Archive for the ‘PORK’ Category
Char Siu Noodles
June 9, 2022 Lee
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Char Siu Noodles

China Sichuan Food, Elaine, China.
This recipe is for the noodles, not the Char Siu (Roast Red Pork), feel free to use your preferred recipe to prepare the Char Siu, or you can use mine that is listed in the Notes section. This recipe assumes you already have Char Siu prepared.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Noodles

  • 1 tablespoon Char Siu sauce , take this from the marinade sauce you made for your Char Siu
  • ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ¼ teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice powder
  • 2 servings dry Chinese egg noodles, or dry ramen
  • 2 servings green vegetable of choice, such as baby bok choi, choi sum, broccoli, etc.

Additional Item

  • 2 servings Char Siu, your preferred recipe or use mine in the Notes section

Instructions
 

  • To a small saucepan, add the Char Siu sauce, soy sauce, water, and 5 spice powder, mix together, place medium heat and bring to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside.
  • Cook the noodles per package instruction, and undercook by about 1 minute.
  • Add the green vegetable and cook until tender, about 1-2 minutes to wilt.
  • Drain the noodles then mix in the sauce you set aside.
  • Portion into serving bowls and top with your sliced Char Siu. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Additional Recipe: Roast Red Pork (Char Siu).
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: CHINESE,PORK
My Spaghetti Sauce
May 22, 2022 Lee
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My Spaghetti Sauce

Lee
I make this often and finally decided to write a recipe for it. This is a basic sauce but is well liked by myself and my Thai family. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground pork, or beef, (1 lb), I typically use pork
  • 1 onion, diced
  • ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning, Shortcut
  • 2 cans tomato paste, (170 g / 6 oz cans)
  • 4 cans water
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, Shortcut
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • salt, as desired
  • hot cooked spaghetti , for serving

Instructions
 

  • In a non stick pan, add the onion and ground pork, breaking up the meat with your spatula, and sprinkle with the ½ tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Cook, turning often until no pink remains and the meat is cooked through.
  • While the pork is cooking, in a large saucepan, add the tomato paste, water, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning, place on low heat and whisk together. Simmer until hot, stirring often. When hot, add the butter and stir in. Taste and adjust as needed for salt or sugar.
  • When the pork is done, if any excess fat in the pan, drain that off, then add the cooked pork to the sauce and mix together. Taste, and adjust as needed with salt and or sugar. Continue to simmer on low heat for another 15 minutes.
  • Cook spaghetti in a pot of salted boiling water until tender, drain.
  • Serve sauce over spaghetti, enjoy.

Notes

Shortcut: Italian Seasoning, Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs.
Variants: 1. Add some hard boiled eggs to the sauce while it does the final simmer so the eggs can heat through. 2. Add sautéed mushrooms. 
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BEEF,PORK
Bologna, Ham, or Chicken Salad
January 7, 2022 Lee
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Bologna, Ham, or Chicken Salad

Just A Pinch Recipe Club, Beverly Dunlap, United States.
This comes from the Just A Pinch Recipe Club, and is delicious! This recipe assumes you have hard boiled eggs on hand but if not, a link is provided for my favorite way to make them. This recipe requires a meat grinder or food processor, however, I can vouch for using a sharp knife and dicing sliced bologna or sliced ham. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Meat Grinder or Food Processor

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams bologna, ham, or cooked chicken, (1 lb), see Step 1
  • 4-6 dill pickles
  • 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled, Shortcut
  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 1 cup mayo

Instructions
 

  • For the Bologna and Ham, feel free to use bulk unsliced, or sliced. For sliced, you can use a sharp knife and quickly dice this, then finely dice the other ingredients, saving you the cleaning of a grinder or food processor. For grinding or processing, cut the bologna or ham into chunks.
    For the Chicken, cook it your preferred way, boiling, baking, leftovers, rotisserie, you get the idea. For this a grinder or processor would be the best way to go. Cut the chicken in to chunks.

