Sunday, August 28, 2011

Daddy Pork Chops

By John.

Ingredients:

1 lb Pork loin or 8 thin pork chops
1 cup AP flour
1 tsp Slap Ya Mama (A cajun seasoning similar to Tony Chacheres)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tbs paprika
1 cup whole milk
1 egg
4 tbs cooking oil (I use peanut oil)

Preparation:

This is really paneed (sp?) pork. The kids call it "Daddy Pork Chops" because in our family, daddy makes them. They are a family favorite. They are fairly easy to make and if there are any left overs (rarely around here), they make killer sandwiches for lunch the next day...

You can use either thin cut lean pork chops or pork loin. I prefer the loin but either is fine. If you use loin, cut cross sections of meat approximately 1/4" thick. Trim excess fat from the edges of the meat. Pound the meat to tenderize and flatten it so that it winds up about 1/8" thick. Whisk the dry ingredients together to make a dredge (or use your own favorite dredge). Whisk the egg and milk together to make an egg wash. Dip individual pieces of meat in the egg wash. Remove from the wash and shake off excess. Dredge in the flour mixture. Remove and shake off excess flour. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Once all pieces are dredged, repeat the dredging process so that all pieces have been done twice. After the second dredge, let the meat rest for approximately 10 min on the rack to allow the coating to set.

Panee (fry) the dredged meat in the oil over medium-high heat two or three pieces at a time - don't crowd the meat. Editorial note: nothing beats cast iron for this (or almost any other) type of frying. Cook for about 2 min per side (or until golden brown). Transfer the meat to a rack in a warm oven to rest. Repeat the process until all meat is cooked (be sure to allow the pan and oil to come back to temperature between batches -hot oil prevents the finished product from being too greasy).

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Chicken Tacos

We used to make this a lot but hadn't had it in awhile. It's always just something I "throw together" with no recipe. Tonight I made it a completely different way, and the kids asked me to write it down so I wouldn't forget next time!

Chicken Tacos

5 chicken breasts (I had boneless in the freezer, but bone-in would be fine)
water to cover about half
1/2 tsp salt

Boil, covered, until chicken is done (maybe half an hour)

Remove chicken from broth. Remove half the broth and reserve; reduce the remaining broth by half. Meanwhile, shred the chicken. Put chicken back in the pot and add:

2 cans Rotel tomatoes with green chili
2 recipes taco seasoning
1 cup liquid - can be salsa, or water, or more broth.

Salt and pepper to taste

Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more broth or salsa if you need more liquid.

Serve with the usual fixins - shells or tortillas, lettuce, tomato, etc.

This served 8 hungry people with enough left over for lunch tomorrow.