Delicious Pork Dinner Ideas to Gather the Family

Quick and easy pork dinners are a great way to spend quality time at home with our family. Explore new flavors with these simple recipes and start creating your own meals and memories.

This kid-friendly, always delicious bacon grilled cheese is an easy way to get started!

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F, lay bacon in sheet pan in even layers and cook until crispy. Save the bacon grease and place cooked bacon on paper towel.
2. Spread butter or mayonnaise over the outside of each slice of bread.
3. Divide the cheese and bacon over 4 slices of bread and top with 4 remaining slices of bread.
4. Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium heat, add 1 tsp of bacon fat for each sandwich.
5. Grill sandwich until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and grill the other side until golden.

Pork’s versatility is unmatched. Pork’s flavor gives life to any cuisine or choice of spices and seasonings.

1. Cut the pork into chunks while pre-heating a dutch oven or heavy stockpot.
2. Add oil to the pot and sear the meat in batches as to not overcrowd the pan.
3. Removed browned pork, reduce heat to medium, and sweat onions for 10 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook an additional 5 minutes.
4. In a food processor put chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and ½ cup of broth and puree until smooth.
5. Add meat, chipotle puree, and broth to the pot and bring to simmer. Cover and let cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add hominy and simmer an additional 30 minutes.
7. Check for seasoning and ladle into bowls with garnish.

Pork is a nutritious, affordable and tasty mealtime solution. While fat often helps carry flavor, there are lean pork options available that can be used in a variety of dishes.

1. Begin by making the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, oil, vinegar, cumin and red pepper flakes. Remove half to make sauce later.
2. Place pork chops in a resealable plastic bag with the marinade. Place the plastic bag in the fridge for 1 hour.
3. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove the pork chops from the bag and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook until the pork chop releases from the grill, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for another 3 minutes. If using a grill pan, be sure to do in batches so you don't steam the chops. Cook to an internal temperature of 145F and let rest for 3 minutes in a dish with tall sides to collect juices.
4. In sauce pan add remaining ½ of marinade and bring to quick boil, turn off heat and whisk in butter and juices from rested meat, finish with herbs.

Pork helps us gather for occasions big and small, from family barbeques to date nights. Spice up your Saturday with these Asian Baby Back Ribs.

1. Preheat oven to 300° F. Line a baking dish with foil.
2. Remove membrane off ribs, mix dry seasonings in a bowl and rub both sides. Dry Seasoning: 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 Tbsp paprika, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder.
3. Place ribs in a prepared baking dish, meat side up, wrap tightly with foil.
4. Bake ribs in oven at 300° F. for 2.5 hours.
5. In a medium bowl, combine 6 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup honey, 2 1/2 tsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 4 Tbsp ketchup, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Whisk sauce until fully incorporated.
6. Remove foil and brush the top of the ribs with the glaze, place back in oven and repeat every 10 minutes.
7. Remove ribs, turn on broiler to high and put the rack in the middle, or turn on outdoor grill to high and pre-heat for 10 min.
8. Place ribs back in oven or on grill to get crispy and make the glaze bubble, carefully remove. Let rest for 3 minutes, slice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Get creative when you're putting together your menu for a special Sunday brunch. Broaden your culinary horizons by bringing a French bistro to your own home with this Croque Madame recipe.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Assemble the sandwiches on a baking sheet by spreading 6 slices of bread with a scant amount of Dijon mustard. (If you like more Dijon flavor, add more.) Top with the desired amount of ham and sprinkle with about a tablespoon of cheese. Top with the remaining bread slices.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Stir in the flour, creating a roux, and cook for about 4 minutes. Whisk in the milk and stir until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the nutmeg and 1 cup of Gruyere, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the sandwiches. Top the sandwiches with equal amounts of the remaining cheese.
4. Bake for 8 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until the sandwiches are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, about 2 minutes (watch closely!). Top each sandwich with a fried egg, garnish with freshly picked thyme, and serve.

Pork is a great passport for your kitchen. As a staple protein around the world there are many pork recipes - like Laap, the national dish of Laos - that bring authentic world flavors to your plate.

1. In a dry wok or pan over low heat, toast the rice grains, stirring continuously until they turn golden and fragrant––about 10 minutes. Grind to a coarse powder in a mortar & pestle. Set aside.
2. Place your wok back over high heat until smoking. Add the 1 Tbsp. oil and the 1 lb. ground pork. Stir-fry until the pork is browned, and add in the toasted rice powder, 1/4 tsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. fish sauce, and lime juice from 1 lime.
3. Stir-fry for another minute, and then add in 1 red chili, 3 thinly sliced shallots, 3 chopped scallions. Stir-fry for one more minute, and then taste for seasoning, adding more chili, sugar, fish sauce, and/or lime juice to your taste if needed.
4. Take off the heat and add 1/4 cup fresh cilantro and 1/2 cup mint.
5. For the Som Tum: Put all the peanuts, with the exception of one tablespoon, in the mortar and pestle. Lightly pound until they are broken into small pieces but are not powdered. Set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining tablespoon of peanuts for garnish. Set aside in a separate bowl.
6. Shred the green papaya: After peeling the papaya, remove the dark seeds from the center cavity.
7. Place the flat side of the papaya on the cutting board and, using a Thai handheld shredder, lightly pull the tool down the outside of the fruit in order to rough up the surface. Applying a little more pressure, continue pulling the shredder lengthwise down the papaya, producing long, coarsely julienned strands. You’ll need 3 to 3-1/2 cups of shredded fruit.
8. Repeat with the large carrots, for 1 to 1½ cups of shredded carrot.
9. Place the 3 cloves garlic and 3-4 green chilies with a pinch of salt in the mortar and smash them with the pestle to make a paste. Add the dried shrimp and pound lightly, just enough to break the flesh. Do not pulverize the shrimp.
10. Add the 2 Tbsp. palm sugar, shredded papaya and carrot, string beans, and cherry tomatoes. With a pestle in one hand and a large kitchen spoon in the other, simultaneously pound and toss the ingredients until they are mixed well. The objective is to gently bruise the fruit and vegetables—only to soften them so that their flavors begin to melt into each other. Tossing with the spoon further mixes the ingredients, ensuring that everything is well-coated with palm sugar.
11. Add the crushed peanuts and, again, lightly pound and toss the salad. Pour in the 3 Tbsp. lime juice and the 3 Tbsp. fish sauce and continue to toss until all the ingredients are flavored with the seasonings. At this point, you can briefly refrigerate the salad while you prepare the rest of the meal. When ready to serve, garnish with the chopped peanuts.