In the Kitchen with Brian and Lisa: Pork recipe roundup

by | Feb 27, 2014

Brian and Lisa share a month's worth of great pork recipes.

Brian and Lisa share a month’s worth of great pork recipes.

WRAL reporter Brian Shrader and our own Lisa Prince feature seasonal recipes in their Got to Be Good Cookin’ segment using ingredients grown and available right here in North Carolina. Featured this month were recipes made with N.C.-grown pork. North Carolina ranks second in the nation in the number of hogs and pigs, bringing $2.5 billion in cash receipts in 2012. Leading counties for hog farms include Duplin, Sampson and Bladen.

Recipes this month include ham and swiss poppy seed rolls, ham steak with pineapple, pork saltimbocca and cheesy chicken ham enchiladas. Click on the recipe name for a link to a printable recipe and video.

Lisa calls the Ham and Swiss Poppy Seed Rolls “old-fashioned, simple and delicious.” The rolls can be served as breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack.

Ingredients

  • 1 pack small dinner rolls (we used King’s Hawaiian Savory Butter Rolls)
  • 6 slices Swiss cheese
  • 4 slices thin ham
  • 2 tablespoons minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1⁄2 c margarine

Instructions:
Slice rolls in half while they are all still connected. Remove the top layer. Cover the bottom layer with ham and Swiss. Cover with the top layer and place in a baking dish. Melt butter and add the onion, mustard and poppy seeds. Stir to combine. Pour or spoon the butter mixture over the top of the rolls. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Ham Steak and Pineapple is a recipe that Lisa’s mother-in-law taught her to make. She calls it a “sweet, savory, easy dinner option.”

Ingredients:

  • 16-ounce Ham Steak (cut into fourths, remove any fat and the bone or buy boneless)
  • 1 can pineapple rings in own juices (reserve juice)
  • 4 tablespoons butter or margarine (can use less )
  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions:

In a large sauté pan on medium heat, melt butter and add pineapple slices. Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the top of the pineapple slices. Heat pineapple slices for 2 minutes on each side. Move pineapple slices to one side of the pan. Add ham and cover with remaining brown sugar and then cover the ham with the pineapple slices, cooking for 3 minutes. Flip ham, cook another 3 minutes, keeping the pineapple on top. Add reserved pineapple juice, enough to cover the ham and simmer for 5 minutes.

Next is a great recipe for Pork Saltimbocca.

Ingredients:

  • 4  boneless pork chops
  • 2 slices country ham or prosciutto (thin sliced )
  • 4  fresh sage leaves (minced)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon shallot (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
  • 1 cup baby Bella mushrooms (sliced thin)
  • 1⁄4 cup Marsala Wine
  • 1⁄2 cup vegetable stock
  • 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Wrap pork chops in plastic wrap and gently pound until thin but not torn. Cut country ham or prosciutto in half so you have 4 pieces. Cover each piece of pork with a piece of ham. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece of pork in the flour and coat on both sides shaking off any excess. In a large pan on medium heat, add the EVOO. When hot, saute the pork with ham side down until ham is browned, then flip and cook 1-2 more minutes. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add butter, shallots, garlic and mushrooms, increasing the heat to medium-high. Cook until the shallots are translucent. Add Marsala wine and deglaze the pan, allowing the wine to reduce by half. Add vegetable stock and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Stir in heavy cream, sage, salt and pepper to taste. Return pork to the pan and simmer for one minute before serving.

Brian and Lisa wrap up their month of N.C.-pork recipes with an N.C. State Fair winner. Gail Fuller took home first place at the N.C. State Fair in the Ham it up Tar Heel Pork Challenge sponsored by the N.C. Pork Council with Cheesy Chicken Ham Enchiladas, a great twist on the traditional enchilada.

Ingredients
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (filling)
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese – shredded (filling)
2 teaspoon oil (filling)
1⁄2 small onion chopped (filling)
1⁄2 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes and chilies (filling)
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin (filling)
4 ounces cream cheese (filling)
14-ounce can diced green chilies (filling)
1 pound deli ham sliced into 16 slices (enchiladas)
3 tablespoon butter (enchiladas)
3 tablespoon flour (enchiladas)
2 cups chicken broth (enchiladas)
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin (enchiladas)
1 teaspoon chili powder (enchiladas)
1 cup sour cream (enchiladas)
14-ounce can diced green chilies – divided (enchiladas)
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese – shredded (enchiladas)

Instructions

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.   Grease 7×11 baking pan.
3.   Sauté onions in oil until soft.
4.   Mix in shredded chicken, 1 cup cheese, Rotel, cumin, cream cheese and green chilies and heat over low until cheeses have melted.
5.   Overlap 2 slices of ham. Fill with 2 tablespoons of chicken/cheese mixture and rollup.
6.   Place closely together in pan.
7.   In saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
8.   Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
9.   Take off heat and cool slightly. Stir in other 1 can green chilies, cumin, chili powder and sour cream.
10.  Pour over rolled ham bundles and top with remaining cheese.
11.  Bake 40 minutes covered, remove foil and broil on high for 3 minutes to brown cheese.

Next month Brian and Lisa will highlight desserts featuring N.C.-grown peanuts.