Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Sweet and Sour Marinade

For Marinade

Ingredients
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple jelly
1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions
In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade and pour the rest over the pork tenderloin in a zip-top bag. Marinate 4-10 hours.

For the Tenderloin

Ingredients

1- 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

Directions

1. When ready to cook pork, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the pork from the bag and place the tenderloin on a foil-lined baking dish. Place in the preheated oven and bake until internal temperature reached 160 degrees f., about 20-25 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, baste roast with the reserved marinade.
2. Let stand for 5 minutes and then slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Spoon pan juices over roast before serving.

Notes: Very delicious, juicy, and tender!

Source: Our Best Bites Cookbook

Sweet Shredded Pork Enchiladas with Chili Verde

Ingredients

Mexican-Style Sweet Shredded Pork
4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1-2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 (10-ounce) cans enchilada sauce
1 c. brown sugar, divided
1/2 c. salsa
1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. apple juice

Chile Verde
1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and quartered or halved
2 green peppers, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and membranes removed, if desired
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
2-3 Tbsp. sugar

Tortillas
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Trim the visible fat from the roast and sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder, and onion powder. Use your hands to massage the spices over all sides of the meat.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork roast for about 1 minute on all sides or until meat surface is golden brown.
3. While the meat is searing, combine the enchilada sauce, 2/3 cup brown sugar, salsa, Worcestershire sauce, and apple juice in a slow-cooker. Add the pork, cover, and cook on low for 7 hours with lid on the entire time.
4. Remove pork and shred, discarding any pieces of fat. Add the additional 1/3 cup brown sugar to slow cooker and turn heat to high. Add shredded meat. Simmer with lid off for 30 minutes.
5. While meat is cooking, prepare chili verde sauce: Combine tomatillos, green peppers, jalapenos, and cilantro in a blender. Process until smooth; you may have to do it in batches and/or add some of the chicken broth to make the sauce easy to blend. Pour the tomatillo mixture into a saucepan and add the remaining Chili Verde ingredients. Simmer on stove top for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the consistency you want. Stir frequently to avoid scorching.
6. To assemble enchiladas: Place shredded pork into tortillas and roll up. Place in 9x13 baking dish. Pour chili verde sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese, and bake at 350 degrees F. until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Notes: These were tasty. The recipe for the pork makes a lot, so I had to freeze the leftover to use another time. 

Source: Our Best Bites cookbook

L.A. Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients
1 lb 2 oz ground pork
1/2 onion, grated
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 tsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
sea salt

To serve
hamburger buns
arugula leaves
roasted red pepper
1 red onion, thinly sliced
sweet potato fries (see below

Directions

1. Put the pork, onion, fennel, breadcrumbs, egg, and parsley in a large mixing bow. Season well with salt and pepper and then use your hands to mix everything together thoroughly. Shape the mixture into four patties, then cover and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Heat a frying pan over high heat. Add the patties and cook 4-5 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
3. Place the patties in hamburger buns and top with arugula, roasted pepper and a few slices of red onion. Serve with sweet potato fries.

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SWEET POTATO FRIES

Ingredients

2 lb 4 oz sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into strips

2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Toss the sweet potato with the olive oil, paprika, cayenne pepper and sea salt. Scatter them in a single layer on a large baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the fires are golden brown.

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Notes: I think this was my first pork burger. I liked it. Maybe not as much as southwestern chicken burgers, but still tasty. We didn't have arugula, but it worked with lettuce.

Source: Simple Honest Food, pg 109.

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup Panko
2 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Gravy
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups beef broth
3/4 cup sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, Panko, egg yolks, allspice, nutmeg and cooked onion; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 24 meatballs.
3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add meatballs, in batches, and cook until all sides are browned, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
4. To make the gravy, melt butter in the skillet. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in beef broth and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in sour cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Stir in meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through and thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley.

Notes: We've made several other meatball recipes that I think I prefer to this one, but this was still tasty.