Grinder / Food Processor Method

  • Run the bologna, ham, or chicken, pickles, eggs, and onion through your meat grinder or pulse with an S blade in your food processor until finely chopped.
  • Mix the ground / chopped ingredients together.
  • Add the mayo and mix together. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or even overnight.
  • Serve on bread, toast (buttered), or on crackers, enjoy.

Knife Method

  • For sliced bologna or ham place a stack of slices on a cutting board, cut thin slices all the way across, turn the board 90° and slice again, result is finely diced bologna or ham, add to a mixing bowl.
  • Now finely dice the pickles, eggs, and onion, adding each to the same mixing bowl.
  • Mix together.
  • Add the mayo and mix that in. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or even overnight. (I used Japanese Kewpie mayo, and already smoothed it out, ready to be covered and placed in the fridge.)
  • After several hours of chilling, I made sandwiches using my fresh baked multigrain bread, toasted and buttered. Delicious!

Notes

I will say Low cost for now as this does make a lot.
Shortcut: Perfect Hard Boiled Chicken Eggs. 
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,BURGERS & SANDWICHES,CHICKEN & TURKEY,PORK
Andy’s Devilish Ham Spread
January 1, 2022 Lee
3 Comments

Andy's Devilish Ham Spread

Just a Pinch Recipe Club - Chef Andy Anderson, United States.
This recipe comes from a good friend, and Chef. I made this on 29 Mar 2022, and this is an excellent ham salad! A food processor or good blender is needed for this, and since I do not have a food processor, I used my electric meat grinder with the coarse plate, worked perfectly.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings as sandwiches

Equipment

  • Food Processor / Blender / Meat Grinder , S blade for a processor, coarse plate (¼ in / 6 mm)

Ingredients
  

  • 750 grams ham, roughly chopped, (1½ lb)
  • 4-5 green olives, pitted

Binding Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup mayo
  • 56 grams Parmesan cheese, finely grated, (2 oz)
  • 56 grams crushed pineapple, drained, blotted dry with a paper towel, (2 oz)
  • 1-2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, drained, blotted dry with a paper towel
  • 1 tablespoon brown mustard
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce, I used Tabasco
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon celery salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

Instructions
 

  • I went with the Variants, and cup up some Canadian Bacon steaks and chopped some capers.
  • Add the ham and olives to your food processor, or good blender, pulse in 1 second intervals until finely chopped. Or use a meat grinder which is my preference.
  • In a mixing bowl, add all the Binding Ingredients.
  • Mix together until well blended.
  • Add the mixture to the chopped ham and mix together. If mixture seems to dry, just mix in another tablespoon at a time. Cover and place in the fridge to chill and blend the flavors for at least an hour or even overnight.
  • Serve with crackers, as a sandwich filling, in a salad, or as an ingredient in other recipes that call for deviled ham.

Notes

For sandwiches, this is right about $1.50 per serving, so Fair cost.
Variants: 1. For those in Thailand, use Canadian Bacon Steaks from Makro in place of ham (this was by mistake but the taste is the same). 2. Use 1½ tablespoons of capers, drained and chopped, in place of olives.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,APPETIZERS / SNACKS,BURGERS & SANDWICHES,INGREDIENTS,PORK
Smokey Link Casserole
September 27, 2021 Lee
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Smokey Link Casserole

Favorite Recipes page 250, Judi Peters, Grand Rapids, MI.
This recipe is from an extensive cookbook titled Favorite Recipes, compiled by the active and retired employees of Michigan Bell in 1981. I made this on 28 Sep 2021, mine did not thicken too much but the flavor is excellent. I used cream of celery soup. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Casserole (2 quart)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can potatoes, sliced, drained, (15 oz / 425 g)
  • 1 can creamed corn, (15 oz / 425 g)
  • 1 can condensed cream of celery soup, (10½ oz / 298 g), Shortcut
  • 1 cup half and half cream
  • 500 grams little smokies, cut links into 3 pieces, (1 lb)
  • salt and black pepper, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a 2 quart casserole.
  • Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir together.
  • Pour mixture into the casserole.
  • Bake for 40 minutes or until casserole is thickened and lightly browned on top. (When I make this again I will try 60 minutes to see if the casserole will thicken more.)
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Celery Soup, Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Variant: 1. Use condensed cream of chicken or mushroom soup in place of the celery soup.
Updated on 28 September 2021.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PORK,Pork - Sausage
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage Stuffing
September 27, 2021 Lee
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Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage Stuffing

