This recipe, originally titled Maple Deer Sausage, is originally for venison, but it works great for just pork.

Breakfast Sausage 2

• 5 lbs pork shoulder, cut in strips to fit in a grinder
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 2 Tbsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp rubbed sage
• 1 Tbsp fine ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup real maple syrup
• 1/2 cup ice water

Grind the meat through a medium or coarse plate. The stuffer on my grinder requires a plate be installed, so I will do medium/coarse or coarse/coarse.

Combine the spices in a small container and mix with the 1/2 cup of ice water and the 1/2 cup real maple syrup.

Pour the spice mixture into the ground meat and mix thoroughly for at least 2 minutes. Use your hands for mixing to assure even distribution.

Once the sausage is fully mixed, stuff it immediately into casings and cool it down. I use smaller casings (22 to 24 mm).

Alternately, this works well as patties — I use 1/4 lb meat in a hamburger press for form the patties.

Note: The original recipe called for 3 lbs venison plus 2 lbs fatty pork shoulder or 1 lb lean pork + 1 lb pork fat.

For Mother’s Day, Eric found a recipe on AllRecipes for stuff leg of lamb. His rendition was delicious!

However, I immediately got the idea to use the recipe for pork tenderloin. This recipe is the result

Fruit Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Filling:

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped prunes
• 1/4 cup currants
• 1/4 dup creme de cassis liqueur
• 1/2 cup roasted almonds, chopped

Seasoning:

• 1-1/2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• 1-1/2 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1-1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint (optional)

Pork:

• 2 large pork tenderloins (original recipe called for 4 lb boneless leg of lamb, rolled, tied)
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 5 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced, stemmed figs
• 5 tsp chopped fresh basil

GARNISH:

• 6 leaves mint
• 6 leaves basil

Preheat oven to 350 F (400 F for lamb).

FILLING: Combine the chopped prunes and currants with the creme de cassis in a small bowl. Mix in the almonds and mint; set aside.

When making with pork tenderloin, skip the mint. When making lamb, the mint is a good flavoring to have.

SEASONING: In another small bowl, combine the rosemary, thyme, coriander, salt, and pepper; set aside.

PORK: Remove excess fat and the silverside from the pork. Lay a tenderloin flat, and cut 3/4 of the way through on the thin side. Flop the pork onto the thick part, and put a slash into the thickest parts if more than 1″ thick. Cover with plastic wrap and pound to 1/4″ to 3/8″ thick. Repeat for the second tenderloin.

If making lamb: Untie and unroll the lamb, lay it out flat on the work surface. Trim off excess fat, and cut any thick parts open so that it is evenly thick and somewhat rectangular in shape. Cover with plastic wrap and and pound any thick parts to 3/4″ thick.

Sprinkle half of the herb mixture over the pork. Spread the prune/currant mixture evenly over the pork.

Roll up starting at one of the short sides, and tie with kitchen twine in 1″ intervals. Cut 9 slits about 1″ deep into the top of the pork, and insert a slice of garlic in each. Rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining herb mixture.

Place pork seam-side up on a rack set in a roasting pan. Roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

If making lamb: For medium-rare, a thermometer inserted into the center will read 140 F. Remove lamb from the oven and cover with foil.

Allow to rest for 15 minutes while proceeding with the recipe.

SAUCE: While the pork is resting, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Boil until the vinegar has reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Once reduced, stir in the butter, honey, and sliced figs. Stir until the butter has melted, then remove from the heat, stir in the chopped basil and set aside.

To serve, remove the twine from the pork and cut into 1/2″ thick slices. Arrange on a warm serving platter and drizzle with the fig sauce, garnish with mint and basil leaves.

This is a very simple recipe that always comes out good. I have recently adjusted proportions, including doubling the wine to produce more sauce.

Originally I sliced the tenderloin in thin slices, but it’s a LOT faster to cut the meat in thicker pieces, cover with plastic, and pound thin.

