National Pork Month #Celebrate365 Blog Party

October is one of my favorite times of the year for many reasons:  harvest is in full-swing (or as much as we can this year between rains), it is sweatshirt weather, my birthday is at the end of the month, and it's National Pork Month.  I have been raising pigs with my family and now my husband literally my entire life.  I love sharing about our pigs and delicious ways to prepare pork.  So in recognition of National Pork Month I joined forces with my Celebrate 365 co-hosts (Carlee from Cooking with Carlee, Ellen of Family Around the Table, Jan of The Tip Garden and Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom) to host a Pork Recipe Blog Party!

All Purpose Pork Rub - Tractor Approved Recipe

One feature this month through my 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series is that I am sharing some of my family's "Tractor Approved" recipes.  During fall harvest I have a unique situation where I find myself in the field pretty much all day, everyday, along with my husband and kids.  This means that we don't have that much food in our house because I don't have that much time to run to the grocery store or simply to just cook or bake something.  But one thing I always keep on hand is my All Purpose Pork Rub so I can smoke on a "rain day".  (Plus I had to share a pork recipe this month because it is National Pork Month!)  Be sure to check out my other "Tractor Approved" recipes:  Six Week Muffins, The Best Tuna Salad and Sweet & Salty Corn Chips.

Why does All Purpose Pork Rub get the "Tractor Approved" seal?  First, deli meat sandwiches get a little old if you have them daily for a couple of months, so it is nice to make something a little different to switch up the standard lunch-box sandwich.  Second, this pork rub works on everything - loins, ribs, etc.  So whatever pork you have on hand, you can put it on.  It is a great salty rub with a little bit of a kick to it.  Third, the ingredients for the rub are staple spices I always have in my pantry.  I enjoy this rub so much that I even keep huge batches of it on hand so I can smoke with it whenever I find time.  I love smoking all year long.

All Purpose Pork Rub (adapted from Masterbuilt Smokin' Recipes)
1 Tbsp Salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
5 Tbsp Chili Powder
3 Tbsp Ground Cumin
4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
4 tsp Black Pepper
4 tsp Garlic Powder
4 tsp Onion Powder

Mix ingredients and rub mixture on meat for at least two hours before cooking, overnight is best.  Allow meat to reach room temperature before smoking.  Store leftover rub mixture for future use.

My favorite pork product to use this rub on is pork loin!

Do you own a smoker?  What is your favorite pork recipe?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

(This post is a part of a 31 Days from a Tractor Seat series.  The best way to keep up with this series is to follow via email on the right sidebar of this post or by following on Bloglovin.  Also be sure to like the Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids Facebook page for daily updates from the field.)

Celebrate National Pork and National Apple Month

I love the month of October for many reasons - cool weather, the changing colors of the leaves, harvest, Halloween and my birthday!  I also enjoy the month of October because it is a great excuse to eat savory pork and delicious apples, since October is also known as National Pork Month and National Apple Month.

To celebrate the first day of this great month, I thought I'd share some fun facts about both pork and apples!

• Iowa's pork producers raise 28% of all US Pork, making Iowa the top producer of pork in the nation.
• There are more than 8 million pigs in Iowa, so yes, it is true, there is almost three times as many pigs in Iowa, as there are people.
• Americans, on average, eat more than 60 pounds of pork each year, and with the popularity of bacon rising, that number is surly to rise!
• Red Delicious Apples, America's favorite apple, was developed on a farm near East Peru, Iowa in the 1880s.
• Apples are grown in all 50 states, but only 36 commercially.  There are over 2,500 varieties of apples grown nationally.
• Apple blossom is the state flower of Michigan.

Also to celebrate be sure to cook and bake with pork and apples.  One great recipe that includes both pork and apples is my Harvest Brats recipe - check it out here.

Harvest Brats
Delicious pork brats with a apple and onion mustard slaw

Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe

Today is the final Tuesday of October's National Pork Month and my final Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe for awhile (I'll continue to post more pork recipes in the future but will be taking a break for a bit).  This week's recipe screams fall and uses a pork product I haven't used yet - pork brats!  I modified a Rachael Ray recipe to create my version of Harvest Brats.  I hope you enjoy it!

