Monthly Archives: June 2012
Pork On Your Fork: Grilled Pork Chops with Basil-Garlic Rub
Grilled Pork Chops with Basil-Garlic Rub
Times
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
4 pork bone-in rib chops, 3/4-inch thick
Basil-Garlic Rub:
2 cloves garlic , peeled
1 cup fresh basil, packed
2 tablespoons lemon juice , fresh
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Directions
With machine running, drop garlic through feed tube of food processor to mince. Stop, add fresh basil, and process until chopped. Add lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper and process to make thin wet rub. Spread both sides of pork chops with basil mixture. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in grill. Brush the grate clean and oil the grate. Grill chops, over direct heat, turning once, to medium rare doneness, 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a 3-minute rest time.
Makes 4 servings
Serving Suggestions
Top the chop with shavings of Parmesan cheese (shave from a wedge of cheese with a vegetable peeler) and toasted pine nuts, if desired. Serve with slices of ripe tomatoes and mozzarella on a bed of arugula drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil or with the Pantry Basil-Garlic Rub.
Nutrition
Calories: 210 calories
Protein: 27 grams
Fat: 14 grams
Sodium: 620 milligrams
Cholesterol: 60 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 3 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Protein: 27 grams
Fat: 14 grams
Sodium: 620 milligrams
Cholesterol: 60 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 3 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Random Safety Tip:
Do not use the same surface for cutting uncooked meat and vegetables. Use different cutting board for uncooked meat.
Recipe from: porkbeinspired.com
Ag Communications in the UK – a Study Abroad Experience
By:Emma Likens
For two weeks in May, myself, Dr. Cannon, Dr. Ellis and six other students from K-State journeyed to a country where left is the “right” side of the road, chips are actually fries with no salt, and pubs are the place to be after five p.m. Instead of going crazy and hitting up every nightclub we could find (although we joked about it from time to time), we traveled from London to Glasgow, visiting agricultural publications, farms and cultural hot spots along the way. I got my first view of the ocean, the English Channel, nearly got hit by a car in Edinburgh, and managed to get sunburned in a place which is supposed to be rainy 90 percent of the time. Needless to say, we brought the sunshine with us, and when our two weeks were up we took it back home with us!
Highlights of my study abroad experience include (by order of occurrence):
The London Tower
We had a free day in London to visit whichever sights appealed to us the most. My uncle Steve, who works in England as a geologist, came to London to show me around. My favorite sight was the London Tower, which is rich with English history and home to the Queen’s Crown Jewels and an impressive armory display. As the yeoman (tour guide) said after asking if there were any Americans in the group, “Why so quiet? If you had just paid your taxes you could call all this history yours too!”
Warwick Castle
This castle is not just any ordinary castle. Restored to its former medieval glory with lots of interactive exhibits and convenient ice-cream shops, it’s now a huge tourist attraction. We even climbed all 580 steps (I’m positive they miscounted or rounded down) to one of the towers. While the view was impressive, climbing up and down that many spiral steps was exhausting!
The Pigs of Bath
Bath is famous for the natural hot springs located there, originally discovered and later forgotten by the Romans. They were rediscovered by a Celtic prince several hundred years later, who established the current city there. After being banished from his kingdom due to a terrible skin disease he had, the prince became a pig herder and wandered the country. He eventually made his way down to Bath, where he noticed how much the pigs enjoyed the mud near the hot springs and how it benefited their health, so he decided to take a dip in the water too. The water cured his skin disease, after which he returned home a new man. Today there are numerous artistic pigs scattered around Bath commemorating its historic connection to pigs.
Farm Tours
We had the opportunity to spend an entire day touring the family farms of Rick Jones, a dairy operation, and Robert Leedham, an arable crop and sheep operation. Both families were eager to show us around and answer questions. Much of their farming practices are similar to our own, but altered to suit the English climate and much more strictly regulated. Some major differences I noticed is that they encourage using dairy for beef and their major crops are barley, wheat, and canola. This was for sure my favorite part of the trip, after spending a week in London being out in the open again reminded me home.