Pork Fillet in Mustard Cream Sauce

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into 1-1/2″ slices, pounded to 1/4″ thickness
• salt & ground black pepper
• 1 cup medium dry white wine
• 1/2 cup soured cream
• 1/4 cup mild whole grain mustard

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute without browning it. Add the meat and brown on all sides, seasoning with salt & pepper.

Push the meat to one side of the pan and pour in the wine. Stir to loosen any sediment at the bottom of the pan, then add the soured cream and mustard. Mix the meat into the sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Serve hot. 4 servings.

Notes:

Use any kind of mustard desired. I often use spicy brown mustard and sometimes yellow mustard.

Today’s recipes are stream of thought.

Lorraine wanted pork tenderloin, so I quick defrosted a package in room temperature water in the sink. With just us, I cook 1 tenderloin that night and the other a night or two later. (two tenderloins are in the package)

The first one I cut in chunks and put in a ziplock bag with olive oil, 2 Tbsp allspice, 1 Tbsp seasoned salt, and 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper. This is a half-batch of the lamb shish-kebab recipe, which I’ll cook tomorrow night.

The other tenderloin I cut in chunks and pounded flat with a meat mallet. In a ziplock bag I put olive oil, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp seasoned salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, and 1 tsp ground ginger.

Last weekend I bought shallots for the recipes we made, and had some left over. Recently I read a recipe for shallot straws, so I went in my own direction.

Fried Shallots

• shallots, sliced 3/8″ thick
• half-n-half
• corn starch
• salt
• olive oil

Pour half-n-half into a bowl. Add sliced shallot and mix gently. Let set for 15 minutes.

Place cornstarch on a sheet of wax paper. Remove shallots from the half-n-half, shake off excess, and place on cornstarch. Sprinkle gently with salt. Sprinkle cornstarch on top, then shake off excess. Do this in batches until all shallots are coated.

Heat 1/4″ olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, reduce heat to medium and fry the shallots in batches, turning once when golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Paprika Pork

• 1 pork tenderloin

MARINADE:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

COOKING:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• salt & ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
• 1/4 cup half-n-half
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch

Cut the pork in 1-1/2″ chunks and pound to 3/8″ thick with a meat mallet. (cover with plastic wrap to avoid splatters while pounding)

Mix the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag (gallon size). Add pork and mix well. Marinate in fridge at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan. Add pork, in batches, and fry until browned on both sides. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add stock to pan and bring to a boil. Add garlic and correct salt & pepper if necessary. Mix half-n-half and cornstarch. Add to stock, stirring constantly, until thick. Turn off heat and stir pork into sauce. Serve over pasta.

Notes:

I used the leftover half-n-half and cornstarch from the shallots. Waste not, want not.

Lorraine REALLY liked this one and asked me to record the recipe.

Tuscan Sausage

• 3 lbs pork butt
• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil or 1 Tbsp dried
• 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
• pinch allspice
• medium hog casings

Grind the pork through a “medium” plate and refrigerate while you get the ingredients ready. Once the meat is chilled, about 20 minutes, knead in all the ingredients until well mixed. Don’t overwork the sausage, it will get too warm.

Stuff the sausage into medium casings and tie into 6″ links.

Note: The above recipe calls for 3 pounds of sausage, I usually make 1/3 of this at a time, so cut the recipe accordingly. Sausage making isn’t an exact science, so don’t worry about being a little off on the quantities.

My sausage stuffer makes you use another grinding plate when you stuff. I use a large grinding plate for this, so I don’t “regrind” the sausage. This sausage is better if it stays a little “coarse”. The sausage will keep 3 days in the refrigerator. I usually make one day ahead, wrap in wax paper and place in the refrigerator to let flavors blend. I par boil the sausages for 20 minutes on a really low boil and then grill for 5 to 8 minutes to give them a little more flavor. This seems to work well.

Notes: Mike’s notes: I use course sea salt instead of kosher.

This one is labeled “I” because I have several different recipes I’ve tried, all successfully. I need to locate the other recipes and post them.

I also need to get the sausage stuffer attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. Currently I do this bulk sausage and form it into patties, but would like to do links.