Source: Damn Delicious via Kimberly.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Pork Tacos

Ingredients
1 pound - pork roast
4 teaspoon - liquid smoke
2 teaspoon - sea salt
2 cup - broccoli slaw
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup - cilantro, chopped

Sauce
1/4 cup - ketchup
1/4 cup - soy sauce
1/3 cup - pineapple juice
1 teaspoon - garlic, minced
1 tablespoon - brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon - ginger, minced

Directions

1. Place pork roast in slow cooker. Rub with sea salt, then pour liquid smoke over the pork. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
2. 30 minutes before serving, shred pork with 2 forks.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay wontons on a flat surface. Fill a small glass of water. Spoon a tablespoon of shredded pork into the center of each wonton. Top with some broccoli slaw and red onion.
4. Wet your fingertips in the water, pinch 2 opposite corners of the wontons together to seal. Place tacos on baking sheet, spray liberally with cooking spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
5. While tacos are baking, combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, then reduce to simmer. Wisk as it thickens.
6. Remove wontons from the oven when golden brown. Drizzle tacos with sauce. Chop cilantro to garnish. Enjoy!

Notes: I'm not sure if it was some mistake on our part or meant to be this way, but I found the pork in this recipe to be way too salty. If we make this again we'll be using a lot less salt. Other than that it was a fun recipe. Serves 6.

Source: allthecooks

Filipino Braised Pork Adobo

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs pork, cut in large hunks (pork belly, shoulder, etc)
1 head garlic, peeled
1 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns, or cracked if preferred -OR-
1 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
6 bay leaves
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar, up to 1/4 cup as desired
salt
pepper
light sesame oil -OR- peanut oil, to taste

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to dutch oven or other large pot (except oil). Start with 1 Tbsp brown sugar.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer covered for 1-2 hours or until the meat is fork tender, without stirring.
3. Remove meat and brown in oil or on a grill.
4. Meanwhile, boil the sauce to thicken, adding more brown sugar until as sweet as you'd like. The sauce should reduce until thick and syrupy.
5. When done reducing (about 30 minutes), return meat to the pot and serve over rice.

Notes: Nearly 15 years ago I had a roommate that had been a missionary in the Philippines. He made adobo for me a few times. Lately I've been in the mood to have it again so we've tried a couple of adobo recipes. This one is better than the first we tried (Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo), though still nothing at all like what my roommate made. When I took my first bite of this I was a little surprised at all the different flavors. Some advice for the ignorant, though: whole peppercorns can be pretty strong so you probably don't want a mouthful.

Source: Global Table Adventure

Cuban Hot Pressed Pork Sandwich

Ingredients
1 loaf Cuban Bread (substitute: Italian or French)
yellow mustard, to taste
4 slices ham
4 slices roast pork
4 slices swiss cheese
pickles, thinly sliced, to taste

Instructions

1. Slice a loaf of Cuban bread almost completely in half lengthwise, and spread mustard along the bottom.
2. Add the ham, pork, cheese and pickles to the sliced loaf.
3. Place the sandwich in a large frying pan over medium heat.
4. On another burner heat up a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
5. Press the sandwich between the two hot pans until toasty (cheese melts)

Notes: I thought these were pretty tasty. We used French bread because that is what we could find. Based on the photos at the source I think Cuban bread may have resulted in thinner sandwiches. Although it wouldn't be as authentic, it seems like you could also use a George Foreman style grill to press the sandwich.

Source: Global Table Adventure

Mushroom Pork Chops

Ingredients
4 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch garlic salt, or to taste
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Directions

1. Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.
2. In a large skillet, brown the chops over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms, and saute for one minute. Pour cream of mushroom soup over chops. Cover skillet, and reduce temperature to medium-low. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until chops are cooked through.

Notes: This was a tasty recipe. Our pork chops were a bit thicker than I like, but I didn't have any complaints about the sauce.

Source: allrecipes.com

Natchitoches Meat Pie

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2+ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (it’s the cheapest, best, and widely available)
Tabasco sauce to taste (start with about 1/4 tsp.)
1 can beef broth
Pie Crust, tripled
1 egg
1/4 c. cold water

Instructions:
In a large skillet, brown ground beef and ground pork, breaking the meat into small pieces. When it’s about halfway cooked, drain excess fat and then add green and red peppers, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent. Add 2 tsp. Tony’s and 1/4 tsp. Tabasco. Add beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with additional Tony’s and Tabasco if necessary, keeping in mind that the seasonings will mellow in the pie. You can refrigerate this mixture for 3-4 days before baking the pies.