The Scottish Farmer
This was the last publication we visited but also my favorite. They were a fun group with a great sense of humor. The Scottish Farmer is very good at connecting with the younger generation of farmers using their Facebook page and annual t-shirt competition, during which readers submit funny slogans to go on that years t-shirt. They are a huge hit among the Scottish and us Americans too! Some example slogans are “Ewe want it and you know it” and “Get your hands on a Scottish Farmer.” Our group got quite excited when the staff offered to send some extras along with us.
The Scotch Whiskey Experience
The Scottish are well known for their whiskey, so much so that they have an interactive exhibit dedicated to the history and making of Scottish whiskey, complete with samples at the end of the tour. There are four geographic regions Scotch whiskey distilleries are divided into, each with their own unique flavors. Fun fact, every two minutes 4,680 bottles of 70 cl Scotch whiskey are sold worldwide, which is 39 bottles per second!
Despite the ongoing Huskers vs. K-State jokes (which were completely unnecessary, we don’t even play football against each other anymore), it was a great trip and has given me a fresh perspective on agriculture from a global outlook. To read more about our adventures, you can go to http://acjintheuk.wordpress.com/ Thanks for reading!
Alltech Symposium brings guests to Kentucky from all over the world
By: Holly Fujan
On May 19th through the 22nd, 2012, I had the opportunity to attend the 28th Annual Alltech Symposium in Lexington, Kentucky. While at the Symposium I had a chance to see what was going on throughout the pork industry not only in the United States, but also in other countries. There were more then 2,000 people who attended the Symposium from all around the world. The main topic of the Symposium was the concern with the growing world population. With the population growing at an incredible rate, Alltech believes that people and industries must explore new ideas in order to plan for the future. They went on to say that agriculture will play a tremendous role in shaping that future as producers are faced with the challenges of feeding the booming global population, which is expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050, as well as dealing with diminishing resources and environmental concerns.
While at the Symposium, I also had the chance to attend many sessions which discussed various areas of the pork industry. Speakers from many different countries such as Australia, Chile, Ireland and France attended these sessions and discussed with us the research they had done on topics which included: The challenge of tackling PRRS, the optimal weaning weight for piglets, the concern of nutrition keeping up with genetic changes, and new advances in feeding sows to produce as many piglets as possible per year. The second night we were in Kentucky I even had the chance to eat dinner at the Kentucky Horse Park with one of the speakers from Ireland and discuss with him the pork industry where he is from.
The Symposium was an excellent experience for me. It really helped to better inform me of the issues within the pork industry outside of Nebraska. I really enjoyed getting to meet people from all around the world who were very knowledgeable on the industry, and also passionate about the work that they do. I think this will help me in the future if I would decide to pursue a career directly related to the pork industry after graduation.
Pork On Your Fork: Apricot Glazed Pork Kabobs
Times
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound boneless pork loin, cut into one-inch cubes
1 10-oz jar apricot preserves
4 tablespoons orange liqueur, OR orange juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 10-oz jar apricot preserves
4 tablespoons orange liqueur, OR orange juice
2 tablespoons butter
Cooking Directions
Stir together preserves, liqueur and butter, simmer in a small saucepan until butter is melted. (OR combine ingredients in a 2-cup glass measure; microwave on High 1 minute). Place pork cubes in heavy plastic bag, pour 3/4 cup apricot mixture over to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes.
Thread pork onto 4-6 skewers, grill over hot coals 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with marinade. Heat remaining apricot sauce to boiling and serve alongside kabobs, if desired.
Makes 4-6.
Serving Suggestions
This is a fun recipe for summer gatherings. Serve the kabobs with Cool Cucumber Salad, Dr Bills Barbecue Beans, and potato salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 326 calories
Protein: 18 grams
Fat: 9 grams
Sodium: 84 milligrams
Cholesterol: 58 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 40 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Protein: 18 grams
Fat: 9 grams
Sodium: 84 milligrams
Cholesterol: 58 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 40 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Random Tip:
Remember! A little pink is ok.
Recipe from: porkbeinspired.com
