Happy New Year’s Eve! I offer up a toast, to you, followers of this blog. Thank you for another wonderful year and here’s to an even better 2012!

We are having a NYE Brunch today, I’ll post some recipes and pictures next week. Until then, please stay safe… and if you live in Arizona and are going out tonight, remember that AAA Arizona offers a NYE “tipsy tow” service. It is a free one-way ride and tow home, up to 10 miles, for drivers and one passenger, who have been drinking. It is open to everyone, not just AAA members. CLICK HERE to learn more!

This delicious pork roast recipe and the beef tenderloin recipe that I’ll be posting in the new year, are both from the fabulous Bruce Aidells and were featured in this month’s issue of Bon Appétit.  I did make one major and one minor adjustment to the pork recipe. Mr Aidells’ version used a double rack of pork and I used a boneless pork roast. And the original used oranges, whereas I’ve used tangerines.

Wishing you a safe and festive New Year’s Eve!

Pork Roast with Burnt Tangerine-Caramel Pan Sauce

Pork
4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 pound boneless pork roast
6 tangerines
Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh tangerine juice (from about 6 tangerines)
1/4 cup Jack Daniel’s
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pork:  Pulse oil, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper in a food processor to form a paste.

Place roast on a work surface. Using a small knife, score the fat 1/4-inch-deep with six 3-inch-long diagonal slices. Rub roast with herb paste, massaging some into each slit. Let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, use a microplane or grater to zest the orange colored peel from the 6 tangerines and set the zest aside.  Cut the remaining peel and white pith from the same tangerines. Slice the tangerines into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place the slices in the center of a large oven-proof skillet.

Arrange an oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Place pork roast in skillet atop tangerine slices.

Place skillet in preheated oven and roast until meat is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the pork registers 145 degrees, about 40 to 45 minutes more (temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees as it rests). Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 20 minutes.

Sauce:  Meanwhile, stir sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook without stirring, occasionally swirling pan until caramel is deep amber, about 8 minutes.

Remove pan from heat; gradually whisk in tangerine juice and Jack Daniel’s. Set pan over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in reserved tangerine zest, broth, and marmalade. Boil until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Set caramel sauce aside.

Whisk cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl; set aside. Transfer tangerine slices from the skillet to a warm platter. Spoon off and discard fat from drippings in skillet. Place skillet over a burner, set on medium heat. Pour in reserved caramel sauce; set the saucepan aside, do not wash.

Using a spatula, scrape up any browned bits from bottom of the skillet. Boil for 30 seconds, then return sauce to reserved saucepan. Off the heat, stir in Grand Marnier. Return to heat and bring sauce to a boil; whisk in cornstarch mixture. Boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt, pepper.

Slice roast and arrange on top of the tangerine slices on the serving platter. Serve with burnt tangerine–caramel sauce.

Serves 10 to 12

Can you tell that I’m running out of ideas for post titles? Well, I am.  It’s hard to be creative with these things, day after day. :-)  I may soon resort to Pork 5, Chicken 27, and Salad 34. Whatever, this is a pork recipe…

I used up the remaining rhubarb-strawberry compote. If you didn’t make the compote, you can still make this recipe, just substitute jam or preserves. I also had small portions of three different onions in my fridge; red onion, sweet onion, and a large shallot, so I combined those to make up the 1 1/2 cups needed for the sauce. Any type of onion will do. The recipe works equally well with pork loin or pork tenderloin, whichever you prefer or find on sale.

Sage Rubbed Pork with Sweet Onion-Rhubarb Compote

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground in spice mill
2 1/2 pounds pork loin or pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat and silver skin
1  1/2 cups diced onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup rhubarb-strawberry compote or 1 cup berry jam or preserves

Fresh sage sprigs, for garnish

Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil, ground black pepper, salt, dried sage, and ground fennel in small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over pork and let stand 15 minutes.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Add onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and 2 tablespoons water; continue cooking, stirring often, until the onion is soft, 5 to 7 minutes more, adding a tablespoon water at a time if necessary to prevent burning. Stir in rhubarb compote and mix well.

Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 150 degrees, turning pork occasionally, about 8 minutes longer for tenderloins and 12 to 15 minutes for pork loin.

Transfer pork to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices; arrange on platter. Serve with onion-rhubarb compote and garnish with sage sprigs.

Serves 6

I am up in Flagstaff today visiting Connor and watching my friend, Larry Fitzgerald, and the team at Cardinal’s camp. It is a joy to not only see them both, but to get out of the record-breaking heat in the Valley of the Sun; 114 degrees yesterday!

