Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork

Sorry, no picture for this one because I was entirely too lazy to get the camera out.  I promise you it was really good and Hillbilly didn’t even complain about having Chinese food. 
Confucius say:  Man with one chopstick go hungry.  Ha!

• 2 large chicken breasts or 4 boneless pork chops, cut into 1 inch pieces
• flour for dredging
• 1 large bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2  to  3  cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• salt and pepper
• 1/2  tsp garlic powder
• enough oil to coat skillet for frying
• Jasmine rice, cooked as directed on package

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

• 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar or brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 2 rounded tablespoons corn starch mixed in enough cold water to make a slurry
• 4 drops red food coloring (optional)

Directions for Making Sweet and Sour Sauce:
Place pineapple juice and water in sauce pan. Heat over low flame. Slowly add sugar while stirring.   When sugar has dissolved, add remaining ingredients all except food coloring (that goes in last) and bring to a soft boil.  Add corn starch slurry and stir constantly. Bring to a boil and remove from heat when desired thickness is reached. 
Add food coloring a couple drops at first and then adjust until you have the desired red color.
Directions for Making Chicken or Pork and Vegetables:
Cut the chicken or pork into bite-sized pieces, removing fat or connective tissue.
In a frying pan, add oil to  and heat to medium high.
Place flour and seasonings in a shallow bowl and mix.
Dredge the meat pieces in the flour thoroughly. 
Drop pieces into the hot oil and fry until deep golden brown. Turn as necessary to cook evenly on all sides. When golden brown, remove to paper towel covered plate to drain.
Next cook vegetables in remaining oil for a few minutes until crisp tender, season with salt and pepper and then add  pineapple and the meat back to the vegetables. Warm through and remove from heat.
Serve over steamed rice and drizzle with sweet and sour sauce.

Scalloped Potatoes and Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp butter, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2  tsp ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 6 pork chops, season with whatever you like
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 6 cups thinly sliced red potatoes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tsp fresh chopped thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In skillet brown seasoned pork chops in 2 tbsp butter. Remove chops and add 2 tbsp butter along with sliced onions.  Once the onions are slightly tender stir in flour and cook a minute.  Next add in salt, pepper, garlic powder, celery seed, parsley, thyme, milk and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter.  Give it a taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
3. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking oil and place pork chops in the bottom.  Next, and potatoes.  Pour the onion gravy mixture over all. 
4. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Kalua Pig in a Crock Pot

Aloha and let’s get this pig in the ground.  Try this pulled pork recipe for the flavor of Hawaii, it’s the next best thing to being on the island.
Ingredients:

• pork butt (shoulder)  I don’t know why they call it a butt when it’s really a shoulder, weird
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cups liquid smoke
• 2-3 tbsp Hawaiian  sea salt (regular sea salt will work)
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ginger

Directions:
Rub your butt down with the Hawaiian sea salt , ginger and onion powder.  That just sounds funny, doesn’t it?  Place the butt in the crock pot.  That sounds funny too!  Add the juice, liquid smoke and cook for about 2 hours on high then reduce to low and cook for 6-10 more hour depending on how big your butt is.  LOL!  Mine is pretty big so it may take awhile.  Hehe, I don’t why that is SO funny (I’m just not right).
I can hear the ocean and Hawaiian music from here.  My feet are in the sand and I have Mai Tai in my hand.
Aloha A hui hou kakou (means goodbye until we meet again).
Kipa hou mai (means y’all come back)  I love that…

Zydeco Pulled Pork

Made this for Super bowl Sunday for the carnivore’s.  I didn’t hear any complaints.

• 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1-2 tablespoons hickory liquid smoke
• 2 cups water

Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Mix spices and rub into pork and place in pot. Add liquids and onions.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat shreds easily with forks. Turn meat over after 6 hours or so. I had to add a little more season after I shredded the meat and tasted it, I used Tony Chachere's. Serve on toasted buns with provolone or over rice.

Ahhhheeeeee!