Tropical Pork

We've been eating a lot of rice. Between the risottos and steamed rices, you would think the hubby and I would be riced out by now. You'd be wrong though. Ok, that's not really true. I'm starting to get a bit sick of all the rice, but the hubby could eat it at literally every meal and never be bored. Come to think of it, he feels that way about a lot of foods. Sandwiches, potato chips, jerk chicken. Yeah, I can't think of anything he'd actually ever get sick of.

I've made this Tropical Pork dish twice in one week. When I asked if my hubby was ok with having it for dinner last night he said, "Ooo yeah! I really liked that one." It's nice to know that I'll always have him as a fan of my cooking. The first time I made this was last weekend when his younger sister spent the weekend with us. She'll be 16 in just a couple of days so check back here soon for her birthday cupcakes that I'll be making for her. Lucky for us, she's not picky. There are very few things that she won't eat which means I get to be a little more daring than if their 13 year old sister was over.

Of course when I set out to make this for dinner, I didn't realize that I was short a few items. No onions on hand, almost out of ketchup, no garlic or onion salt to be found. That's ok though. My improvisations actually worked out really well. I was able to substitute half of the ketchup with worchestershire sauce and we were good to go (I realize tht it could have gone horribly wrong by using 1/6 cup of good old Lea & Perrins, but it actually tasted so good that I did it that way last night even though I had more than enough ketchup). I used the dried minced onions and a bit of sea salt to make up for the lack of onion and then added an extra clove of garlic.

I'm going on a rice strike for the next week or so. If I should happen to say or do anything strange in the next couple of days, just know that I'm detoxing from the rice and should be normal again soon.

Tropical Pork with Steamed Rice
Recipe from All Recipes

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, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup pineapple tidbits
Hot cooked rice

1. In a saucepan, combine the first eight ingredients. Cover and simmer until sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Season pork chops with salt and pepper.
2. Add pork cubes, onion, and garlic to the pan with the sauce until meat is browned. Add water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink, adding more water if needed. Stir in pineapple and heat through. Serve over rice.

I Accept Your Challenge, Honey Mim!

My lovely little sister didn't know what she was getting into when she issued me a challenge in my comments for Tuesday's post. "Maybe you should find some beachy recipe... That doesn't involve seafood. That is my challenge to you young padawan." Your wish is my command (how lucky for me that I came across this recipe while looking for onion soup the other day and had already planned on making it tonight anyway).

In this corner, weighing in at 1/3 of a pound, we have The Bon Appetit Cookbook's recipe for Jamaican Jerk Burgers. Sweet and a little spicy, this burger is just what you need to feel like you're on the beaches of Jamaica, sipping a Mai Tai with an umbrella in it. All of the ingredients should be readily available at your local grocery store (even my local grocer carried everything this one called for).

I was a bit hesitant at first. I've never tried this one before and wasn't sure how it would turn out. I was fully prepared to not have anything to post except a fail and a picture of the pizza we would have been ordering in place of it. I never should have doubted it. My only real problem was that I had to cook the burgers on my stovetop instead of on a grill (aside from the fact that I lack a grill, it is beyond freezing outside which means I'm staying right here where it's cozy). Also, just as a heads up, I wasn't able to find fresh thyme so I just used the dry stuff. It'll definitely be better with the fresh stuff, but the dried didn't detract from it too terribly.

Jamaican Jerk Burgers with Orange-Chipotle Mayonnaise
Recipe by The Bon Appetit Cookbook

For Orange-Chipotle Mayo
1 cup mayo (I use Hellman's; Miracle Whip may be acceptable, but I can't promise anything)
3 Tbl orange juice
1 Tbl minced canned chipotle chiles (I used the kind in adobo sauce; you should be able to find this at most grocery stores or a latin grocery store)

For Jerk Sauce
1 bunch green onion, coarsely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 Tbl chopped fresh thyme
1 small habanero chile or 2 medium jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped (I used the jalapenos)
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce (I ran out and only used about 1/4 cup; still tasted good)
1 tsp ground allspice (I completely forgot about this one)

2 lbs ground beef, 15% fat

1. For the mayo: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
2. For the jerk sauce: Finely chop the first four ingredients in a food processor. Add the sugar and next three ingredients, process until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Prepare BBQ grill to medium-high heat. Set aside 3/4 cup of the jerk sauce.
4. Shape the ground beef into six 1/2-3/4 inch-thick patties; place in 9x13 glass baking dish. Pour the 1/2 cup of jerk sauce over patties and turn to coat; let stand 20 minutes (next time I'll do this; I was just running short on time).
5. Sprinkle patties with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness, brushing occasionally with remaining jerk sauce from baking dish, about 4 minutes each side for medium.
6. Spread mayo over inner surfaces of buns. Top with your choice of toppings (tomatoes, lettuce, onion, cheese). Add burger and bun tops. Serve, passing reserved 3/4 cup jerk sauce separately (I just used all of the sauce while I cooked the patties, coating each time I flipped them).