It literally tried to chase me up the mountain yesterday on the drive here. I left the house at about 10:30 AM and it was 106 degrees. By 11:00, I was at 2000 feet and the temperature was climbing faster than I was; 109. When I reached the Sedona turn-off, it was 11:25 and it was 111 degrees! What was going on here -what’s a girl to do? Drive faster, that’s what I did!

I could see the building clouds and the lightening ahead, so I knew there was hope. I actually stopped focusing on the thermostat, and just like a watched pot that won’t boil if you watch it, the temps finally went down and the next time I looked it was 94. When I reached Flag at 12:20 it was a lovely 84 degrees, relief at last!

In addition, I was able to have coffee this morning with my high-school girlfriend, Darcy. She sang at our wedding, 26 years ago. Don’t you just love it when you haven’t seen a friend for a few years and you just pick up where you left off, as if you had lunch together last week? It’s the best, love you, Darcy.  OK, all that has nothing to do with our recipe today, these are just good, so make ‘em!

Potato, Pepper, & Chorizo Empanadas

3/4 cup finely chopped Spanish chorizo
2 onions, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper; cored, seeded, and diced
1/2 green bell pepper; cored, seeded, and diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 large Yukon Gold potato
1 package purchased puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)

Cook chorizo in oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring, 2 minutes, then transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the chorizo drippings from the pan.

Add onions to saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic, bell peppers, bay leaf, salt, and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are soft, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Stir into the onion mixture and cook over medium low heat, covered, stirring frequently, until potatoes are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.   Add potato mixture to chorizo in bowl and stir gently to combine well. Discard bay leaf and cool filling to room temperature.

Move oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Place 1 sheet of puff pastry on a work surface. Keep the remaining sheet covered.  Roll out slightly to smooth out the seams. Using a 2-inch round cutter (or a clean tuna can with both end cut off) cut out 10 rounds. Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling into the center and fold dough in half, enclosing filling.   Press edges together to seal, then crimp tines of a fork.  Transfer empanadas to a baking sheet.  Make 10 more empanadas in same manner, with remaining sheet of puff pastry and remaining filling.  Place on a second baking sheet.

Lightly brush empanadas with egg wash and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes total.  Transfer empanadas to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 20

The empanadas freeze exceptionally well. Place unbaked and egg-washed empanadas on a small baking sheet or plate and freeze until hard.  Transfer to a freezer-quality zip-lock and keep for up to 3 months. No need to defrost before baking, just add an extra 5 minutes or so to cook through and brown.

Photo by Gwen Walters

When deciding what to serve for an appetizer party, it is important to think of all the various components:

hot and cold
meat and vegetarian
rich and mild
complex and easy-breezy
color on the table (you need to be careful that everything is not dark and brown)

I put out only four items for the Blog Anniversary Party, which is at least 3 less than I normally do. Taking into consideration all the above factors was especially important. Here is what I offered and what purpose each served for the buffet:

Italian Guacamole with Cibatta Chips – cold, vegetarian,  mild, colorful, easy-breezy, and diet friendly

Bacon Lollipops – hot, meat, rich, complex, although lacking in color

Lamb Merguez Flatbread – hot, meat, rich, colorful, complex

Prosciutto, Melon, and Bocconcini Picks – cold, meat, mild, colorful, and exceptionally easy-breezy

(can be made vegetarian – substitute an heirloom cherry tomato for the prosciutto on half,  or all, of the picks)

The importance of having easy-breezy recipes included on a party buffet can not be overemphasized.  As the hostess, you need to know that there is at least one recipe that is no fail, no cook, and if all else falls apart, you could get your kid or spouse to complete it for you without too much direction.  This recipe is exactly that, keep it in your repertoire!

Prosciutto, Melon, and Bocconcini Picks

1 ripe cantaloupe melon
Zest and juice of 1 lime
4 -ounces thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
12-ounce container fresh marinated brocconcini (cherry-size mozzarella cheese balls)

Cut the melon in half and remove the seeds. Using a melon baller, scoop out the melon into balls. Place melon balls in a bowl and toss with lime zest and juice.

Use a very sharp knife to cut each slice of prosciutto into 4 long strips. Make a ruffle or a layered ribbon of each strip (see photo).

Pierce through a melon ball with a bamboo pick or toothpick, then add a prosciutto ruffle, and one mozzarella ball. Repeat with all remaining melon balls, prosciutto ruffles, and mozzarella balls.  Arrange picks on a platter and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes about 30 

Don’t you just love that song?  “It’s Raining Men! Hallelujah! – It’s Raining Men! Amen! I’m gonna go out to run and let myself get Absolutely soaking wet!…”  Good song! But unfortunately, it wasn’t raining men over here at my house, it was raining figs.  My tree produces at least twice a year and it’s impossible for me to use them all, so the local birds feast well at the Hopkins’ house.

