National Pig Day



Pork and Sweet Potato Wrapped in Bacon (My own recipe!)
Side Dish: Skewered Bacon Wrapped Halibut
Side Dish: Sauteed Asparagus



In honor of national pig day, even if I am 6 days off, I decided to make a dish that would help celebrate the March first holiday.

Here is the recipe and instructions. Be for warned there are probably easier ways to make this dish but it would not taste any better or be as much fun! Also it is not for anyone on a diet or a vegetarian!

First you start with THICK (1"-1 1/2in) boneless pork chops. Slice the pork chops in thin slices, making one slice per each serving you would like. I will not begin to give you exact measurements as there are none. I used two pork chops and made more than enough for my family of four (that eat big people food anyways)!

Once you have the pork chops sliced you trim the fat off the pork chops and save scraps. Place sliced meat on plate and place in fridge.

Mean while peel three or so sweet potatoes, again I used three and had just enough but you may want to bake some for a side dish although we used asparagus.
Once you have them peeled chop in thin slices. At this same time get a yellow onion and chop it into large pieces.
Heat a large sauce pan up with 6-7 pieces of bacon folded in half and chopped in one inch sections. Place entire onion in pan and slowly saute adding spices or your choice. I left mine plain and just added salt and pepper. Once you have the onions and the bacon cooked add the chopped up sweet potato and about 1/4th cup butter. Let vegetables and bacon saute slowly till sweet potato are soft but not burnt.

While that's sauteing pull out about a pound of halibut and chop into approximately inch sections. Cut one piece of bacon in half and wrap one piece of halibut sliding a skewer through it. Add other vegetables of your choice I just used onions to keep it simple. I used about 4-5 pieces which made about one serving.
Place in fridge.

Now that your vegetables are done they must cool off but you do not want to loose the bacon grease. Place strainer on a plate and let vegetables drip for about an hour. Works also because the vegetables and bacon need to cook down for you to handle them.

Once they are cooled down get out the rest of your bacon (I was already into the second pound of regular sliced bacon at this step)!
Lay a full bacon strip in the cutting board and place one slice of your pork chop at one end, place vegetables and bacon in pork chop wrap bacon to lock in veggies. Place carefully on broiler pan. Bake at 350 degrees till pork is cooked through.
*After eating the dish popular opinion was that the bacon around the pork could have been a bit more crisp. I recommend maybe lightly browning carefully on the sides an top as best you can. I did not use the broiler for this step, though I know I should have. The grease was thick and the meat was almost drowning in it!*

Take skewered halibut and saute in the bacon/sweet potato/onion grease till both sides are crispy then place on the broiler pan with the pieces of pork. I dusted my skewer with paprika for color and salt and pepper and it was perfect. Make sure that halibut is still moist but flaky and make sure bacon is cooked. I think mine took about 15 minutes on the broiler pan at 350 degrees.

While those are baking pull out your asparagus and then saute slowly in the left over grease, I added more onions.

By the time the vegetables are cook to taste (we like our firmish on the outside but soft on the inside) your food should all be done. I served as is with no sauce.
The pork came out juicy (not sure if it was the grease that pooled around the pork itself) and the sweet potatoes were the perfect veggie.
This was extremely rich dish and while it was in honor of celebrating the pig I think Igained a few pounds from this dish!

If you try it before summer let me know what you think but I do plan on making it this summer. The halibut skewers will work well on our fire pit and the wrapped pork, well it just good!
Enjoy!