Harvest Brats

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
4 pork brats
2 cups water
2 apples (your choice on variety - I like to use Fuji because it is my family's favorite apple)
1 onion
Salt and pepper
1 cup apple cider
1/3 cup brown mustard
2 Tbsp brown sugar
4 brat buns

Ingredient Line-up

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with some vegetable oil on the bottom of the pan.  Place brats in pan and brown both sides.  This will take 4-5 minutes.

Once brats are browned, add water so the water is up half way on the brats.  Cook brats for 8-9 minutes.

While brats are cooking, slice both the apples and onion.  Feel free to leave the skin on the apples.  I use an apple corer/slicer and then cut eat of those slices in half.

Once brats are cooked thoroughly, remove brats from pan and set aside.  Get rid of any excess water in pan and add apples and onion to pan.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.

Whisk apple cider, brown sugar and mustard together.

Add cider mixture to apples and onions and bring up to a bubble.

Add brats and simmer at low heat for 3-4 minutes.

Serve brat on a bun with apple and onion mixture over top.

Enjoy!

I hope you have enjoyed my National Pork Month recipes.  I've enjoyed sharing some of my favorite recipes and I hope you've enjoyed getting some new recipes!

Now it is time to announce last week's pig silicon pot holder winner - congratulations Sara!  I'll get your new pot holder out to you soon!

Now for this week I'll be giving away my last pig silicon pot holder.  To be entered into the randomized drawing, share your favorite new recipe in the comment section.  Thank you once again to the Iowa Soybean Association and the Soybean Checkoff for the pot holders!  The winner will be announced next week!

Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe

Once again I go another week with no other post besides my Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe!  But I am happy to report that, that, should change because we finished harvest!!!!  Well, I should correct that, we finished combining.  Which means that LP and I won't be in the field anymore.  Tomorrow I'm planning on posting some photos from the end of harvest.

Now onto this week's Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe in honor of National Pork Month.  I decided that this week's recipe should be all about comfort, so I'm sharing my recipe for Tater Tot Casserole.  It is nothing fancy but it is how I like to make the classic dish.  I love anything I can do in a 9x13 pan and that only takes six ingredients!  I also have to admit, growing up I never had Tater Tot Casserole very much growing up but whenever I did I loved it.  This recipe is something I completely threw together with ingredients that I thought should be in the casserole.  My family likes it, so I feel like it works.  I hope you enjoy!

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:
1 - 32oz package tater tots (with onion if available)
1# ground pork
1 cup frozen corn
1 - 16oz container sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Ingredient Line-up

Place tater tots in greased 9x13 pan.

I don't find the need to line up the tater tots - I just throw them in!

Brown ground pork.

I cook the pork in the microwave and then reuse the dish to mix other ingredients.

Top tater tots with pork.

Top casserole with corn (or whatever frozen vegetable you like).

Meanwhile, mix sour cream and soup together.

Add cheese to mixture.

Mix well.

Spread on top of casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes until brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Now it is time to announce last week's pig silicon pot holder winner - congratulations Nicole!  I'll get your new pot holder out to you soon!

Now for this week I'll be giving away another pig silicon pot holder.  To be entered into the randomized drawing, share your favorite "comfort" food in the comment section.  Thank you once again to the Iowa Soybean Association and the Soybean Checkoff for the pot holders!  The winner will be announced next week!

Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe

Things have been busy on the farm with harvest, obviously since I haven't blogged since my last Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe...  Anyways, as promised, here is another favorite pork recipe in honor of National Pork Month.  I figured I have done recipes with ham, bacon, and ground pork, so today I better do a pork rib recipe.  This is my favorite way to make pork ribs.  It is so simple (crock pot!) and the meat just falls off the bone.  Plus, I use my homemade BBQ sauce on the ribs.  I modified this recipe from a Pillsbury recipe.  I'm afraid no photos because I haven't been home to cook supper in the last week - I've been too busy in the field!

Slow-Cooked Hot and Spicy Pork Ribs

An adaptive version using Country Style Pork Ribs
click here for the recipe

Ingredients:
2 racks of pork ribs
3 garlic cloves, minced

BBQ Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-3 spoonfuls minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1-2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt

Place pork ribs in slow cooker.  Sprinkle with garlic.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving, drain and discard juices from the slow cooker and pour or spoon BBQ Sauce over the ribs.  To make the BBQ Sauce combine all ingredients, mix well.