Three disclaimers for this post: #1 – I didn’t use pork tenderloin. In its place – a pork rib roast I had in my freezer.  But I’ve written the recipe for tenderloin, so you use that, it’s quicker and easier than dealing with a rib roast.  #2 – I only made half of the onion and fig mixture, since there are only two of us.  #3 – Something is set wrong on my camera, so all the indoor pictures turned out with a nasty yellow hue. I tried to correct the problem in Photoshop, but the color isn’t quite right, sorry about that. You’ll just have to imagine better color.

The good news is that the birds and I ate well and enjoyed our figs.  If you live nearby, give me a shout, and you can have all the kadota figs you want… before the birds eat them all.

Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Onions, Rosemary, and Figs

2 pork tenderloins, about a pound each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
24 mission and/or kadota figs, quartered
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Generously salt and pepper the pork and leave at room temperature for about 12 minutes, while the oven preheats.

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the pork in the pan and sear on all sides, until nicely browned. Remove the tenderloins to an oven-proof pan, and place in the preheat oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the tenderloins reaches 140 degrees. Then remove from oven, tent with foil and set aside to rest.

While the tenderloins are roasting, melt the butter in the same sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are nicely browned and caramelized.

Add the rosemary and figs. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir to combine. Sauté 2 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from the heat. Mix in the thyme leaves and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the pork tenderloins into 1/4-inch thick slices and serve alongside the onions and figs.

Serves 4 to 6

And now for a little easy-breezy summertime pizza.  This comes together quicker than all the ingredients might lead you to believe – especially if you buy the cheeses already shredded.

Stuffed French Bread Pizza

2 loaves French bread
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1  1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 ounces sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded provolone cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Split each loaf of bread lengthwise and hollow out.  Cut each half in half crosswise, making a total of 8 shells.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add sausage, brown and crumble with a spatula as it cooks. Add red bell pepper, onion, and garlic.  Cook 3 to 5 minutes, add spinach. Remove mixture from heat and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Transfer to a bowl.  Mix in ricotta and Parmesan. Fill bread shells and top with sliced pepperoni, mozzarella, and provolone cheeses.  Place on baking sheets and  into the preheated oven; bake until the cheeses melt and bubble at the edges and the bread is very crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from oven, cut each piece in half on a diagonal. Sprinkle tops of pizzas with oregano and hot pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

Makes 16 pieces

Had you already figured out that the title “BBR” stood for baby back ribs?  It’s my shortcut name for one of my favorite foods. Seems like it’s the favorite of quite a few people.  When we made these ribs in kids’ classes last month, we all broke into the that little tune that sticks in your brain all day long once you hear it….. “I want my baby back, baby back, baby back…. I want my baby back, baby back, baby back….I want my baby back, baby back, baby back….Chili’s baby back ribs…”   

(Click the link above for a retro Justin Timberlake and Co. take on the snappy song – or this link for a more traditional version.)

Sing now, and thank me later…

 Citrus Baby Back Ribs

6 pounds pork baby back ribs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups orange juice, divided
1 lemon, zest finely grated and then juiced
1 lime, zest finely grated and then juiced
1/2 cup purchased barbecue sauce

Combine cornstarch, brown sugar, mint, and salt in medium saucepan; gradually stir in 2 cups of the orange juice, along with the lemon and lime juices.

Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime and lemon zest; leave sauce in saucepan and set aside.  Heat oven to 250 degrees.

Lay ribs on a rack in a large shallow pan; salt and pepper to taste. Pour the remaining 1 cup orange juice into the pan, cover pan tightly with foil and roast in oven for about 2 hours, or until tender.

Prepare medium-hot fire in grill.  Brush ribs with citrus sauce.  Grill ribs directly over fire, turning frequently and brushing generously with sauce, until ribs are well glazed, about 10 minutes.

Remove to a platter, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.  While ribs rest, return saucepan with remaining sauce to the stove and place over low heat.  Stir in the barbecue sauce until heated through.

Slice ribs between the bones and serve with the citrus barbecue sauce for dipping.

