Balsamic Porkchops

I love pigs.  Not just because they are cute little animals (especially the teacup ones), but because they are delicious.  I can't think of one pork product that I don't like.  Bacon.  Ham.  Porkchops.  Pork ribs.  Mmmm...nope not one pork product that I don't like!

Last night I thawed out some porkchops, but I wasn't totally sure what I was going to do with them.  I thought about maybe a pork stirfry, or just simply grilling them with some season salt, but I wanted something a little more glamorous.  Yes, Paleo can be glamorous!

I found a recipe for lamb chops and then tweaked it a little.  Here's the result:

Balsamic Porkchops
4 pork chops (bone out, thick cut)
3/4 tsp ground rosemary
1/2 tsp ground thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbls EVOO
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
3/4 c beef broth
1 tsp garlic
1 Tbls butter (optional--depends how strict Paleo you are)

Mix rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on both sides of each chop.

 In a pan, heat up oil on med-high heat until the oil starts to smoke--if you want a good sear, it MUST be super hot/smoking oil or else the chops will absorb the oil instead of cook.  For the thickness of my chops, I seared each side for 5 minutes, which left the middle a very very light pink.  If you don't want pink, I suggest going 6-7 minutes on each side.

 When the chops are done, take them out and keep them warm in a preheated oven or in the microwave.  Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a couple minutes, then add your vinegar and broth.  Stir often and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half--it should thicken and be a little sticky.

 At this point, you can add the butter if you choose.  It's good either way, so don't feel like you have to if you're trying to be strict Paleo here.

I served with steamed cauli and it was delish!  H said that the glaze wasn't as flavorful as he'd expected and would prefer A1 but he's a boy, what does he know about glamorous food?!  :)  I thought it was a great flavor--a little sweet because of the vinegar, but a perfect compliment to the savory!  The chops by themselves without the glaze are still really tasty, too.  Enjoy!

xoxo, M

Easy Pork Loin Roast

Often, our local Meijer puts their pork loins on sale, which is great because we can eat off of that for a few days.  Check your stores and sale flyers, and stock up on these.  They create quick and easy Paleo meals--but be warned!:  You MUST trim off the extra fat from your loin.  You may want to leave a little on for flavor and good animal fats, but pork loins usually have a whole slab of fat on the bottom and you probably want to take most of that off.

I did mine in a crock-pot because it's easiest, but this can be done in the oven--see the note at the bottom of this page.

Pork Loin Roast

1 large pork loin (we usually get one that is 3-5 lbs)
EVOO
Ground rosemary
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Cut the fat slab off the pork loin to make it a leaner cut.  You may also have to cut your pork loin in half to make it fit in your crock pot or roasting pan.

Drizzle the pork loin with EVOO and rub the oil into the loin.  Generously sprinkle the loin with ground rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper, then pat it into the loin to make sure it's coated (don't rub, pat...like a wine stain on your white carpet)

Place the loin into the crockpot (we had to wedge the loin in to make it fit, even after cutting it) and put about 1/3 cup of water at the bottom of the pot.  You could put veggies like carrots, celery, onions, etc. in at this point, but we did it just as-is. 

**If you want to cook this in a roasting pan in the oven, you need to put the water on the bottom of the pan.  Then you want to either put in a small cooking rack or use veggies to keep the roast off the bottom of the roasting pan.  Cover the pan with foil and seal around the edges to keep the moisture in--this will make sure your roast doesn't dry out.  Cook it at 300 degrees for 5 to 6 hours.  The roast should be white (NO PINK!) all the way through when you cut it open**

Cook the roast in the crock pot on low for 2 hours, then on high for 1 1/2 hours.  The roast should be white (NO PINK!) all the way through when you cut it open.

This goes great with roasted broccoli or a nice salad.
Enjoy!

xoxo, M