, then chill in the refrigerator at least 8 hours, or overnight. 

2. Preheat grill for medium-low heat.

3. Remove pork from marinade, and set aside.  Transfer remaining marinade to a small saucepan, and cook on the stove over medium low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Brush grate with oil, and place meat on grate.  Grill pork, basting with reserved marinade, for approximately 15 to 25 minutes for tender oil (about 4 minutes per side for pork chops) or until interior is no longer pink.  Avoid using high temperatures as marinade will burn. 

5. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.  Garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro if desired.  

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Stew

I'm not on my game today.  I'm exhausted, Jack is trying to show me that the 'terrible two's' really do exist, these pictures are blurry, Advil isn't working, blah, blah, blah.  You should see my face.  I look as happy as Ben Stein does when he's sad.  So I'll wrap this up - I don't want you to catch my horrible mood. 

Pulled out the slow cooker last night for it's inaugural autumn usage.  Found this recipe (HERE) and really enjoyed it.  I used a 4-pound pork shoulder (recipe calls for 2), added 2 extra cups of water but otherwise did everything the same.  8 hours on low = 8 hours of your house smelling scrumptious.

Ok, I'm going to go force myself into a happy place by stuffing my face.  FRIDAY.  

Perfect Potstickers

At least according to Alton Brown. I don't know if I'd call them perfect, they were missing some heat like wasabi or Sriracha. But they were tasty and very simple to make. Just don't underestimate how long they need to cook. NOT long. I overcooked the pork slightly. Sigh, not perfect.