Along with cooler temperatures, brightly colored leaves, pumpkins, and Indian corn, football arrives.
Which is what prompted me to share this lovely lady cheerleader. Gee, do you remember saddle shoes? Catch the gingham lining of this gal’s skirt. Very classy.
I don’t think it’s possible to watch your favorite team battle it out on the gridiron without Bratwurst & Onions. It is the quintessential tailgating sandwich. Richard and I love them. But at our homestead, there’s only two of us. We’re also past the tailgating phase of our lives. No reason to fire up the grill, so I make ours in a cast iron skillet.
Preparation is quick and belies the juicy, peppery deliciousness soon to be served. Carmelized onions, sauerkraut, mustard! Yes!!
The first thing I do is carmelize a whole onion or two. Slice the onion in half, lay the cut side down on the cutting board, and slice into slivers – the opposite of cutting rings, or half rings in this case.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, add one Tablespoon unsalted butter and one Tablespoon olive oil. Add the onions. Sprinkle with a little salt, and let them saute.
Stir every once in a while with a wooden spoon to make sure they all become nicely browned.
Keep an eye on the skillet. You may have to turn the heat down a bit as the onions cook so they don’t burn.
Remove your perfectly browned onions to a bowl. Set aside while you fry up the brats.
Use the same skillet to cook up the sausages so they soak up the oniony goodness.
Cook over medium heat until brown. Flip them over and brown the other side. The brats are not cooked through at this point, so cover with a lid or a piece of foil and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so. You might even flip them halfway through cooking to keep one side from getting overly brown.
And there you have it. So basic. So juicy and delicious. Put a brat in a bun. Top with cooked onions. And whatever else you want: sauerkraut, German-style mustard. But no ketchup – these are not hot dogs.
Here’s an image to Pin!
Copyright, At Mimi’s Table 2013-2018, All Rights Reserved
My niece was married recently, and with her marriage came one of my favorite people, my sister! Carol & I are seven years apart, (I won’t tell you who is older) and we’ve been very close since our childhood. Boy, I was glad to see her. So, when she asked me to make one of our mother’s favorite go-to dinners, I was happy to accommodate her.
First I have to tell you about my new friend, my Cuisinart 12″ enameled cast iron braiser. Browsing through Home Goods one afternoon, I fell in love. Isn’t it the prettiest yellow? I’ve wanted a Le Creuset braiser for some time now, but, oh my, the price! For my needs, my new found bargain will serve me well. It’s such a versatile piece, and cooks just as well as the other Le Creuset pieces I have, which aren’t many. Mom used her well-loved 12″ club aluminum chicken fryer.
Anyway . . .
I call this dish “Retro” because my mom made this throughout my childhood, which stretches back to the 50′s, . This pork chop and rice recipe survived tomato aspic gelatin salad, and was a regular on my dinner table when my children were growing up. I don’t know what appealed to us: the juicy pork chops, the consistency of the flavorful rice, the sweet peas, or the firm and mushy potatoes, there were rarely leftovers.
And this dish is inexpensive to prepare. If you wish, you might make the rice by itself as a side dish for another entree. You can also substitute chicken, if that’s what you have on hand.
In only 30-40 minutes, look what is waiting for us under that lovely yellow lidded vessel! Umm, yummy succulent pork chops, and the side dish they cook along with. Seriously, the smell in my kitchen brought back many fond memories for me and my sis.
Why don’t you fire up that trusty ol’ black-and-white, and stroll back in time with me! Let’s get started, shall we?
Mimi
“Farming is a profession of hope” ? Brian Brett
Retro Pork Chops, Spanish Rice with Peas & Potatoes
Pork Chops, Spanish Rice with Peas & Potatoes was one of our family favorites, and one of my mother's no fail go to dinners. Quick and inexpensive, the rice is a nice twist on traditional Spanish rice. The rice, peas and potatoes can be prepared on it's own and served as a side dish.
Author: Mom
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
4 - one inch thick pork loin chops, bone in or boneless
1 medium onion, diced
1½ cups white rice, plain, Jasmine or Basamati, uncooked
3 cups chicken stock or water
½ 8 oz can tomato sauce
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt & Pepper
Instructions
Heat 1½ Tablespoon oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork chops with salt & pepper. Sear the chops on both sides, until the meat is golden brown & delicious on the outside, but not quite done on the inside. Put the chops aside, and prepare the rice.
Turn down the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1½ Tablespoon oil. Add the chopped onion. Stir the onion around the pan while scrapping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Just a minute or two.
Add the rice. Stir until the grains are evenly coated with oil, Another minute or two.
Add the chicken stock or water to the pan. It may steam up, so be careful.
Add the tomato sauce.
Again stir and scrap the bottom of the pan to bring up the golden brown flavorful bits from browning the pork chops.
Add the oregano, salt & pepper.
Add the potatoes and frozen peas. Swirl around until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Return the pork chops to the pan. Reduce heat, so the mixture can gently simmer rather than boil.
Cover the pan. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, until the pork is done, and the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
Notes
I'm a fan of garlic pepper to season almost everything I brown or sear. You may, too, or add a crushed clove of garlic to the onions and rice just before adding the liquid.
You can substitute chicken for pork chops. Or you can make the rice recipe on it's own and serve with another entree.
The first thing I do is carmelize a whole onion or two. Slice the onion in half, lay the cut side down on the cutting board, and slice into slivers – the opposite of cutting rings, or half rings in this case.
First I have to tell you about my new friend, my Cuisinart 12″ enameled cast iron braiser. Browsing through Home Goods one afternoon, I fell in love. Isn’t it the prettiest yellow? I’ve wanted a Le Creuset braiser for some time now, but, oh my, the price! For my needs, my new found bargain will serve me well. It’s such a versatile piece, and cooks just as well as the other Le Creuset pieces I have, which aren’t many. Mom used her well-loved 12″ club aluminum chicken fryer.
