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Meat Nerd & Animal Lover

Meal Prep with Sausage Crumbles

1/5/2020

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In the spirit of dirtying as few dishes as possible (which my husband appreciates very much since I’m the cook and he’s the kitchen clean-up crew), I plan to brown a couple pounds of ground meat every Sunday as part of my meal prep. I assume that ¼ lb will be about 1 serving of whatever I make as long as I have more than just meat on the plate. You'll have to consider everyone’s typical appetite when you’re prepping. 

I prefer to use ground pork or pork sausage. What’s the difference? Salt, pepper, and sage in this case. The bulk pork sausage I use has those 3 ingredients which is an awesome base flavor that you can take in a lot of different directions. If you prefer, you can use ground pork, which has no ingredients added and then you’ll have a totally blank palate to season however you like.
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Once I crumble the meat up and cook it fully, I drain off the "drippings" and begin parsing it out into different recipes. One thing to keep in mind is that if you want to make sausage gravy, you should save the drippings AKA all the liquid in a container to the side. 

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So how many ways can I use my sausage crumbles? With the right added flavors, the possibilities are endless! And many of them call for sautéed veggies, so I would also suggest prepping those in one big batch. Here are a few recipes to consider:
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  1. Morning Scramble: Scramble eggs in a pan with oil or butter. Add in sausage crumbles and sautéed veggies and cover until the meat is warmed. Just before serving, top with shredded cheese, avocado and/or salsa. (I personally prefer to cook my eggs just before I eat them since they don’t reheat with the best texture but having crumbles and veggies ready-to-go significantly shortens the overall prep time in the morning.)
  2. Sausage Gravy: my 1983 Betty Crocker cookbook is Tried & True for making gravy: For every cup of Gravy, use 2-Tbsp drippings, 2-Tbsp flour, and 1-cup liquid (meat juices, water, or broth). Add drippings to a medium pan, then stir in flour until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in liquid. Heat to boiling and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 
  3. Spaghetti and marinara: sauté chopped peppers, onions and mushrooms in a skillet with olive oil. Cook pasta of your choice. Mix together the pasta, veggies, meat, and red sauce of your choice.
  4. Spaghetti squash with veggies, & parmesan: Cook and pull the spaghetti squash with a fork, add about a ½ Tbsp of butter per cup of squash. Add reheated sausage and sautéed veggies as well as grated parmesan, salt and garlic powder to your personal taste.
  5. Tacos: Add cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder to the crumbles while they’re still warm. Once I drain my original batch of crumbles, I just place about ¼ of them into the pan and add the seasoning along with a small amount of the grease/drippings that I just removed from the pan so it distributes the seasoning and doesn’t dry out. When you’re ready for tacos later in the week, just warm the meat and some sautéed veggies and add the fixin’s you like to a tortilla shell. Lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese, olives, avocado, salsa, black beans, etc.
  6. Lettuce wraps: Add hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, and potentially sriracha to the meat in a pan when you’re prepping. When you’re ready to serve, reheat the meat and cut a head of iceberg into 6ths or use romaine spears. Top with scallions and shredded carrots. >>Find the start-to-finish recipe inspiration here.
  7. Egg Roll Bowl (low carb version of an egg roll): Add garlic and ginger to the meat in a pan when you’re prepping. Cook shredded carrots, and thin-sliced cabbage and onion in equal quantities in sesame oil. Mix veggies together with meat and add soy sauce and sriracha to your personal taste. >>Find the start-to-finish recipe inspiration here. 

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Meal Planning With A Pork Butt

1/5/2020

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I love to cook, but with just two of us in the house, I get tired of eating the same things over and over. My husband would be perfectly happy to eat the same thing day after day, but luckily he’s willing to try my more creative “recipes”, which are often a combination of whatever is in the fridge.

But in 2020, it’s my goal to actually plan meals, prep them on weekends and have food ready all week long. I know this would have been a big help after work in 2019 and will be an even bigger help in 2020 when our family grows by one this February!

