Stuffed Pork Loin

I have been buying the pork loin roast for quite a while now.  Sometimes I put it in the crockpot with some barbecue sauce and make pulled pork...but more often lately, I have been rolling it with my homemade bread ends which have been made into a delectable stuffing.  YUM.

Here's my recipe:
1 3-4lb pork loin (not the center cut white version, but the dark meat cheaper version)

4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 cup craisins
1 apple, chopped in 1/4 inch cubes

3 cups of bread crumbs (the best kind are the homemade kind, but you can use a good quality white bread)
dried sage (to taste)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
dried rosemary, crumbled (to taste)
1 t. garlic powder

~In a large bowl, mix your bread crumbs with the spices.  Start off with a teaspoon of each and do the sniff test to see if it is strong enough.  (I know this sounds pretty odd, but some people like a more sagey stuffing and some like a more rosemary stuffing....I like a very herby stuffing...) Set aside

~In a large pot, melt butter...add onion and celery.  Cook with medium heat until soft.
~Add apples and craisins.
~Add broth, bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.
~Add bread crumbs, mix with a wooden spoon until all has been wet down. Cover with lid and let stand for a few minutes.

Take the pork roast and cut to stuff.
There are several ways to stuff a roast: (1) You can simply take the tube and slice it across the middle like a hot dog bun leaving a hinge or (2) A more elegant method, that also gives you more stuffing and moisture, is to insert a long, sharp knife about 3/4" above the cutting board work the knife along at the same height sort of unrolling the meat, as below. (I have done both and have had success each way)

(The above picture is not mine.  I wish I had a knife that was that long!!  Maybe I'll have to invest in one! But you get the idea of how to lay open your roast.)

~Take your stuffing and spread it onto the inside of the roast.  Roll up meat and tie with cotton string or wire. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. (If you have leftover stuffing, which is entirely possible, just add it to the roasting pan alongside the roast.  It will crisp up and be the most coveted part of dinner!!)
~Sprinkle your roast with more salt, pepper, garlic powder, sage and crumbled rosemary.

Bake in a 350 degree oven, using a meat thermometer, until 160 degrees.  (just below the recommended temp for cooked pork)  Let it stand for 15 minutes.  It will continue to cook.
Slice into 1 inch rounds to serve.
Enjoy!

Asian Steamed Dumplings

1/2 cup finely chopped cooked pork (optional)
1/2 cup coarsely grated carrots
1/2 cup shredded Napa cabbage (I have used green cabbage)
2 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Bowl of water, plus additional water for steamer
35 to 40 small wonton wrappers (usually found in the produce section)
Non-stick vegetable spray, for the steamer
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Mix the pork, carrots, cabbage, red pepper, scallions, ginger, cilantro, soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, egg, salt, and pepper. Lightly stir to combine.

To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. (I use my finger) Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the mixture in the center of the wrapper. Shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Using a steaming apparatus of your choice, bring 1/4 to 1/2-inch of water to a simmer over medium heat. Spray the steamer's surface lightly with the non-stick vegetable spray to prevent sticking. Place as many dumplings as will fit into a steamer, without touching each other. Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat. Remove the dumplings from the steamer to a heatproof platter and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat until all dumplings are cooked.

Here is my version of a steamer. My biggest pot with 3 aluminum piepans, stacked. Each poked with small holes. I grease them, then separate them with little bread pans that leave the room for the layer below. Fill the first layer with dumplings, then cover with next pan, fill that layer, etc...Cover Pot while they are steaming! I make two batches in the pot to cook all the dumplings. But while the first batch is steaming, you can work on filling the rest of the wrappers.



One version of a dumpling is the pouch shape:


Another version is folded in half:


Press to seal and remove as much air as possible:


The top layer of my steamer is my regular veggie steamer basket...so four layers in all:


The finished dumpling...


Served with sweet and sour pork stir-fry and rice:



*Wonton wrappers are very versatile. You can make a cream cheese and crab filling, fill them like the dumplings and then fry them in oil for homemade crab rangoon. You can pre-bake them as tart shells and fill them with all kinds of sweet fillings for dessert...use your imagination!

Pork Pie recipe

Here is the recipe for my pork pie. I don't think it was clearly stated in the video, so I will post it here for easier reference.

Pork Pie

1 stick butter
1 onion minced
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk or cream (depending on how rich you want it to be)
3 cups cooked, finely chopped pork
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped small
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
1 double crust recipe for pie crust. (found HERE )


~Melt butter in a large pan and add onion; cook, stirring often, until onion is soft. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to blend, cooking over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly; cook continuing to stir, until the sauce is thick and smooth.
~Add the pork, apple, lemon juice and rosemary. Stir to blend and heat through. (low heat)
~Pour into a 13x9 baking dish.
~Prepare pie crust, rolling out in one piece to cover baking dish. Prick with fork.
~Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Great for lunch leftovers the next day! Heat slowly on medium temp in microwave oven.

Amateur Cooking show

My first attempt to make a film of me actually cooking something...it turned out a bit on the comical side...but did you expect anything less from me?
Enjoy.