Prepare pie crust and roll the entire ball onto a floured surface. For large (meal-sized) pies, use a bowl that’s about 6″ across the top; just invert the bowl onto the dough and trace a knife around it to cut the dough.

Place about 1/4 c. of the meat mixture onto one half of the dough circle, keeping about a 1/2″-1″ margin from the edges.

Fold the other side over and gently pinch the edges shut.

For the decorative edge, crimp the edge with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. You could also use a calzone or empanada mold.

Preheat oven to 400 and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place prepared pies onto your baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cold water and brush over the pies.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool a few minutes and then eat as soon as humanly possible. Makes about 12 6″ pies or lots and lots of small (biscuit cutter) pies.

Notes: We made this from the recipe in the Our Best Bites: Mormon Moms in the Kitchen cook book, but the recipe posted here is the one I found online. We had this in February 2013, and I remember liking the flavor. Our crust turned out a bit too dry for my taste, though.

Source: Our Best Bites Cook Book. Also online here.

Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Ingredients
Pork
4 boneless pork loin chops (6 oz. each)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. butter

Sauce
1/2 c. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Directions
Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. In a a shallow bowl, beat egg and ginger. Place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Dip chops in egg mixture, then coat with crumbs. In a large skillet, cook pork in butter over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove and keep warm. Add sauce ingredients to the skillet; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve with chops. Yields 4 servings.

Notes: If the date on my photo is right, we made this in March of 2012. It has been long enough that I don't really remember much about it. I'm fairly certain that I did not like it as much as the Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce recipe that we've got on the blog, because I would remember that.

Source: Prairie 4th Ward Recipes & Remembrances Cook Book 2nd Edition

Barbecue Ribs

Ingredients

4 lbs pork ribs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon hickory smoke salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce (we've tried Sweet Baby Ray's and a cinnamon apple flavored sauce)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees f.
2. Peel off tough membrane that covers the bony side of the ribs.
3. Mix together the sugar and spices to make the rub.
4. Apply rub to ribs on all sides.
5. Lay ribs on two layers of foil, shiny side out and meaty side down.
6. Lay two layers of foil on top of ribs and roll and crimp edges tightly, edges facing up to seal.
7. Place on baking sheet and bake for 2-2 1/2 hours or until meat is starting to shrink away from the ends of the bone.
8. Remove from oven.
9. Heat broiler.
10. Cut ribs into serving sized portions of 2 or 3 ribs.
11. Arrange on broiler pan, bony side up.
12. Brush on sauce.
13. Broil for 1 or 2 minutes until sauce is cooked on and bubbly.
14. Turn ribs over.
15. Repeat on other side.
16. Alternately, you can grill the ribs on your grill to cook on the sauce.

Notes: When we first tried this, it was our first ever attempt at making ribs. We've now had it twice, the first time with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and the second with a cinnamon apple BBQ sauce we found at a specialty store. I think it turned out really well both times and we will be having this again.

Source: Food.com

Roast Pork Loin Crusted with Maple and Mustard

Ingredients

Roast Pork Loin Crusted with Maple and Mustard

3 pounds boneless pork loin
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
5 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh sage (minced)
2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper as needed

Apple Dried Fruit Chutney
3 tart, fresh apples (chopped)
2 tablespoons dried apricots (chopped)
2 tablespoons Craisins or dried cherries
2 tablespoons dried figs (chopped)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup red onions (diced)
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons walnuts (chopped)
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions
1. Pan sear pork loin in pan on medium-high heat, browning all sides of the pork loin.
2. Mix maple syrup, mustard, sage, and Panko bread crumbs together mixing until incorporated. Crust the top of the pork loin fat-side up with the mustard honey crust.
3. Place pork loin into a 300 degree oven and cook until the internal temperature of the roast is 145 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before cutting.
4. For the chutney, add the butter into a sauce pan with red onions and cook on medium high heat until the onions start to caramelize. Add diced apples, dried fruits, spices, honey, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has started to thicken.

Notes: I really liked the flavor of the pork, but found the chutney to be too strong for my tastes.  A small amount of chutney went a long way. Makes 8 servings.