Although I haven’t been great at pre-planning, my favorite strategy is to use one protein and see how I can add different seasonings and sauces to the leftovers so I don’t feel like I’m eating the same thing over and over. And it’s a big bonus that I always have a freezer full of meat to choose from.

There are two main pork ingredients that I like to use that have the most versatility: Pork Butt and Pork Sausage. I’m going to talk about the pork butt here.

​If you're more interested in sausage recipes, click here. 
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Pork Boston Butt: 
Despite the name, the butt is at the opposite end from where you expect…it’s actually the shoulder. The great thing about the cuts from the front of the animal is that they have a really great flavor because they’re integrated with seams of fat that infuse tons of flavor and juiciness into the meat. These cuts also have a lot of marbling, that’s the fine flecks of fat in the muscle.
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You can really go a lot of different directions with a pork butt. It’s great for shredding but it can also be great if it’s sliced thin either before or after you cook it. But your end goal will determine how you treat it along the way.

Starting with the shred-able options: Pulled Pork, Carnitas, BBQ Pork, Pork Ragu, it’s up to you. 
I really enjoy pulled pork and carnitas because the flavor of the pork can really shine through and isn’t masked by a sauce. And this way you’ll have a nice base to add other sauces to for dinner tomorrow and the next day. One dirty pan and a few hours in the oven could feed you several meals in a week and none of them would taste the same!

I made a delicious, pull-apart, fork tender roast for Christmas this year that was super simple. No special ingredients needed: 4 lb pork butt, salt, sugar, and some spices.
>>Skip the details, I just want the recipe.

The rub I used was what was leftover from my honey ham rub, but I’m sure that you could adjust it to your own liking or what’s available in your cupboard. And the best part is that I had shredded pork leftovers that I could dress up as carnitas and bbq pork sandwiches.


Sugar & Spice Rub: 
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp seasoned salt
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg or allspice
¼ tsp paprika
 
Preparing your Butt: 
There are a couple of prep steps that I like when I’m roasting a pork butt. Ideally, you should allow your roast to thaw for 1-2 days in the refrigerator so that you don’t shock the meat with a microwave or other rapid warming method. If you didn’t get a chance to pull it out early, there’s a good chance it will still be frozen in the middle even if the outside is softened. You can speed up the process by allowing it to thaw under room temp water that is slowly running. I don’t suggest leaving your meat on the counter to thaw all day or overnight because that can give harmful bacteria and opportunity to grow, even if it’s still sealed and you plan to cook it. If your roast is partly frozen, you can still cook it but it could take 50% longer and you’ll risk drying the outside out while the inside catches up to temp.

Once your meat is thawed, you should trim the fat cap down to around ¼ inch thick and then cut hash marks through the fat so that your seasoning will penetrate. For the best flavor, I typically leave all that seam fat (fat between the muscles) attached until after cooking and then sort it out later.
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Seasoning your Butt: 
At this point, I coat all sides of the roast with salt using a shaker and rub it in. Then I coat it on all sides with my Sugar & Spice rub and rub it in and place it in an oven-friendly pan, fat-side-up so it basically bastes itself as it cooks. I don’t find the need to add any moisture to a high quality roast that has sufficient fat, but if you use a roast that is very lean or very pale in color, you will need to add some cider, juice, or beer to the pan.

I like to let it set for a couple of hours so that all the flavor from the rub has time to soak in a little. I left mine at room temperature which theoretically allows the meat to acclimate a little more but isn’t long enough to have a concern with bacteria growth. This step can be skipped if you don’t have time. A little internet research will teach you that people have strong opinions on whether acclimation at room temp helps with juiciness, but not everyone agrees of course.  
 
Cooking your Butt: 
About 20 minutes before you want to start cooking, pre-heat your oven to 450°F. You’ll cook the roast for 20 minutes until the fat begins to brown, but not burn and then drop the oven temperature to 250°F and cover the roast and continue cooking until it reaches 190°F internally. This takes about 5-6 hours on a 4 lb roast. I use a digital thermometer with a probe and wire inserted into the center of the roast (not touching bone) set to alarm when it reaches 190°F. You can cook it faster at a higher temp, but low and slow is the best way to get a fork-tender and super juicy roast. Low and Slow helps break down the connective tissue that would normally make a piece of meat tough. As the meat rises from 160-200°F, it will turn the collagen connective tissue into gelatin, which is part of what makes the roast moist and succulent. 
 
