Category: Pork

  • Chicken, Pork, and Beef Fajitas

    Chicken, Pork, and Beef Fajitas

    Enjoy these Chicken, Pork, and Beef Fajitas fresh off of the grill this summer! Create a fajita bar and serve your favorite sides to go with these tasty fajitas!

    Chicken, Pork, and Beef Fajitas

    Sometimes as a man, I just want to fire up the grill and cook some delicious meats.  Nothing fancy, just protein, fire, spices, and of course a rocking chair and a cold beer! 

    Fajitas are a great excuse for enjoying an easy and fun cooking experience, and they also feed a lot of people. Additionally, besides the grilled meats, fajitas are super easy because you can use pre made salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, and guacamole to add to your fajita. 

    Sheet Pan Chili Lime Beef Fajitas

    You can use either a charcoal or propane grill, but if you use a charcoal grill like I did, wait until the coals are white.  Lots of folks think that this is when the fire is starting to die, but the truth is that this stage of the charcoal fire burns the most steady and consistent. 

    Too often, folks think that when there are orange flames and black coals then that’s the best time to grill your meat.  That’s just not the case!  Remember flames burn, and I don’t want to eat charred black meat.  So wait a few minutes, and let the flames die before putting your meat on the grill. 

    For the meat prep, I also kept it very simple.  I added 2 tsp each of table salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to an empty black pepper shaker.  That’s it!  I used 4 spices, mixed them well, put them in an old shaker, and then dusted skirt steak, pork chops, and boneless skinless chicken thighs. 

    Once I seasoned the meat, I covered them and put them in the fridge to marinate for an hour.  Once the fire in the grill was ready, I took each of the meats out of the fridge and let them cook while I sat on the porch, listened to music, and drank cold beer. 

    meats on a grill

    The size and type of meat determined how often I checked it and flipped it.  For the small pork chops, I only cooked them for about 4-5 minutes per side over a hot grill.  They were cut thin, and they were cooked through quickly. 

    pork on a grill
    pork chops

    The same with the chicken, however there were more pieces of chicken and the chicken didn’t have the same consistency of cuts as a pork chop does. 

    The chicken might take 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the chicken and the temperature of the grill.

    grilled chicken
    chicken fajitas

    Finally, for a large skirt steak, it will take at least 20 minutes.  It might even take longer if you have a guest that wants ZERO pink in the middle of their steak fajitas. 

    steak on the grill
    cut up steak

    Once the meat is done, let it rest.  Trust me, the meat is still hot and still cooking even after taking it off the grill.  Let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes. 

    Once you’ve let the meat rest, then slice it up! Next, you can set up  your side items to include cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc. 

    Finally, take some tortillas and let them warm up on the grill for 1-2 minutes for each side of the tortilla.  Enjoy!

    tortillas on a grill
    stack of tortillas
    chicken, pork, and beef fajitas
  • Pork Chops with Mushroom and Spinach Gravy

    Pork Chops with Mushroom and Spinach Gravy

    Try this delicious Pork Chops with Mushroom and Spinach Gravy for dinner tonight!

    Pork chops are one of my favorite meals to serve for my family. There are so many tasty options and recipes for making pork chops and it’s fun to get creative!

    Smothered pork chops have become a regular recipe in my household. I can’t wait to share my pork chop recipe with bacon and onions, too!

    If you are looking for a change up from the traditional beef or chicken recipe, you can always use pork as a leaner meat option for the menu. On their own, pork chops are bland and do need to be dressed up with good sauces and seasonings in my opinion!

    Smoked Pork Ribs

    For this recipe, I use a gravy sauce with spinach and mushrooms to add flavor to the pork chops! The garlic and parmesan ties the flavor together and makes for one tasty dinner time meal solution!

    How do you make pork chops tender?

    If you prefer a more tender pork chop like I do, I tenderize the meat before cooking with a meat tenderizer! This is also my father in laws secret to delicious pork chops!

    What is the cooking temperature for pork?

    According to Pork.org, the safe internal pork cooking temperature is 145°F followed by a 3-minute rest.

    Pork Chops with Mushroom and Spinach Gravy

    Ingredients:

    Directions:

    Season the pork chops with salt & pepper and fry or bake until done.

    Saute mushrooms in skillet with olive oil or butter until tender.

    Add garlic and cook for one minute.