Favorite Recipes page 251, Ruth Tripp, Rochester, MI.
This recipe is from an extensive cookbook titled Favorite Recipes, compiled by the active and retired employees of Michigan Bell in 1981. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
  • Steamer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 medium acorn squash
  • 500 grams bulk pork sausage, Shortcut
  • 1 cup soft breadcrumbs, or ¾ cup dry bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons onion, finely diced
  • salt and pepper, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds.
  • Add water to your steamer and bring to a low boil. Add the squash, cut side down, to the steamer tray, and steam for 15 minutes or until tender, drain squash well. Work in batches to get all the halves steamed. (15 minutes for small to medium squash, 20 minutes for large.)
  • Place squash halves cut side up in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
  • While the squash is steaming, cook the sausage in a pan, breaking up the sausage with a spatula. Cook until no more pink is visible and it is cooked through. Drain off excess fat. (I went overboard and cooked up 2 lb of sausage thought I was using 2 large squash but turned out to be 1 large and 1 small, the excess was saved for another use.)
  • Preheat your oven to 200° C (400° F).
  • Add the onion and breadcrumbs, and stir together. Add a little milk or water if the sausage seems too dry.
  • Spoon sausage mixture into the squash, pressing down lightly.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned and squash is heated through.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving if growing the squash yourself, as I have not seen acorn squash in any market. I am going to try and grow them in my garden.
Shortcut: Bulk Pork/Italian Sausage.
Variant: 1. Use Italian sausage in place of pork sausage.
Updated on 27 September 2021.
# Buster Approved,#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PORK,Pork - Sausage
Seasoned Pork Belly (Pressure Cooker)
September 20, 2021 Lee
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Seasoned Pork Belly (Pressure Cooker)

Sandy Wu
This recipe is from a friend on social media and is a make as much as you want recipe and seasoned to taste, keeping in mind the limits of your pressure cooker. When I make this, I will come up with some basic measurements. I will be using my 9 liter (9½ quart) stove top pressure cooker with a pressure of 80 kPa (12 psi), so this will work equally well with electric pressure cookers. Follow all safety precautions for your model of pressure cooker.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Asian

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • Timer

Ingredients
  

  • fresh pork belly
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • garlic, minced
  • onion, diced
  • soy sauce
  • Chinese 5 Spice powder
  • water, (I will say 1 cup as a starting amount)
  • rice wine, (I will use Shaoxing when I test this)
  • palm sugar
  • star anise
  • hot cooked rice, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork belly into 1 to 1½ cubes.
  • With the lid off your pressure, add the oil and place the pressure cooker on medium heat, when hot, add the garlic and onion, sauté until tender.
  • Add the pork belly and remaining ingredients, except the rice, stir together.
  • Add the lid to the pressure cooker and lock in place, add the weight on the lid. Place on high heat until the weight (jiggler) starts venting and making some sound and moving a little. Reduce heat to low or medium low to just keep the jiggler venting and moving, set your timer for 20 minutes.
  • At 20 minutes, turn off the heat and carefully move the pressure cooker to an unused burner and allow the pressure to release naturally, about 15-20 minutes.
  • When you have indications of zero pressure inside the cooker, carefully remove the weight, then remove the lid.
  • Remove the pork belly to a serving bowl, and pour the liquid into another bowl.
  • Serve pork belly with hot cooked rice, and spoon over liquid from the pot, as desired. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,PORK,Pork - Pressure Cooker
Basic Pork Belly (Pressure Cooker)
September 20, 2021 Lee
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Basic Pork Belly (Pressure Cooker)

Sandy Wu
This recipe is from a friend on social media and is a make as much as you want recipe, keeping in mind the limits of your pressure cooker. I will be using my 9 liter (9½ quart) stove top pressure cooker with a pressure of 80 kPa (12 psi), so this will work equally well with electric pressure cookers. Follow all safety precautions for your model of pressure cooker.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Asian

