Category: Pork

Raise your hand if you love a big pulled pork sandwich! This is a favorite at our house. We love experimenting with recipes and recently entered the Instant Pot world! It sure is awesome making something in so much less time than what it would take in a crock pot!

This recipe brought in some awesome flavor both with the bacon bourbon pulled pork and the fennel apple slaw!! So good!!

INGREDIENTS (Bacon Bourbon Pulled Pork)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 pounds pork loin
• 1 cup packed brown sugar (you can use a keto friendly version like Swerve to keep it low carb)
• ½ cup bourbon
• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
• 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• * optional: BBQ Sauce

DIRECTIONS

Combine garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Massage over all sides of pork loin for 1 minute. Place pork in instant pot

Mix brown sugar, bourbon, and apple cider vinegar together in a bowl and pour over pork loin. Close slow cooker.

Cook on high about 2.5 hours until pork is tender, (8 to 10 hours in a slow cooker/crock pot).

Remove pork from instant pot and shred with 2 forks. Mix bacon into the shredded pork.

*Add BBQ sauce in or on it as an option!

INGREDIENTS (Fennel Apple Slaw)

• 1/4 head green cabbage
• 2 fennel bulbs – cored
• 2 green apples
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (we use avocado oil based and avoid canola and soy as they are highly processed and inflammatory)
• 3 Tbsp sugar (monk fruit sweetener is a good low carb option)
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 green onions – sliced
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

Thinly slice cabbage, fennel, apples, green onions and parsley. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, heavy whipping cream and salt.

Add in sliced ingredients and toss together until well combined.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

I (Jessica) could NOT stand pork chops growing up! It was one of those dinners that I detested! When my mom told us that’s what we were having for dinner, I would try to think of creative ways of getting out of it, or somehow having a snack without her knowing!

Now that we have our own pasture raised pork (no antibiotics or added hormones), my tune has changed! I used to think pork chops were dry and I didn’t like the texture. Not the case anymore!

This is a recipe I would HIGHLY recommend! We found some other Oregon grown ingredients to include too!

INGREDIENTS

Brine

• 1/4 cup salt (pink himalayan or sea salt)
• 4 cups water
• 6 bone-in pork chops, about 3/4″ thick
• Course ground pepper

Glaze

• 1/2 cup dry white wine (we used a Pinot from Yamhill-Carlton), an Oregon winery
• 1/4 cup peach jam (we used Vanilla Peach by an Oregon company: Justy’s Jelly)
• 1 jalepeno sliced, seeded and deveined
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS

In a large dish, dissolve the salt in water. Add pork chops. If there’s not enough liquid to cover, add a solution of 1 cup of water and 1 Tbsp of salt until the pork chops are completely submerged. Let sit for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

While you’re waiting, make the glaze. Add wine, jam, jalapeno and red pepper flakes to a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half and the mixture is thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Set aside.

Remove pork chops from the brining solution and pat dry. Season each side with coarse ground black pepper.
Preheat all grill burners on high for 15 minutes. Turn all burners down to low and place the pork chops on the grill. Turn and rotate the chops every five minutes for about 15-20 minutes before starting to check the internal temperature of the pork chops.

When chops reach an internal temperature of at least 135 degrees F, begin brushing the glaze on each side of the pork chop. Continue grilling the pork chops until they reach 145 degrees F.

Serve immediately!

Have you tried riced cauliflower? I was very hesitant because I just love the “real thing” when it comes to rice. However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how good riced cauliflower is and how it hits the spot!
This is a delicious, healthier (low carb) version of Pork Fried Rice:

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups riced cauliflower plus
• 1/8 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/8 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1/8 cup finely chopped green onion
• 1/8 cup peas
• 1/2 cup smoked ham, chopped into very small pieces
• 2 eggs scrambled
• 1-2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to a sauté pan. Heat to medium.

Add cauliflower and other veggies; cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Make a circle in the center of the pan by moving rice to outer edges.

Add a little more oil and eggs. Scramble until no longer runny.

Combine “rice” and eggs well.

Add ham and pepper to taste.

Top with coconut aminos if desired.