    Stir in heavy cream, parmesan cheese, oregano, pepper flakes and salt & pepper to taste – cook until thickened.

    Add spinach and cook until wilted.

    Place pork chops in skillet for about 5 minutes.

    Serve & enjoy! 

    Pork Chops with Mushroom and Spinach Gravy

    Pork Chops with Mushroom and Spinach Gravy

    Ingredients

    • 4-6 pork chops
    • Salt & Pepper to taste
    • 8 oz mushrooms
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese
    • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
    • Red pepper flakes to taste
    • 3 cups spinach, chopped

    Instructions

    Season the pork chops with salt & pepper and fry or bake until done 

    Saute mushrooms in skillet with olive oil or butter until tender 

    Add garlic and cook for one minute 

    Stir in heavy cream, parmesan cheese, oregano, pepper flakes and salt & pepper to taste – cook until thickened 

    Add spinach and cook until wilted 

    Place pork chops in skillet for about 5 minutes 

    Serve & enjoy! 

  • Homemade BBQ Sauce for Pork Ribs

    Are you smoking or grilling spare ribs or baby back ribs this weekend? Learn how to make homemade BBQ sauce for pork ribs!

    Homemade BBQ Sauce for Pork Ribs

    This recipe works for either spare ribs or baby back ribs. After cooking these ribs, stand back and listen to the compliments. Food, glorious food.

    Food is good, and it’s good for you; just think where you would be without it. Cooking can be almost as much fun as eating, especially when the cooking is done outdoors in a BBQ pit. One of America’s all-time favorite BBQ foods is pork ribs. This recipe will produce ribs that will rival any of a BBQ restaurant.

    Try my Smoked Rib recipe! This recipe uses a different sauce as another option for you!

    Homemade BBQ Sauce

    This sweet, smoky sauce works well on ribs and other cuts of pork:

     2 cups ketchup
     1 cup molasses
     1/2 cup white vinegar
     1 tablespoon paprika
     1 tablespoon garlic powder
     1 teaspoon onion powder
     1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
     1/2 teaspoon allspice
     1/2 teaspoon black pepper

    Combine all of the above in a non-stick saucepan and simmer until all ingredients are dissolved. The product may be stored in a clean, plastic ketchup bottle in the refrigerator.

    Dry Rub

    While that is simmering, make this dry rub. It works well with pork ribs and shoulder, but might not be as good on beef:

     1/2 cup table salt
     1/2 cup white sugar
     1/4 cup brown sugar
     1 tablespoon garlic powder
     1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
     1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
     3 tablespoons chili powder
     1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
     1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
     1 tablespoon thyme
     1 tablespoon cumin
     1 tablespoon nutmeg

    Combine all of the above and store in a plastic soda pop bottle with a lid.

    Here’s another great recipe for rib rub to try! The best part about making your own rib rub is that you can get creative with the ingredients and try different spices.

    Cooking BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

    1. Preheat smoker to 225 degrees. Walnut, cherry, or other nut-bearing woods work well for pork, but other hardwoods may be used. While the smoker is warming, remove the paper-thin membrane from the bone side of the ribs. To do this, ‘scratch’ your fingernail against a rib bone till the membrane starts to peel off. When partially removed, grab the membrane with your fingers and pull off as much as you can. Place slabs on the cooking grate with the bones down. Close the lid and keep it closed. Monitor smoker temperature and add wood as needed. Every hour, rotate slabs. Move the slab from the hottest side of the smoker to the opposite side and slide all other slabs over a notch.
    2. Total smoking time will be 4 hours. After three hours and 20 minutes, slather each slab with sauce (use a food-safe brush or knife) and sprinkle a liberal amount of rub. Repeat this 20 minutes later. Remember, whenever you open the smoker lid, some of the heat will escape. Be sure to monitor the smoker’s temperature carefully during this final hour.

    Shop Best Smokers

    One Recipe for Two Types of Pork Ribs

    There are differences between the baby’s back and spare ribs, but this recipe will work for either. After making this recipe a time or two, the diner’s tastes might dictate more or less sauce/rub, but avoid putting the sauce on the slabs until the final hour of cooking. The sugar in the sauce and rub can burn if applied earlier. Enjoy!

    If you don’t have time to create your own homemade sauce or rib rub, you can always save time and purchase these to help!