What I Had for LINNER: Pork n Greens

Hey there! It's been a sec since I've posted some linner pics. I started this just to kinda give you some insight to my recipe development process as well as show you what I'm eating at home during that period between lunch and dinner. I've actually never given some follow up to these posts, but these are usually what I end up submitting for menus on Cooking for Real. Before I go in to tape, I'm charged with submitting more menus than needed for the amount of shows we'll tape. Then during the pre-production process menus or recipes are removed from those I submitted due to so many different reasons. Many times the number one reason is seasonality, we often tape out of season and that creates a slight dilemma. We also try not to overlap proteins too much within the shows we tape. I can't do 13 beef episodes in a row, not that I don't like beef, but variety of recipes is the best ... like the spice of life :-). It's how I eat. I like to bake and roast and saute and fry and blitz and blend and knead and all that stuff ... pretty much everything, so we also try to make sure we have times where I'm able to do different processes throughout the shows. Other things to take into consideration are 'stunt weeks'. These are best described as usually holidays or special eating holidays to be exact. Summer grilling, Thanksgiving, Christmas and others are episodes we plan and usually tape months in advance. 

Anyway, just a peek inside and now, before I give you a look at what I had for Linner ... take a look at some previous Linner posts that ended up eventually on Cooking for Real.

I'm No Shepherd became Shepherd's Pie with Mushroom Onion Gravy

and ...

Wings 3 Ways turned into Wings 3 Ways

Ok, my linner the other day after a trip to the meat counter was pork loin. I bought two because they were on sale and then while I was walking home I saw some greens in the window of a grocery store and stopped to turn around and buy them. It reminded me of seeing a cute puppy in a window, I couldn't keep walking by I had to go in and buy it. Ick, nasty example to talk about around food, but that's how it felt. The greens looked so good.  That's what I do ... I shop and sometimes buy things in a romantic thought from the past. A great meal, childhood memory or even the fact that it looks good, anything can make me buy something and then when I get home it's all about using it all before it goes bad. Especially fruits and veggies, I'm a sucker for clean or healthy looking produce. I love to eat and I love to cook. The best thing is the internal dialogue while eating. So I decided to use both of my good buys that same day, along with some pineapple that was just sitting on my counter for days. It's almost like reading a really good book ... it can take you places. So, I decided to go to Hawaii, by way of the south. 

I rubbed then seared the pork and made a bed of pineapple, greens, broth and more. Turned out pretty darn yummy and I liked the idea of having it all in one dish in the oven. The greens wilted nicely and things were sweetened by the pineapple and spicy from the seasonings. It went fast. If things go well, it's a future Cooking for Real recipe. I've just submitted it as part of a menu for the next shows I start taping soon. :-). Thanks so much for the support and for watching, if you've caught the show, if not and you've found my blog another way ... I invite you to catch the show. Cooking for Real airs Saturdays at noon (new episodes), Sundays at 9 or 9:30AM and weekdays at 4PM, all eastern standard time. Check here for the full schedule and local listings. Take care and I hope you are enjoying the week!