Serves 4

As I’ve mentioned several times recently, we are in our fifth and final week of summer cooking classes. And coincidentally, today is the last day of this last week… no more kids’ classes until Summer 2012 now.  Well, way back in weeks 1 and 2, we had a day called Wrapper Magic, where we used either egg roll, wonton, or spring roll wrappers for each course.  One of the most popular dishes on Wrapper Magic day was these quick and super tasty appetizers.

Sausage Wonton Cups

Pam
Italian seasoning
1 pound mild Italian sausage
1 cup prepared ranch dressing
1 small can chopped black olives, drained
1 small jar diced pimentos, drained
8-ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 package wonton wrappers (about 50)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Spray mini-muffin tins with Pam.  Place one wonton wrapper in each muffin tin, gently pressing down to shape wontons into cups, spray tops with more Pam, and sprinkle a little Italian seasoning into each cup.

Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until cups are light golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside, maintain oven temperature.

Cook sausage in a large skillet until it is cooked through and browned.  Drain on paper towels.  Transfer sausage in a bowl and stir in ranch dressing, olives, pimentos and cheddar cheese to combine.

Place a spoonful of sausage mixture into each wonton cup. Return to oven and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes about 50 appetizers

They say that spicy food cools you off in the summer. Strange, but true; hot spicy food make you sweat, then your body temperature actually dips. But then you’re sweating, not my favorite cup of tea. In hot weather, I generally gravitate towards cool and refreshing foods like yesterday’s grape cooler cocktail, or ice cream, or watermelon.

If you lean more toward spicy food to bring your body temps down, give this grilled dish a try. And even with the addition of all that spice, just the sight and idea of sweet juicy peaches sounds nice and cool!

Grilled Pork Chops and Peaches with Peach-Adobo Sauce

5 large peaches, pitted and cubed, divided
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
4 thick pork chops
3 large peaches, pitted and cubed
Cilantro sprigs for garnish

Place about 1 cup of the cubed peaches in a food processor or blender, pulse at first and then turn to high and puree, you should end up with about 2/3 cup of peach puree.

Stir peach puree, vinegar, adobo sauce, olive oil, and chopped cilantro in medium bowl.

Spray grill rack and a grilling basket with Pam. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Season pork chops and remaining cubed peaches with salt and pepper. Brush both with peach sauce, set aside extra sauce and cover the chops and peaches and allow to sit at room temperature for 2o minutes while grill heats up.

Grill chops until cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes per side, depending on their thickness. Place peaches in grill basket and grill until slightly charred, about 4 minutes, stirring or tossing to char evenly.

Place 1 chop on each of 4 dinner plates. Surround with grilled peaches. Drizzle remaining sauce over pork chops and peaches. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Serves 4

I helped arrange the food buffet at a dear friend’s funeral on Saturday.  On such a sad and heartbreaking day, it is so joyous to see the best in people shinning through. Everyone wanted to help, be involved, and just be there for the family. One of the lovely neighbors brought a large spiral ham for the buffet. There was quite a bit of ham left, so I cut it off the bone, packaged it up for the family, and quietly snuck the ham bone into my stack of platters and chaffing dishes to bring home. On Sunday I made ham bone soup that I’ve packaged up, froze, and will bring back to my friends to enjoy once all the leftovers run out… which won’t be for quite a while!

One family member is gluten-free, so I separated and packaged a special batch for her before I added the macaroni.  This recipe is a bit of a departure from the standard ham and bean soup. It’s also substantially quicker with the assistance of canned beans.

Quick Ham Bone Soup

1 ham bone with some meat still clinging to the bone
28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1  1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 cups small macaroni
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place ham bone in large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook over low heat for 1 hour. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sweet potatoes, oregano, and celery salt and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove about half of the sweet potatoes and place in a blender or food processor along with a couple ladlefuls of the liquid. Puree until smooth and return to the pot.

Add black and kidney beans and simmer 10 minutes.  Stir in corn and bring to a boil.  Add the  macaroni, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is tender, about 6 minutes.  Remove pot from heat and carefully remove ham bone.  Carve off any ham clinging to the bone, dice ham and return to pot.  Discard ham bone.  Taste soup and season with freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Serves a crowd

My mother-in-law has been visiting from Illinois since Super Bowl Sunday, thankfully the weather has been absolutely gorgeous! On Saturday, Marissa and I took her out to the Queen Creek Olive Mill and then we drove down the road a little spell to the Pork Shop, two of my favorite places in town. At the Pork Shop, I bought green chili summer sausage, thick cut bacon, brats, and baby back ribs so meaty that they looked more like pork chops when sliced between the rib bones! Amazing is the only word to describe the pork you can find there!

