Monday, January 18, 2010

Pork Legs

So my poor hubby was sick today and had to stay home. I made him get up for breakfast at 8 and then the poor guy went right back to bed for a few hours. The good thing about him staying home is that I was able to leave Gabe with him while I ran out to do some shopping. It's so nice to be able to just run into a store without having to unbuckle my baby and carry him as well as a basket. Well anyway, I managed to go into our local Nursery and got a bunch of seeds for starters. Coleus, Bells of Ireland, Celosia and even a Mallow variety. I'm pumped!
Next I went to the grocery store. So they were advertising Pork Legs, Bone In, for 89 cents a pound. I had high hopes. And then I realized they were the size of my upper body. Seriously. These things were huge!!! I'll admit I became intimidated, which is new for me. I normally buy new cuts (and by new I mean cheap) and figure out what to do with them. This wouldn't have fit in my freezer let alone my oven. I would have had to cut it down into probably a dozen (or more) portions. So I passed.
Tonight we had Sweet and Sour Meatballs for dinner. My meatballs were mediocre, nothing fancy, but as I was making them I realized for the first time one of the truths that I've observed on cooking shows. I've seen on a tonne of shows about how when you are browning meat you need to leave it until it stops sticking voluntarily before you flip the meat. I never knew that. Ever. They say it will let go when it's ready, and it's true!
I also made some lemon poppyseed loaf this morning and unfortunately I always forget to tweek that recipe. It's too dense, too bland, too blah in general. So some time in the next couple of weeks I'll make it again and modify the recipe and post the better one.
Tomorrow we're having dinner with my parents and my grandparents who are coming from out of town. I volunteered to make dessert so for the culinary adventurers we will be having purple grapes with a wine jelly on pound cake and for the more meat-and-potato types in the family I've still yet to figure something out.
Well, it's getting late and I might be able to get the babe to sleep now. I'll leave off with the sweet and sour sauce for my meatballs.

Sweet and Sour sauce

1 can of pineapple chunks
3 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. vinegar

Drain the juice from the pineapple into a saucepan. Add the corn starch and whisk until combined. Add the pineapple chunks, the soy sauce, brown sugar and vinegar. Cook over medium low heat until thickened. Pour over browned meatballs. Bake the meatballs in a covered dish in a 350 degree oven for an hour. Serve over rice.

Well, ta ta!

Mrs. Vander Leek ;)

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