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • Timer
  • Broiler

Ingredients
  

  • fresh pork belly
  • dipping sauces of your choice, as desired, for serving
  • hot cooked rice, as desired, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork belly into strips about 2 inches wide.
  • Place a rack in your pressure cooker and add 1½ cups of water, the rack should be above the water.
  • Place the pork belly strips on the rack.
  • Add the lid to the pressure cooker and lock in place, add the weight on the lid. Place on high heat until the weight (jiggler) starts venting and making some sound and moving a little. Reduce heat to low or medium low to just keep the jiggler venting and moving, set your timer for 22 minutes.
  • At 22 minutes, turn off the heat and carefully move the pressure cooker to an unused burner and allow the pressure to release naturally, about 15-20 minutes.
  • When you have indications of zero pressure inside the cooker, carefully remove the weight, then remove the lid.
  • Remove the pork belly to a cutting board to sit and dry out. I will verify the time when I prepare this.
  • Lightly score the skin side of the pork belly with a knife.
  • Now for crisping up the skin, I am going to use a broiler, but feel free to use an air fryer.
  • Place the pork belly on a rack, skin side up, and broil until the skin is blistered and crispy. I will verify a time for this when I prepare this.
  • Cut pork belly into 1 inch wide pieces.
  • Serve with dipping sauces of your choice or simply with salt and pepper, and rice on the side if desired. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,PORK,Pork - Pressure Cooker
Hungarian Gulyás
September 2, 2021 Lee
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Hungarian Gulyás

Adapted from a recipe in the Casserole Cook Book, page 72.
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Casserole Cook Book by Better Homes & Gardens, printed in 1961. This recipe sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Hungarian
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2¼ kilo pork, or veal or beef, (2½ lb), cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1½ tablespoons paprika
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3½ cups canned tomatoes
  • 1 cup sour cream, Shortcut
  • 1 recipe Spätzle, Link in Notes

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a pot, add the pork, and brown, stirring often to get most of the cubes browned.
  • Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened.
  • Stir in the flour and seasonings.
  • Add the tomatoes and stir together. Cover and simmer on low heat until the pork is tender and the sauce thickened, about 1 to 1¼ hours. Stir occasionally.
  • When the meat is tender and sauce thickened, stir in the sour cream and remove from heat.
  • Serve with spätzle, enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving if using pork, beef or veal may be a bit higher cost.
Additional Recipe: Spätzle.
Shortcut: Sour Cream.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: HUNGARIAN,BEEF,PORK,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI,VEAL
Swedish Cabbage Rolls
September 2, 2021 Lee
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Swedish Cabbage Rolls

Adapted from a recipe in the Casserole Cook Book, page 70.
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Casserole Cook Book by Better Homes & Gardens, printed in 1961. This recipe sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Swedish
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Pan (7x11 inch)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup onion, finely diced
  • ⅔ cup milk
  • 250 grams ground beef, (8 oz / ½ lb)
  • 250 grams ground pork, (8 oz / ½ lb)
  • ¾ cup cooked rice
  • 6 large cabbage leaves
  • 1 can condensed tomato soup, (10½ oz / 298 g), Shortcut
  • 1 soup can water, (1¼ cups)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
  • boiled potatoes, for serving.

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, add the first 6 ingredients and mix well.
  • Add the beef, pork, and rice, and mix together.
  • Steam cabbage leaves for for 3 minutes or just until wilted and flexible.
  • Slit the heavy vein in each leaf about 2½ inches, to make them easier to fold.
  • Place ½ cup meat mixture on a leaf, fold in sides, and roll ends over meat. Place roll in an ungreased 7x11 inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining leaves.
  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F).
  • In a mixing bowl, add the soup, water, and brown sugar. Mix together.
  • Pour soup mixture over the cabbage rolls.
  • Bake for 1¼ hours or until meat is cooked through.
  • Serve with boiled potatoes, enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Tomato Soup.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: SWEDISH,BEEF,PORK