When you pull your roast out of the oven, let it rest for at least 15 minutes. You can wait longer, but make sure it stays above 140°F until serving. I leave my thermometer in the roast as it sets to make sure I’m not risking letting it get too cool. This little rest period will help allow the juices to return to the center of the meat and take some of the flavor of the rub along with it.
 
Serving your Butt: 
It’s really quite simple, the butt will be fork tender, so you can use a couple of forks to pull it apart. I did this right at the table in a serving dish because I wanted to show off how beautiful the roast was and let people have the option of grabbing some of the deliciously crisp fat from the top, but you can always shred it prior to bringing it to the table if you prefer.
 
Diversifying your Butt: 
After you’ve served it once, you’ll hopefully have leftovers. My favorite leftover options for shredded pork are to make pulled pork nachos, carnitas tacos, or add bbq sauce and put it on a bun. And one that I haven’t tried but plan to is to make Banh Mi sandwiches.
 


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Recipe
Ingredients:
  • 1 pork butt, bone-in 4lbs (served 5 adults & 2 kids along with 2 meals of leftovers for 2 adults)
  • Salt
  • Sugar & Spice Rub
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ tsp seasoned salt
    • ¼ tsp onion powder
    • ¼ tsp cinnamon
    • ½ tsp nutmeg or allspice
    • ¼ tsp paprika
 ​Steps:
  • Make sure your pork butt is fully thawed (at least 24 hours). Trim the fat cap down to ¼ inch. Cut hash marks across the fat cap so that the salt and rub will penetrate.
  • Mix Sugar & Spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
  • Coat all surfaces of the roast with salt using a salt shaker and rub in.
  • Coat all surfaces of the roast with the sugar & spice rub and rub in.
  • Place in an oven-friendly pan and allow to set for at least 2 hours to absorb the flavor (you can do this the night before if you refrigerate it).
  • Pre-heat oven to 450°F.
  • Cook uncovered for 20 minutes until the fat begins to brown, but not burn.
  • Drop the oven temp to 250°F and cover the roast with foil. Continue cooking 5-6 hours until it reaches 190°F internally. (I monitor it with a digital thermometer that has a wire and probe and alarms when it reaches my target temp).
  • Pull the roast out and leave covered with the thermometer inserted and allow to rest at least 15 minutes. (Longer is better as long as it stays above 140°F until it’s served). 

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5 Easy Tailgate Appetizers

10/13/2019

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When I say easy, I mean it. So easy that I’m even going to use the microwave once (gasp!). If you want to make it harder, feel free to replace the microwave with oven use any time you want! Some of these won’t be innovative, but they will be delicious and easy, which is what I think we’re all going for on the day of a tailgate whether you’re headed to campus or staying in the back yard. Not to mention this is a rare occasion online when you'll get 5 recipes in one place without a bunch of ads and clicks!

Let’s go easiest to hardest here:

Chorizo Queso Dip: This may be the simplest recipe of all, and who doesn’t love cheese? 

Ingredients:
  • ½ lb chorizo
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup shredded queso Oaxaca (Or pepper jack)
Directions:
  • Set the oven to broil.
  • Fully cook the chorizo in a skillet on the stovetop and drain off excess grease.
  • In a small oven safe serving dish, add the cheese and broil until melted.
  • Top with chorizo and serve immediately with chips.

Chorizo Nachos: The fun thing about nachos is that you can pick and choose what to put on them, but here’s a blend I really like.