Source: BYU Magazine

Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

Ingredients
6 boneless pork loin chops
3/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water

Directions
Sprinkle pork chops with pepper.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook pork over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.  Remove and keep warm.  Add the water, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to skillet; stir to loosen browned bits. Mix cornstarch and cold water together, add to sauce mixture.  Bring to boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Return chops to the pan.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Notes: Brittany and I both thought this was good, but both of us also prefer other pork chops we've tried.  It is easy, though.  Source:  Prairie 4th Ward cook book.

Chalupas

Ingredients

3 lb pork roast

1 lb dry pinto beans

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T ground cumin

1 T dried oregano

2 T chili powder

1 T salt

4 oz can diced green chilies

water

Directions

Cover beans with water and soak overnight.  In the morning, put roast in slow cooker.  Add in beans and other ingredients.  Fill with water to cover all ingredients (this can include the water that the beans soaked in but doesn't have to).  Cook for 1 hour on high then 6 hours on low, or, if the roast is frozen, you can likely leave it on high all day.  Take meat out and shred.  Place back in slow cooker and let cook for 1 hour on high or until ready to eat.  Can be served over a bed of lettuce topped with cheese and onions and tomatoes, or any other way you want.  

Notes: We got this recipe from Brittany's sister, Kim. I am not sure where Kim got it. We've had it in a burrito, on a sandwich, and on top of rice.  All were tasty.

Peppered Pork Pitas with Garlic Sauce

 Ingredients
1/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 Tbsp milk
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb boneless pork loin chops, cut into thin bite-size strips
1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1 jar (7.25 oz) roasted red bell peppers, drained, sliced
4 pita fold breads (7 inch)

Directions
1. In small bowl, mix mayonnaise, milk, and garlic; set aside.
2. In medium bowl, mix pork, oil, and pepper.  Heat 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook pork in skillet 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pork is lightly browned and no longer pink in center.  Stir in bell peppers; heat until warm.
3. Heat pita folds as directed on package.  Lightly spread one side of each pita fold with garlic mixture.  Spoon pork mixture over each; fold up.

Notes: Delicious! Easy to make, too.  Recipe comes from the Betty Crocker website and was recommended by my sister, Jen.  Check the link for a better photo.  (Our local store only had pocket pitas.)  Although I am just now getting around to posting it, we've already had it a couple of times in the last month.
Note from Brittany: I just seasoned the mayo sauce with garlic powder to our own liking. I thought 2 cloves of garlic was quite a bit, but some people might like it that garlicky.

Pork Pot Roast in Cider

Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pound boneless pork blade or sirloin roast
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 1/4 cups apple cider or apple juice
2 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 medium red potatoes or round white potatoes, peeled (if desired) and quartered
3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1/3 cup cold water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Trim fat from meat. In a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven brown meat on all sides in hot oil.  Drain off fat.  Stir together apple cider, bouillon granules, mustard, and pepper.  Pour over meat.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
2. Add potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onion.  Simmer, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes more or until meat and vegetables are tender.  Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving platter, reserving juices in Dutch oven.  Keep warm.
3. For gravy, measure juices; skim fat.  If necessary, add enough water to juices to equal 1 1/2 cups.  Return to Dutch oven.  Stir cold water into flour.  Stir into juices in pan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 1 minute more.  To serve, remove string from meat, if present.  Slice meat and serve with vegetables and gravy.

Crockery-Cooker Directions
Trim fat from meat.  Brown meat as directed above.  Place potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onion in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker.  Cut meat to fit in cooker and place on top of vegetables.  Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours or until tender.  Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm.  Prepare gravy in a medium saucepan on the range top as in step 3.  Serve as above.

Notes: Brittany made this in the crockpot.  We didn't have any parsnips.  This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens 12th Edition Cook Book.

Bacon-Wrapped Meat Loaf

 Ingredients
Glaze
1/2 cup chili sauce (or substitute ketchup)
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 tsp. cider vinegar

Meat Loaf
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 med. onion, chopped
2 med. cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or whole milk)
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground veal (or more pork instead)
2/3 cup Saltine crackers, crushed (about 18) or quick oatmeal, or 1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
6-8 oz. bacon, thin sliced (8 to 12 slices, depending on loaf shape)

Directions:
1. For the glaze: Mix all ingredients in small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened and set aside.
2. For the meat loaf: Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat oil in medium skillet.  Add onion and garlic; saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and milk or yogurt.  Add egg mixture to meat in large bowl along with crackers, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic; mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl.  (If mixture sticks, add additional milk or yogurt a couple tablespoons at a time until it no longer sticks.)
4. Turn meat mixture onto work surface.  With wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9-by-5-inch loaf shape.  Place on foil-lined (for easy cleanup) shallow baking ban.  Brush with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.
5. Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour.  Cool 10-15 minutes.  While meat loaf is cooling, re-heat remaining sauce and brush some over loaf if desired.  Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze.

