Porking Out on Pork

posted December 18, 2007
  by Sarah Christine Bolton, The Savvy Slow Cooker

When I first left California to come to college in Jackson, Mississippi, I faced the school cafeteria line with a great sense of trepidation. Steaming pans of grits and bacon for breakfast, country fried steak and onion-smothered pork chops for dinner and lunch. And cornbread and greens just always. I struggled my first year, craving turkey burgers, avocado, and shrimp. I learned to exist on the salad bar, peanut butter, and soymilk (stashed in my dorm fridge.)

Thankfully, college wasn’t forever, and I soon graduated and got my own place. My fiancé and I could cook whatever we wanted in our tiny apartment kitchen. I had to remember the foods that I used to love before the time of the salad bar. I made a whole roasted chicken one time; we ate the whole thing. He made spaghetti and pizza (both with lots of jalapeno peppers), and we both ate lots of salads with olive oil and rice vinegar.

Our shared kitchen revealed some things we didn’t know about each other, though. I brought tofu home and he refused to even look at it. I tried to look past the tubs of fried chicken. Sometimes, we would each cook for ourselves. It worked, for the most part.

There were times, though, when he would ask me to cook something specific for him, like fried chicken (“no”) or pork chops (“no”). Anything that was associated with pork was frightening to me, in a Dark Ages, prehistoric sort of way. In the grocery store, I turned away from the plastic-wrapped containers of pork chops and pork roasts, and shuddered at the picked pigs' feet. The reason for my fear stems from my childhood, and my mother proclaiming the evils of pork. I’m not sure why she shunned pork from our diet, but then again, my mom had some strange diet adaptations throughout my childhood.

For nearly a year, we ate only red meat, sometimes two or three times a day. Maybe that’s why I don’t touch it today. Then, there was the time that we had to drink a “smoothie” of sorts, made with spinach, pineapple, and cucumber. I’m sure it was a nutritional powerhouse, but seriously? Sea kelp made a brief appearance in our diet, and it was a very versatile ingredient. She put it on everything, and I mean everything.

Needless to say, I have developed some rather strange aversions to foods. And, unfortunately, I have also picked up a few eating habits that might be considered weird (I still think tortilla chips and ketchup are amazing).

When it came time to sit down and write this column, I decided to find out what holidays fell on December 18. Interestingly enough, today is National Roast Suckling Pig Day. I passed over it rather quickly. First of all, I’m not sure my apartment neighbors would appreciate me digging a large hole in the communal lawn and depositing an entire pig into the ground. Second of all, it was pork. I was scared of it.

But, in the spirit of being adventurous, I was determined to push past my fears and at least give pork a chance. So, I did. And I’m quite happy that I did. The dish I made was a big hit, and I even ate some of it myself. Pork is tasty. And although I don’t see myself buying it again anytime too soon, I’m definitely not afraid to face my food fear, and just eat it away.


Southwestern Cilantro Pork Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 4
Ready in: 2-5 hrs

* 4 pork chops, trimmed of excess fat (can use more if desired)
* Salt and pepper, to taste
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped and divided
* 1/2 red onion, chopped
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
* 2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
* 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Heat vegetable oil in large non-stick skillet. Rub pork chops with salt and pepper. Place on hot skillet. Sear each side 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, place half of the chopped cilantro, red onions, half the cumin, half the chili powder, and salt and pepper in bottom of crockpot. Place seared pork chops on top. Place chopped tomatoes, remaining cilantro, remaining cumin, remaining chili powder, and salt and pepper on top of pork chops. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Serve with Spanish flavored rice and steamed broccoli.

©2008 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction of this article may be made without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.



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