Bacon & Egg Breakfast Biscuits

We all have heard how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet busy mornings, waking up late, or a lack of energy in the a.m. can stymie any attempts to be culinarily courageous before noon. This recipe is an easy weekend project which can make a few dozen little bacon-wrapped breakfast packages you can store and re-heat for a quick breakfast on the go all week long. If you can keep yourself from eating them all at once.

Ingredients:

1 pound bacon 

1 1/2 dozen eggs

2 packages biscuits

Shredded cheese (optional)

Step 1: Line some muffin tins with a strip of bacon.

Curl it around so the bacon makes a little cup.

Step 2: Crack an egg into each bacon cup. Cover with the biscuits. Add cheese if you want.

Step 3: Bake at 350 for ~40 minutes, until egg is cooked fully and biscuit is crispy and golden brown.

These little biscuits are absolutely perfect. The biscuits are buttery and crispy, the bacon is of course bacon, and it all comes together for a handheld protein powerhouse. The bacon does make it a little greasy so beware of that.

 How do you get breakfast on busy mornings?

 

Bacon-wrapped pork roast

Does that title say what I think it says? Firstly, BACON. So that's a magic word in its own right. Then, pork roast. Those are fantastic. Combined? *Cue fireworks*

This happened because bacon was on sale, and that's the kind of thing you just don't pass up, regardless if there's a plan for it yet, because there soon will be. So I had a pound of bacon in the refrigerator. After thinking a long time about the endless possibilities, I decided that bacon-wrapped other meats is always delicious. (I apologize, any vegetarian or vegan readers. I'll have a vegetarian lasagna post or something for you soon, I promise). If you're interested in knowing more about what you can do with a part of a pig, see my New Year's Eve post.

Ingredients:
1 2-3 pound roast
1 head garlic
1 pound bacon

 Step 1: Brown the roast on all sides, just to char it. Slice slits in it and insert garlic cloves randomly. This will infuse the meat with garlic flavor, yum!

Step 2: Wrap the roast in bacon. I used four pieces width-wise then three pieces length-wise overtop. Oh yes. I took a piece of a pig, and wrapped it in another piece of pig. The rest of the pound of bacon became part of breakfast.

 It's like a little bacon-wrapped-pork football.

 Men of the world, behold its splendor.

Step 3: Place in a crock pot on low ~6 hours or high 4-5. Mine was still partly frozen so I left it in there on high for about 7 hours to make sure everything cooked fully.


Serve with whatever carb you like or just eat it alone with your hands, whatever suits you. No judgment.

What's your favorite way to use bacon?

New Years' Day Lucky Tradition: Kielbasa and Sauerkraut

It's almost 2014! 

I must admit I am a huge fan of almost all edible things pig. Bacon of course is in a league of its own. But ribs, chops and roasts are also all delicious and versatile to prepare. For New Year's Day, my family has always had kielbasa and sauerkraut for good luck. You could also make a pork roast and sauerkraut. According to a Nosh blog, the reason for this good luck is because pork from a "fat" pig represents an abundant year to come, and the sauerkraut from 'green' cabbage represents wealth. Thinking about this tradition made me wonder what was in sauerkraut and where it comes from. This lead to hours of research into the various parts and cuts of pork. Stay tuned after the recipe if you want to know more! =)

Kielbasa & Sauerkraut Recipe

Ingredients:
1 small pork roast (2-4 lb) or 2-4 pounds kielbasa
1 bag of sauerkraut (or jar, or if you're ambitious you can ferment your own)
1 can/bottle of beer, 12 oz
1 cup brown sugar

Step 1: Place roast or kielbasa in a slow cooker. Mix the beer and brown sugar. Pour over the pork, then cover with kraut. Cook on high for ~4 hours or low 6-8 hours. Enjoy on NYD! May your 2014 be full of success and joy.

Photo from Pressure Cooking With Lorna Sass

Pork roast & sauerkraut on NYE

So what about the rest of the pig?