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb Chorizo – (bulk)
  • Tortilla Chips
  • Jalapenos to your personal preference (Fresh for max heat, pickled to tame it a little, or candied to cool it down and add some sweetness)
  • 1-8oz. package of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Mild Salsa
  • Queso if desired
(feel free to add olives, diced tomatoes, onions, avocado, sour cream, or anything else you love on your nachos)
Directions:
  • Brown 1-lb of chorizo. Once cooked, drain off excess grease.
  • Place a layer of chips onto a platter or paper plate that will fit in your microwave. Sprinkle with cheese, salsa, jalapenos and chorizo.
  • Add another layer of chips and sprinkle with ingredients again for 2 more layers.
  • Microwave for 30 seconds. Continue to microwave in 15 second increments until cheese is melted, but not bubbling/hardening.
  • Dress on the side with guacamole, salsa or queso

Pulled Pork Crostini: This is great for a bite-size bit of deliciousness that combines sweet with meat and a little bit of heat! You can even replace the Crostini Cracker with a Cheese Whisp if you want to have a keto-friendly or low carb option.

Ingredients:
  • Smoked pulled pork from a Boston Butt
  • Crostini Crackers (homemade from a baguette only adds about 15 minutes…see here)
  • Cream Cheese
  • Candied Jalapenos
  • Peach Preserves optional
Directions:
  • Lay out Crostini Crackers on a baking sheet and place in a 350 F oven for 5 minutes.
  • Once Crostini is warmed, top each with a layer of softened or whipped cream cheese and then with warm pulled pork.
  • You can then top them with the Candied Jalapenos, I recommend Mad Sweet Heat brand.
  • If you want to get creative, you can top half of them with the candied Jalapenos and the other half with preserves and then organize them so they look like two football teams on the field. You can even pick your toppings to match your team (strawberry or salsa would be great for the Buckeyes for example). Plus, having two different flavors allows the people who aren’t so sure about Jalapenos to have an alternative.

Loaded Baked Potato Snackers: This recipe will take a little longer (50 minute) but is still super easy! It’s a simple take on a classic appetizer that people are sure to love. You can really top it with any meat you like, but what is better than bacon?

Ingredients:
  • 6 strips of cooked bacon cut into 1” pieces
  • 2 large russet potatoes sliced thin (~1/4” thick)
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • salt
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup chives
  • Sour Cream
Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Place sliced potatoes on a lined cookie sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt.
  • Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes, flip, brush with butter and salt again and bake for 15 minutes more.
  • Top potatoes with cheese and a piece of bacon, cook 5 more minutes until cheese is melted.
  • Add a dollop of sour cream and top with chopped chives.

Teriyaki Pork Kabobs:  This is another great combination; zesty, fruity flavors combined with teriyaki glazed pork. This one takes a little more prep and ingredients, but it's worth it!

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb of Pork chops or pork butt, chopped into 1-inch squares
  • Teriyaki sauce
  • 8 oz Fresh Pineapple chunks about 1”
  • 1 can of Coconut milk
  • 3 Tbsp - Sugar
  • 2 tsp - Cinnamon
  • Red and Orange Bell peppers in 1-1.5” pieces
  • Yellow onion cut into 1” chunks
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • Skewers, metal or wood
Directions:
      In advance:
  • Marinade pork chunks in teriyaki sauce in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 4 hours).
  • Place the sugar, cinnamon and coconut milk, both the solids and liquid into a large bowl and mix together. Add the pineapple and allow this to marinade for the same duration as the pork.  
     Day of:
  • If using wood skewers, soak in water for at least 15 minutes before use.
  • Place vegetables in a bag with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Close off the top and shake/massage until all pieces are coated.
  • Alternate stringing the chunks of meat, pineapple, and vegetables on the skewer.
  • Preheat the grill and then set to medium-low heat.
  • Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the meat is done (145 F inside). Make sure to turn the skewers frequently. 

You may have noticed the pork theme here. You should check out all our great pork products for your next tailgate! You can order online and we'll get them to you ASAP!
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    Author

    Sarah grew up raising pigs on her family farm. She has spent most of the last 15 years studying and teaching about meat, animal welfare, and food safety. She has a passion for pigs, pork chops, and teaching. It is her goal to help meat eaters understand what they're buying and how best to cook it, all the while getting into the nerdy nitty gritty details about meat and animals. 

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