*** Special Ingredient Tip ***  Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce is bought in a small can.  You will never use the entire can in one recipe, so what I do is put the entire can (chiles and sauce) in a small food processor and mince till chiles are finely chopped.  Use in recipe as directed and put unused in a ziploc bag.  Freeze leftovers and thaw next time chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are needed in a recipe.  (I learned this from Rachael Ray!)

Now it is time to announce last week's pig silicon pot holder winner - congratulations Nicole!  Please send me your mailing address and I'll get your new pot holder out to you!

Now for this week I'll be giving away another pig silicon pot holder.  To be entered in to the randomized drawing, share your favorite crock pot recipe in the comment section.  How easy is that!  There were only two people that shared last week - they had a 50% chance of winning, so share this week and see if you win!  Thank you once again to the Iowa Soybean Association and the Soybean Checkoff for the pot holders!  The winner will be announced next week!

Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe

Me during the Pride of Iowa contest demonstrating
Fiesta Pork Soup (age 16)

It's Tuesday and time to share another Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe in honor of National Pork Month.  Now this week's recipe I decided to also honor National 4-H Week, an organization I am a very proud alumni of, as well as volunteer for today.  When I was in 4-H as a member of the Clear Lake Sailors in Hamilton County, Iowa, I always participated in the Pride of Iowa contest every year at the county fair.  The gist of the Pride of Iowa contest is that 4-Hers give a live cooking demonstration and the food they make must include an Iowa product in it.  One year for the contest, I made the recipe I'm going to share today.  I got the recipe from the National Pork Checkoff and fell in love with the recipe's simplicity and flavor.  I hope you enjoy it too!

Fiesta Pork Soup 

My kitchen helper

(This is a great recipe for kids to help with or for a teen to take the lead on.)

Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
8 oz picante sauce
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
2 cups (or 1 - 14 1/2 oz can) chicken stock/broth
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1 - 11oz can condensed fiesta natcho cheese soup

Ingredient line-up

In medium saucepan, cook and stir pork until browned.  Drain.

Add chicken broth, picante sauce, cumin and pepper; bring to boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cheese soup; simmer until heated through.  Do not boil.

Pour into serving bowls; garnish with sour cream and tortilla chips.  Serves 5.

(I like to dip with my chips while
My Farmer likes to crunch up the chips as if they were crackers!)

Now it is time to announce last week's pig silicon pot holder winner - congratulations Dee W!  Please send me your mailing address and I'll get your new pot holder out to you!

Now for this week I'll be giving away another pig silicon pot holder.  To be entered into the randomized drawing, share your favorite soup to warm up with in the fall and winter in the comment section.  Thank you once again to the Iowa Soybean Association and the Soybean Checkoff for the pot holders!  The winner will be announced next week!

Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe

In honor of National Pork Month, my first installment of Tuesday Tasty Pork Recipe for the month is one of my favorite pasta dishes that includes two pork products - ham and bacon!

Val's Sicilian Pasta Sauce
(One of my favorite restaurant's growing up was Valentino's, an Italian restaurant, which has a great Sicilian Pasta.  So this is my rendition and take on it!)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. bacon
2-3 Tbsp. margarine
2-3 cloves garlic, grated
3-4 Tbsp. flour
2 cups whole milk
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 tsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 cups diced ham
2 cans sliced mushrooms
2 cups Italian shredded cheese

Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and fry.  Once bacon is fried to your liking, set aside.

Add margarine to bacon grease.  Let melt and then add garlic.  Cook for one minute and then add flour to make roux.

Slowly whisk in milk to make sauce.

Once sauce is made, stir in bouillon cube, parley, Italian seasoning...

and the ham, bacon and mushrooms.

Finally add the cheese and let sit over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Serve sauce over choice of pasta.  My family's preference is rotini or radiatori noodles.

What's your favorite pork product to cook with - ham? bacon? ground pork? pork chops? ribs? roast?  Share the name of your favorite pork product to cook with in the comment section and you'll be entered to win a pig silicon pot holder from the Iowa Soybean Association and the Soybean Checkoff!  The winner will be announced next week!