Generally speaking, pork tends to be less expensive than beef. For reasons I won't discuss in this post, it is always a good idea to look for humanely raised pork, or best case scenario to be part of a CSA (which stands for Community Supported Agriculture) and get part of a farm-raised pig. Find one near you here. They usually raise a set number of pigs based on how many shares are purchased, then will slaughter them and divide up the meat for you. However, I understand most people don't have the time, space, money, or energy to commit to a half or whole pig, wait half a year, then bring home a hundred pounds of meat in various cuts and store it. Therefore, this is more of a guide to what you'll find at a typical grocery store and what you can do with it.

This photo is from CloveGardens website and shows the various cuts of pig.

The CloveGardens site also has photos of every cut of meat, including less well-known cuts and parts you wouldn't normally think of using like the feet, snout, and organs. If you're feeling adventurous you can ask your butcher, or try an ethnic market. The most typical cuts you find at a North American grocery store are chops and roasts. 

Ham

This is the upper part of the thigh, and is what we think of when we think of a holiday ham. Often oven roasted and marinated or glazed. Holds up to slow cooking methods, and tastes great paired with sweet glazes like brown sugar, maple, honey and/or pineapple.
 

Pork Chops (aka pork loin end chops, center loin chops, rib chops, end cut chops, top loin chops, pork blade chops)

Many different cuts of meat can be called pork chops. They can be bone-in or boneless, in various sizes and thicknesses. Typically, thicker-cut chops with the bone still in tend to be the juiciest and most flavorful. These are great for pan-frying and grilling. Boneless chops are also great for frying or grilling, but can fall apart easier in longer methods like slow cookers or braising. Pork blade chops are from the blade roast, and tend to be fattier and tougher than chops from other cuts. They can be tenderized by marinating beforehand, and can be cooked with longer methods.

Pork Roast (aka pork tenderloins, rib roasts, pork legs, top loin roast, sirloin roast, hipbone roast, end roast, butt and shoulder-see below)

Like chops, there are many cuts that get sold as a roast. They are defined as cuts which stand up well to oven or slow cooker roasting. 

Pork Rib Roast (aka pork center loin roast, pork roast)

The ribs can still be inside or the ribs may have been removed. These cuts are extremely flavorful and juicy, but still pretty lean. If you want to cook it with the slab of attached fat for flavor, simply carve it off before serving. 

Pork Blade Roast (aka pork rib end roast, rib end pork loin, 7-rib or 5-rib roast)

The blade roast comes from the back/shoulder areas, and is fattier than most other cuts. This makes it less expensive but very flavorful. If the bone is still in, you can ask the butcher to crack it between the ribs to carve it easier.

Pork Loin (aka tenderloin, loin chop)

Cuts from the loin come from along the back and sides of the spine and are the leanest, most tender cuts. This makes them easy to overcook, so try to avoid long cooking times. There are three sections, the Blade end, Center portion and Sirloin end. The Blade end is closest to the shoulders and like the Blade Roast tends to be fatty. The Center portion is in the middle, it is the leanest and most tender, which makes it usually the most expensive. The Sirloin end is nearest the rump, and is typically bony and lean. All can be pan-fried, braised, or slow cooked.

Hocks and Shanks

This is the shin area of the pig's legs. A hock with skin removed is called a shank. They are often smoked, and make good additions to soups to add flavor. 

Pork Ribs 

The ribs are generally cut into three seperate sections, all of which are great for smoking, braising, oven roasting, or grilling. And all are great slathered in BBQ sauce. Country-style ribs or pork blade end ribs are the meatiest and fattiest of cuts, but they aren't as easy to eat with your fingers. They can be bone-in or boneless. Pork back, or baby back ribs are the middle ground of meatiness and easier to pick up. Pork spareribes are the least meaty, but have the most popular texture for finger foods. They are tender-chewy, and are the least fatty cut.

