Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Burgers

It's no secret, I love pork. Pork steaks, pork sausage, pork and beans, bacon, ham, the list goes on but nothing says summer like a nice, big, juicy, hand slapped, grill marked pork burger.

Pork burgers meet Proscuitto...

Proscuitto meet Pork burgers...

That's right, embrace the pork...

Love the pork...

Be grilled with the pork...

I'm sorry Mina, this is people food.

Phantom, you don't get any either.

Now, add a bun, some fresh tomatoes, a little lettuce, and some home grown corn...wait, let me wipe my mouth, I'm drooling.

Supper is served.

Oh, yes, I'm inspired how about you?

Grill A Loin--Mmm, Mmm, Good!

I made another yummy in my tummy pork dish last night that I must share. This one is soooo easy!

I bought a center cut tenderloin half and rubbed it down with Plowboy's Yard Bird until the whole loin was red as a beet. Then, I grilled using an indirect heat method. For those of you who don't know what indirect heat grilling is (I didn't until last week), you place a drip pan (I used a metal bread pan) in the center of your grill and arrange the briquettes on either side of the pan.

Once you get your grill good and hot put the loin directly over the drip pan, replace the lid on your grill, and voila! Your grill is now an oven. I didn't time mine I just went out every so often to check it. I think total cook time was between 45 minutes to an hour.

Once I got my tenderloin to about 130 degrees I basted it with Blues Hog BBQ sauce and let it continue cooking until it reached between 155-160 degrees. It was so delicious!

Y'all have got to try this one! After all, you can't beat grilled pork. Got any great pork recipes? I'd love to hear about them.

Pulled Pork for Dinner

I created the most fantabulous meal tonight. It consisted of corn, tomatoes, and...big surprise...pork. As you know from my last entry I have recently returned from Des Moines, IA. While in Des Moines I purchased a Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book John Deere edition. I have been dieing to try out some of the recipes and I finally got the chance tonight. I made Pulled Pork with Root Beer Sauce and it was delish. Of course I didn't stick to the recipe, I never do, but I'll share with you both the original BHG and my variations of it.

First, I will share the original recipes...BHG suggests making Pulled Pork with Root Beer Sauce as follows:

1-2 1/2 - 3 pound pork sirloin roast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
1 cup root beer*
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups root beer* (two 12-ounce cans or bottles)
1 cup bottled chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon root beer concentrate (optional)
Several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)
Hamburger buns, Lettuce, and Tomato

*Do not use diet root beer.

1. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3 1/2 - to 5 - quart slow cooker. Sprinkle meat with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet brown meat on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Transfer meat to cooker. Add onion, the 1 cup root beer, and the garlic.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a saucepan stir together the 3 cups root beer and the chili sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, 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 two forks, pull meat apart into shreds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onion to serving platter; discard cooking juices. If desired, line buns with lettuce leaves and tomato slices. Place shredded meat and onion on rolls. Drizzle meat with some of the root beer sauce.

Now, my version. Forgive my lack of measurements, I measure with my eyes and nose.

I bought a 2.51 pound boneless pork loin roast and I trimmed a little fat but not all of it. Then, used fresh ground sea salt and pepper on the roast and browned it on all sides in canola oil. After that, I started to omit and redo the recipe. First, I used green onions (that's what I had) and I poured the 2 cans of root beer in the slow cooker with the meat instead of just a cup. Also, I didn't have bottle chili sauce so I drained a can of chili beans in chili sauce, which made about 3/4 cup, and topped it off with beef broth. I also completely omitted the root beer concentrate and hot sauce.

My roast cooked for 5 hours on a high-heat setting. At the 5 hour mark I sliced tomatoes and cooked corn on the cob. Instead of using the root beer sauce (which I didn't make but I'm sure is delicious) I slathered on my favorite BBQ sauce. YUM!

Give it try! What do you think?