I should be given the Bunty prize (remember the comic?) for pork and bacon. Let me explain dear readers. We always buy a couple of weaners for our smallholding. Pigs are only allowed to be kept in pairs or more. They like company and they don't like to be on their own - who does?
Any way I found after quite of few years of keeping pigs. We don't need to have half bacon and half pork, if you follow my drift? We could have had just "all" bacon or "all"pork for the same price. We aren't really fond of a lot of pork or lamb or fish for that matter. Bacon, ham and beef seem to be the main ingredients for most of our meals at Northsider Towers.
You will remember that we had a Mexican themed Christmas dinner. So I had a look on the old T'web and Tinternet and found a recipe for Mexican Pork Chops. It's on: all recipes.com. You mix tomatoes, corn, kidney beans, rice and chilies and put the chops on the top. Then bake it in the old oven for 30 mins. It was a nice meal with a bit of umpth! I really enjoyed it!
I have just been informed in my ear:
"There is a bit more to it than that".
Actually. You brown your chops (look it up on the web!), then mix all your other ingredients and bring to the boil! Add more H20 ("Adam's Ale", "Corporation Pop") if need be. Then arrange the chops on the top and bake in the oven until the pork and rice is cooked. Then serve and pour yourself a can of Newcastle Brown Ale. The drink was my idea!
Did I tell you about the strange phone call I once got (could only happen to me) one merry morning? It went something like this?
"A fine day".
"Tiz".
"I am calling to telling ye I have got the bucket of blood."
"Sorry."
The bucket of blood ye ordered."
"Sorry."
"Oh sorry. I thought it was ye who ordered the fresh blood for the puddings"
It was the local butcher and we had just dropped our pigs off a few days earlier and he though we were somebody else!
I just like simply covering my pork chops with lashings of honey mixed with loads of finely chopped garlic and crushed black pepper. Serve with very buttery mashed spuds and buttered n peppered sprouts....mmmmmm
ReplyDeleteHowdy John. Sounds good. Pork chops are OK but we have to find ways of disguising the rest of the pork. Vindaloo next me thinks! Thanks!
DeleteLike John, honey or crab apple jelly for me, they both let the flavour of the pork shine through.
ReplyDeleteDo you make your own crab apple jelly, Anne? I think you have to find ways of disguising some parts of most meat on your smallholding.. For example we always dislike tail end and rolled beef joints when we kill an heifer. Don't think there is anything to beat a good sirloin steak.
DeleteWe make all our own jellies relishes jams and chutneys Dave. If we had to disguise the meat we produce we just would not bother to produce it, the whole idea of producing your own is to get something better than you can buy. I might eat a steak once a year, if left to Simon he would never eat a steak. Roast meat, cold meats and stew and casseroles would be our mainstay, anything where you can taste what you are eating.
DeleteWe eat beef and bacon more than any other meat Anne. Pork and lamb doesn't go down well in our household. So we disguise the taste to make it more interesting and we a lot of spicy food. We find it difficult to find fresh spices in Ireland. Found a few Asian food shops in Tralee up in Kerry. The kebabs aren't very spicy here either. Don't think the Irish like a lot spicy food.
DeleteAre you talking about donar kebabs or just kebabs Dave? do you make them yourself, donar kababs that you buy in a kabab shop would normally be made from lamb. We used to make skewer type kababs quite a lot when we lived in Spain for barbecues using a varity of meats and dips.
DeleteYes Anne I was talking about Doner kebabs. They are made out of lamb, beef and chicken. According to the Internet these 3 meats are often combined.
DeleteWe make Shish kebabs from minced beef served on nan or pitta breads with yoghurt and salad. We find it difficult to get fresh spices and have to make do with what's in our spice jars. We also have a Tagine which we really enjoy.
Wrong blogger account used. Sorry for any confusion!
DeleteWe eat a lot of pork, and I have become quite inventive with how I cook it. I have made bacon but we don't seem to eat much of what I have made, but I do make sausage meat and use that in a variety of ways (But never in actual 'sausages!), and we do like that. As for ham.....I have not made any yet, and feel nervous of doing so!
ReplyDeleteHi Vera. Yeah your a proper smallholder who does everything. We have to pay the local butcher to kill them, make the pork, bacon and sausages. Keep posting the recipes and your smallholding adventures in France, Vera.
ReplyDeleteMmm those chops look tasty. I might give them a go. :-)
ReplyDeleteYes Deb it was different. We eat a lot of spicy food at our house. Thanks!
DeleteJust to avoid confusion! Squirrels dray is not my blog. I forgot to change my email account.
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