Jane’s Tarheel Meatloaf wins N.C. Pork Council Tarheel Pork Challenge at the State Fair

RALEIGH – Jane Blanco of Raleigh won first place and $200 in the N.C. Pork Council Tarheel Pork Challenge cooking contest for her Jane’s Tarheel Meatloaf recipe. Kathy Shortt of Garner won second place and $150 with her Sausage and Spinach Wellington, and Gail Fuller won third place and $100 for her Piggy Stuffed Pasta.

Judges also awarded honorable mentions to Sandra Bass of Dunn for her Kickin’ Stuffed Peppers recipe and to Hope Adams of Raleigh for her Pork and Apple Wellingtons. Cyndi Smith of Smithfield won Best Presentation for Grandma Bunch’s Never-fail Smoked Ham.

Judging was based on taste appeal, appearance, originality of recipe and ease of preparation.

The winning recipe follows:

Jane’s Tarheel Meatloaf

2 pounds ground pork
½ package Stove Top Stuffing for Pork, crushed
½ cup diced onion
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup golden raisins
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
½ cup apple cider
1 large egg, beaten slightly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix Stove Top Stuffing mix with apple cider; set aside to soften. In large bowl, combine ground pork with diced onion, salt, pepper, chopped apple and raisins. Add prepared stuffing mix and beaten egg; blend well. Shape mixture into loaf shape, or shape into a Tar Heel foot. Place in 13 x 9 x 2 pan and bake 60-75 minutes, depending on thickness of loaf/foot. Prepare sauce (recipe below) while baking. Serves 6-8.

Apple Balsamic Sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 package pork gravy mix
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Gravy Master

Sauté garlic and onion in skillet until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add apples and balsamic vinegar. Cook over medium heat while stirring until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in gravy mix, broth and Gravy Master and continue stirring until smooth.

-lpm-

Sausage and Spinach “Wellington”
Second place: Kathy Shortt, Garner

6 sweet Italian sausages (4 ounces each)
5 ounce package fresh baby spinach
ounces sliced water chestnut, well drained
10.75 ounce can of 98% fat free condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups low moisture, part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
2- 8 ounce tubes Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 tablespoons melted butter
Sprinkle parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut a round shape out of parchment paper to cover a 13-inch pizza pan. Remove sausage from its casings and place in a medium-sized frying pan. Over medium heat, cook the sausage until it is no longer pink. Drain the grease from the pan and crumble the sausage into half-inch pieces. Remove pan from the heat and let the sausage cool. Chop the spinach into 1-inch pieces and put into a large mixing bowl. Chop water chestnuts into ¼ to ½ inch pieces, add to spinach. Add soup, mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese to bowl. Add the cooled sausage to the mixing bowl and combine the ingredients into a paste. Put aside.

Open the crescent roll tubes and separate each dough triangle. On the parchment covered pizza pan. Lay the triangles out side by side in a circular pattern (long points facing outward and overhanging the side of the pan) so that when all the triangles have been laid out, it resembles a wreath with an open circle at the center of the dough and the long points of the dough triangle forming a star-burst outward pattern. Pat down the dough seams on the circular center of the wreath. Place the sausage/spinach mixture in large spoonfuls around the center dough, leaving about a half-inch of crescent roll dough on the inner edge. When all the sausage mixture has been placed forming a complete ring, bring each outer point across the mixture to the inner circle, pressing into the half-inch edge of dough to close. When all the points have been brought across the mixture, the finished product will resemble a coffee cake. Brush the top with melted butter and slightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake on center rack for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is lightly brown. Best served hot. Serve with side salad for a complete meal. Serves 4-6.

Piggy Stuffed Pasta
Third Place: Gail Fuller of Raleigh

21 jumbo pasta shells, uncooked
16 ounce jar picante sauce
8 ounce can tomato sauce
½ cup water
¾ pound pork sausage
¾ pound ground pork
4 ounce can chopped green chilies, drained
1 cup (4 ounce) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2.8 ounce can French fried onions, divided

Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain.
Combine picante sauce, tomato sauce and water, set aside.
Cook ground pork and pork sausage over medium heat until meat
is browned stirring to crumble, drain.
Add ½ cup picante mixture, green chilies, ½ cup cheese and ½ can French fried onions.
Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons pork mixture.
Spoon about half of remaining picante mixture into a 13x9 inch dish.
Place filled shells on sauce; top with remaining picante mixture.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and French fried onions. Bake an additional 5 minute or until cheese melts.

4-6 servings

Pork and Apple Wellingtons
Honorable Mention: Hope Adams, Raleigh

1.5 pounds of pork loin cut into four pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large apples
1.5 ounce package of demi glaze
¼ cup bourbon
½ stick butter
1 sheet of puff pastry
1 egg beaten with splash of water

Peel and core apples. Finely chop apples in food processor or blender. Place chopped apples into skillet on medium heat and add bourbon. Bring to a simmer. Melt demi glaze into apple mixture. Add butter, continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

In another skillet, heat olive oil until smoking, sear pork pieces on each side for 4 minutes.

Cut puff pastry into quarters. Roll each quarter in 14” square. In the middle of each square place a piece of seared pork and one quarter of apple mixture. Pull corners of pasty up and seal at top.

Brush egg wash onto each of the pastry mounts, place on baking sheet.

Place in over 425 degrees and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Garnish with apple pieces and drizzle with honey.

Kickin Stuffed Peppers
Honorable Mention: Sandra Bass, Dunn

1 extra large boil in the bag rice
4 to 6 bell peppers
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice according to package directions. Slice tops off bell peppers and remove seeds. Blanch the peppers for 5 minutes in boiling water, remove from the water and drain.

In a large skillet brown sausage until no longer pink. Fold in tomatoes and cooked rice. Heat through. Add cheese and heat until cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Equally divide mixture into prepared peppers. Place in 8x8 inch baking disk. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until peppers are the desired tenderness.

Grandma Bunch's Never-fail Smoked Ham
Best Presentation: Cyndi T. Smith of Smithfield

Ham

10 -12 pound smoked ham or picnic
½ cup apple juice
½ cup water

Glaze

Glaze can be made 3-5 days ahead of time and refrigerated
16 ouce can crushed or diced pineapples, drained
1/2 jar of small, pitted cherries with juice
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup fruited wine
1 kiwi fruit, peeled, optional
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup crabapple jelly (can substitute apple jelly)

Blend the above ingredients and refrigerate.

Wash and place ham, fat side up, in a 350 degree oven in a medium sized baking pan. Pour in apple juice and water, bake covered for 1 to 1.5 hours.

Star your grill and let it burn down to medium hot for about half hour. Place on covered grill, indirect medium/medium-hot heat, turning every 20 minutes for two hours. Place glaze mix in oven-proof sauce pan and put on indirect portionof grill, stirring every time you glaze the ham to prevent sticking.

Ten minutes into the last half-hour of baking time, start to baste with glaze, turning every 10 minutes. Remove ham from grill and put it back in the baking pan. Pour smoked glaze mix over ham and let it rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

Serves 15-25 people, depending on thickness of slices.