I’m naming this BBQ sauce, “south of southern” because it has not only Southern Comfort but also a healthy dose of Kahlua and jalapeno for a south of the border flavor too.

South of Southern Baby Back Ribs

1 cup Southern Comfort
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 roasted and peeled jalapeno, seeds and stem removed, then minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup Mocha or regular Kahlua liqueur
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 rack baby back pork ribs, about 3 pounds, cut in half

Place the Southern Comfort in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and zest and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, Kahlua, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire, molasses, Sriracha, and reduced Southern Comfort and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, about 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Using a blender or a food processor, puree, on high speed until smooth. Adjust the seasoning, to taste and cool down to room temperature.

Place the ribs in a gallon size zip-lock bag and add half of the barbecue sauce. Seal, toss to coat and let marinate, refrigerated, for 12 hours.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill to medium heat. Remove the ribs from the marinade, shaking to remove any excess. Place the rib sections, meaty side up, in the grill. Cover and cook until marinade starts to set, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn and baste lightly with the marinate. Cover and grill until nearly cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn and baste again. Cook uncovered without basting until the sauce is thick and the ribs are completely cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard any unused marinade.

Heat the remaining half of the barbecue sauce. Slice the pork into individual ribs and serve with the warm sauce.

Serves 4

I haven’t had the opportunity to cook at home much this week. In fact, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, I wasn’t even home. There were plenty of leftovers in the fridge for Dave and Marissa to help themselves to, but did they? No! Instead they just picked at stuff, never going to the trouble to even re-heat something and eat a real meal. I’m talking cheese and crackers for dinner. So when I finally was home to make dinner on Thursday night, it was up to me to use the leftovers. I made this stir-fry, using the Spanish pork from earlier in the week. That’s one of the great things about stir-fry, as long as you have nice fresh veggies, you can start with raw or cooked meat and end up with great results.

Pork Stir-Fry

8 ounces raw pork tenderloin or leftover pork, cut into 1 1/2×1/4-inch strips
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 ounces baby broccoli florets
4 ounces sugar snap peas
4 ounces snow peas
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds
4 cups freshly cooked brown or white rice

Mix pork, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, sherry, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in a bowl and marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Heat a large wok until very hot, add canola oil to wok  and roll around to coat.  If using raw pork, add pork mixture to wok and stir-fry 1 minute. Transfer pork to dish.  If using leftover pork, skip this step.

Add snap peas, snow peas, and red bell pepper and stir-fry 1 minute. Add mushrooms and pork (either the pork tenderloin you cooked above, or leftover pork) with its liquids and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with almonds and serve over fresh cooked rice.

Serves 4

I’ve taken four of my favorite Spanish ingredients and stuffed them into a pork loin, creating a perfect Sunday supper. I believe you could take Spanish dry-cured chorizo, piquillo pepper, Marcona almonds, and smoked paprika and make just about anything more wonderful than it was before!

Spanish Stuffed Pork Loin

1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon salt
4 ounces Spanish (not Mexican) dry-cured chorizo, diced
5 jarred roasted piquillo peppers, diced
1/3 cup Marcona almonds, coarsely ground in a food processor
1 tablespoon smoked paprika, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pound boneless pork loin

Stuffing: Place the potato cubes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Add salt and boil until potatoes are just tender and able to be pierced easily with a paring knife. Drain and place in a medium bowl.  Add chorizo, peppers, ground almonds, and 1/2 of the smoked paprika.  Toss until well combined. Season to taste with black pepper.

Place the remaining 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika in a small bowl, add olive oil; stir and set aside.

Place pork loin on a work surface. Starting at top, make a lengthwise incision down center of the loin, cutting two thirds of the way through thickness of meat (be careful not to cut all the way through). Open loin like you would open a book. Turning knife horizontally, cut tenderloin open on either side like the flaps of a book jacket, being careful not to cut all the way through.

Pour 2 tablespoons of the liquid that the piquillo peppers are packed in and pour onto the cut side of the pork, spread with a brush. Mound the stuffing evenly over meat from the center cut to the edge closest to you, leaving a 1-inch border.

Fold over the top half and press to seal. (You will have about a third of the filling leftover. It is delicious mixed into scrambled eggs for breakfast, or as a pizza topping for another meal.)

Using kitchen string, tie at 1- to 1 1/2-inch intervals. Transfer pork to a rack on a foil lined baking sheet.  Brush with the reserved paprika oil.

Let pork stand at room temperature 20 minutes before roasting. While pork comes to room temperature, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roast pork 25 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. and continue to roast until thermometer inserted diagonally  into center of meat registers 135 degrees, about 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8