Pork Shoulders & Butts

Though named differently, both cuts are from the shoulder of the pig. Technically they are different cuts. The "butt" (aka Boston butt or shoulder) comes from a thicker section with more marbling. This makes it ideal for pulled pork or other barbecue styles. The "shoulder" is usually the triangular piece of meat attached to the butt. Both are great braised, slow roasted, BBQ-ed, slow cooker style, or in stew. They can essentially be used interchangeably.  

Bacon and Sausage

Ahhh the longtime favorite, bacon is unique in taste and is revered worldwide for it meaty, smoky deliciousness. Used to flavor all types of dishes and soups, as a centerpiece of breakfasts, and wrapped around just about anything, bacon is a versatile meat. It does not come off the hog looking like bacon. First the ribs and belly are removed from the loin. The belly here does not refer to the actual stomach but rather the fatty underside of the pig. The spare ribs are cut away, then the pork belly is sent through the long process of curing, smoking and eventual slicing up into bacon. Sausage on the other hand, can be made from just about any part of the pig that is not used elsewhere. Anything that was left from de-boning other cuts, high quality meat that can't be turned into a roast or chop, or pieces that didn't end up elsewhere all get mixed together. They are seasoned in various ways and ground, sometimes multiple times. This is then sold as bulk sausage, patties, or put into casing for links, most often the pig's own intestines. (Seriously).


For a great, thorough article on the various parts of the pig and how to use lesser known cuts see this website for Sugar Mountain Farm in Vermont, which has its own USDA approved butcher site on the farm. They use as much of the whole pig, nose-to-tail, as they can, which I totally approve of!

For an article which sub-divides these types of cuts even further and includes photos, see here. They also have pages for cuts from beef, lamb, and veal if you're curious and I don't cover them soon enough. 

If you have a solid stomach and want to see photos and a description of each step in the pork processing process (redundancy, check), check out this blog post from Chico Locker & Sausage Co.


Nutrition information such as calories, protein and fat content will vary greatly depending on the type of cut and how it was prepared. According to Nutritioninfo.com the average nutrition data from one pound of raw meat cooked is:

Pork contains plenty of protein, iron and selenium and no gluten. However it is high in cholesterol, so you should try to control portion sizes to 3-6 oz per serving, and as in all things use moderation. Pork is safe to eat when cooked to an internal temperature of 160 F, so use a meat thermometer if you have one. Generally speaking, when oven roasting you should cook it at least a half hour per pound of meat. 

Do you have any New Year's Eve or Day traditions?

Country style breakfast skillet

Weekends are great for me, because I can both sleep in AND have lots of time for cooking awesome breakfasts. I'm not normally a 'breakfast person', but sometimes the mood strikes and I want something big and filling and delicious in the AM. I had plenty of potatoes, that's usually a staple in my breakfast favorites. I also had some frozen turkey bacon (go ahead and groan, any males reading this, but it tastes delicious. As long as you don't expect 'real' bacon taste) and ground beef. Kind of just making it up as I went, I came up with a restaurant-worthy breakfast skillet.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound turkey bacon (go ahead and use real if you have it)
1/2 cup corn or other veggie (if you like that kind of thing)
2 potatoes, diced
1/2 onion, diced
4 eggs
Spray on vegetable oil or 2 tbsp oil

Step 1: Dice up the potato and onion, spray the pan with oil. Microwave the potato for 5-8 minutes to soften. Cook on medium heat for at least 10-15 minutes, until the onion and potato chunks are soft.

 Step 2: Cut up the bacon and add it and the ground beef to the pan. Cook until the ground beef is thoroughly browned. Add vegetables if you're using any. Transfer the cooked skillet to another bowl and keep warm.

 Step 3: Spray the pan again and add 2 eggs. Let them cook a few minutes, until the whites thicken. Carefully flip them to cook the other side.

 Step 4: Put about a cup of the skillet mix into a bowl, slide the cooked sunny-side up eggs on top. Viola!