Breakfast Sausage I

• 5 Tbsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 8 tsp rubbed sage
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• coarsely ground fresh pork

In a jar mix together the first 5 ingredients.

For each pound of ground pork add 1 Tbsp of spice mixture dissolved in water; mix well.

Note: The original recipe calls for 1/2 water per pound of meat. This makes it soupy. I use 1/2 cup water for 4 to 5 lbs of meat.

I use this same seasoning for pork sausage and for venison sausage.

Note: I discovered that this recipe is NOT what’s in my recipe book. I suspect that I started with this one, and updated it as the seasonings were too light

Italian Sausage

• 1 pork butt, 4 to 5 lbs, coarsely ground for sausage

Seasonings:

• 3 tsp paprika or sweet red pepper, ground
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper, crushed
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 to 10 tsp fennel seed

Mix all ingredients together with 1/2 cup water. Mix well into the meat.

Make into patties, or may be used to make sausage links. This mixture will be a medium hot sausage.

Pork Medallions with Balsamic Vinegar & Capers

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into 1-1/2″ pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup dry white wine (chardonnay)
2 teaspoons lemon juice (from juice machine, not bottled)
1/2 of a 3.5 oz bottle capers

Place the flour, garlic salt, garlic powder, and Herbes into a plastic bag. Shake to mix, the add the pork tenderloin pieces, and shake again to coat. Shake off the excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pork medallions in the hot oil until golden-brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Pour in the balsamic vinegar and wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to very low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove the pork to a serving platter, then stir the lemon juice and capers into the simmering sauce. It seemed too thin so I added 1 Tbsp of the lefover flour from the coating. I simmered until it thickened. There wasn’t enough sauce so I added another 1/4 cup wine and brought it to a boil. Turns off the heat and added the pork back in.

What I’d do different:

Next time I will add 1 cup of wine and plan on thickening it. Lorraine and I like sauce on our pasta and this attempt made too little.

Note:

Last year I purchased a BJ’s sized jar of capers. Threw half it out — we don’t use capers all that often. I like them, but just once in a while.

Recently I purchased a 3.5 oz jar at Aldis. Half a jar seems to work for most recipes, and I planned tonight’s recipe to use up the last jar.

Mom made this ONLY with yellow beans. They have a far more delicate flavor – green beans overpower the dish.

Pork Goulash

• 3 lbs pork roast or chops, cut in bite sized pieces
• salt & ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 lbs yellow beans
• 6 to 8 carrots, cut in 1/2″ pieces
• 3 to 4 potatoes, cut in 1/2″ pieces
• flour

Place pork, including bones, in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Skim the scum that forms on the surface. Reduce to a simmer and season with salt & pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes; add beans & carrots. Simmer for 5 minutes; then add potatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove the bones and thicken the broth with a mixture of flour & water. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Kalua Pig

This recipe originally called for a 6 lb pork butt to be baked in the oven using liquid smoke for flavor. Bryan modified the recipe to use pork tenderloin, omitted the liquid smoke, and slow cooked it on a smoker grill.

• 4 lbs pork tenderloin (approximate, this will be several pieces)
• 2-1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
• banana or ti leaves
• mesquite chips

Fill the smoker grill’s burner pan with charcoal and light. While this is burning to coals continue with preparations.

Fill a 1 quart container with mesquite chips and fill with cool tap water. Let set until the grill is ready.

Open the banana leaves up and overlap 3 or 4 whole leaves to cover a 3′ x 2′ area (approximately). Sprinkle the pork with salt. This will appear to be oversalted when done. Place the pork near one end of the banana leaves. Roll the end of the leaves over the pork and then tuck the sides in. Finishing rolling up to make a relatively tight package.

When the charcoal is ready, drain the wood chips and place on the hot coals. Working quickly before the wood starts to burn, place the water pan in the grill and fill with water. Then place a grill mesh in place and put the wrapped pork on it, and cover the grill.

Check the grill after 2 hours for sufficient charcoal and water. After the first two hours, check every hour. This took a bit longer than 4 hours to cook.