Notes: I'm pretty sure Brittany didn't follow this recipe exactly (I don't think we had hot sauce or ground pork, and I know we didn't have veal), but whatever she did was still tasty.  This recipe came from Our Best Bites, which apparently got it from America's Test Kitchen.  I'm not sure if it was the bacon, but I didn't enjoy this as much when eaten as leftovers compared to other meatloaf recipes we've tried (regular and mushroom-and-sour-cream).  Also, we didn't have very much extra glaze for serving with the sliced meatloaf.
Update by Brittany: I used 1 pound of ground pork in addition to the ground beef. I used oatmeal instead of crushed crackers, and we didn't have any Dijon mustard, chili sauce, or hot sauce on hand. I agree with John-it was tasty (and it made the house smell delicious!), but I would probably prefer one of the other meatloaf recipes to this one. Perhaps I will try it again without the bacon. The glaze was really yummy.

Pulled Pork with Root Beer Sauce

Ingredients
1 (2 1/2 to 3 lb) pork sirloin roast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp cooking oil
2 med. onions, cut into thin wedges
1 cup root beer*
2 Tbsp minced garlic
3 cups root beer (2 12-oz cans or bottles)*
1 cup bottled chili sauce
1/4 tsp root beer concentrate (optional)
Several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)
8 to 10 hamburger buns, split (toasted, if desired)
Lettuce leaves (optional)
Tomato slices (optional)
*Do not use diet root beer

Directions
1. Trim fat from meat.  If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3.5- to 5-quart crockery cooker.  Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet brown meat on all sides in hot oil.  Drain off fat.  Transfer meat to cooker.  Add onions, the 1 cup root beer, and garlic.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan combine the 3 cups root beer and the chili sauce.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 2 cups.  If desired, add root beer concentrate and hot pepper sauce.
4. Transfer meat to a cutting board or serving platter.  Using a slotted spoon, remove onions from cooking juices and place on a serving platter.  Discard juices.  Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds.  To serve, if desired, line buns with lettuce leaves and tomato slices.  Add meat and onions; spoon on sauce.

Notes: This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens 12th Edition Cook Book, and is one of their "Best Loved" recipes.  I have only had root beer pulled pork a few times in my life, but I have enjoyed it every time.

Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried sage, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 (4 oz.) boneless pork loin chops
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over pork chops.

2. Melt butter and olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Cook pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove from skillet and keep warm in preheated oven.

3. In the skillet, combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). Spoon sauce in a pool onto a serving plate, and top with pork chops. Garnish with sprigs of thyme.              

Notes: Brittany's sister, Kim, shared this recipe with us, and she found it on allrecipes.com.  We obviously didn't follow the directions exactly, since our pork is bone-in, our raspberry sauce has seeds in it, and we put the sauce on top.  Still, very tasty.  I think this is only our second pork chop recipe on the blog, but we prefer this one to Pork Chops and Orange Rice.

Pork Chops and Wild Rice

Ingredients

4 thick sliced pork chops

2 apples

1 cup brown rice

1 onion, diced

1 t. parsley

1 stalk celery, with leaves, diced

1 t. salt

1 C. hot water

1/2 t. chili powder

Directions

Combine everything but pork chops and apples in crock pot. Stir well. Core the apples and slice each one, making four rings. Place on top of the rice. Brown the chops on each side. Place on top of the apples. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

Notes: I found this recipe here. From the way the recipe is written, we didn't know if each apple was supposed to be sliced into 4 slices or if there were supposed to be 4 slices total, one for each pork chop. We made it with 4 slices/halves total. If we make this again, we will probably try it the other way. Also, the recipe doesn't specify what type of apple to use. I would be interested in trying different apples since the apples we used had a fairly mild flavor. A tart or sweet apple might be interesting.