This was amazingly delicious, hearty and filling. If I had the time, I'd make breakfast like this every day! But then I'd also probably weigh 50 pounds more than I do now... Anyways, enjoy!

Potato Skins

A game-day classic, potato skins are always a hit. A friend was having a football party, I had a 5 pound bag of potatoes, guess what I made! They are very simple, though time-consuming.

Ingredients:

6-12 potatoes, washed and cut in half

Butter/margerine

Sea salt

1/2 pound bacon or turkey bacon

Cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Salsa

Green onion/chives

 Step 1: Rub potatoes with oil, and poke holes in them with a fork. Microwave potatoes on high for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Cut potatoes in half, cover outside and inside with butter and sea salt. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Hollow out the potatoes. Flip upside down, bake for another 20 minutes. You can use the scooped-out part for mashed potatoes, soup, or just eat them because they're warm and salty and delicious.
Step 4: Flip back over, brush with more butter and bake a final 20 minutes. You're now ready to top them.

Step 5: Cook the bacon on both sides until brown. Drain on paper towels and break/cut into small pieces. Sprinkle a healthy tbsp into each potato skin. Cover with cheese, a dollop of sour cream, salsa and/or green onion. Made in your own home and not deep-fried, these are healthier for you than if you ordered them from a bar or restaurant. Leave off the bacon for a vegetarian treat.

Healthy, hearty breakfast sandwich

So, Meijer had a sale on turkey bacon for $1.99 and whole wheat english muffins for $1. These are 2 of my favorite things, because they make an amazing breakfast sandwich in about the time it would take you to drive through somewhere, and much cheaper. Plus it tastes amazing!

You will need:

1 english muffin (preferably 100% whole wheat)

1 egg

2 slices turkey bacon

1 slice cheese

Ketchup (if you like it, I do)

Step 1: Slice the turkey bacon in half. Fry the 4 pieces about 4 minutes, turning once. They should be slightly browned on both sides.

 Step 2: Cook the egg. If you like the yolk runny, flip it and take it off heat sooner. I like my yolk cooked through, about 2 minutes.

 Step 3: Layer the hot egg, cheese and bacon, top with a squirt of ketchup and top of muffin, enjoy!

 You can of course use other breakfast meats like a sausage patty or ham. Or get rid of the meat and use avocado, hummus, tomato, or other veggies for a vegetarian/vegan option.

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 1
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 317.7

• Total Fat: 15.5 g
• Cholesterol: 214.7 mg
• Sodium: 770.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 27.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.4 g
• Protein: 18.7 g

Baked Potato Soup

As stated previously, cold weather is made for soups and stews. But you can only throw meat, vegetables and some kind of stock together so many different ways. Sometimes I need a soup of a different texture. Given that the days of grilling and baked potatoes are slowly fading, I decided to make the soup adaptation of baked potatoes. It is creamy, cheesy, thick and filling. Not to mention it is relatively cheap to make (unless you skip the bacon, but I wouldn't recommend it). The way I made it, you will need:

For soup base:
6 medium baking potatoes
3 cups of chicken broth or 3 bouillon cubes (for vegetarian use veggie broth)
Approximately 12 oz cheese (I used marbled cheddar and colby jack)
1/2 block cream cheese

Soup addition:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooked bacon
Handful of chives
3 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
1/2 block cream cheese

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into quarters and add to 3 cups chicken broth. Either boil for 1 hour, or put on hot in a slow cooker for 4 hours. Then liquefy the cooked potatoes in a blender and put into a soup pot on the stove. Add the cheese and cream cheese and put on low. While the soup simmers, in a blender combine the milk, chives, bacon, garlic, onion and the rest of the cream cheese. Liquefy all of the ingredients, and then add to the soup pot.

Once the soup simmers and begins to thicken, taste the soup and adjust to your liking. Then if you want to be all fancy, you can serve it with a sprinkle of cheese and bacon, a dollop of sour cream and a piece or two of chives.