300 15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes (27 page)

While the pork's browning, combine the pineapple, vinegar, Splenda, mustard, soy sauce, and garlic. When the pork is browned on both sides, add this mixture to the skillet. Turn the pork over once or twice to coat. Put the tilted lid back on the pan, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, turn, re-cover, and give it another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to serving plates and scrape any remaining liquid from the pan over the pork before serving.

Yield:
2 servings, each with 4 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 22 grams of protein.

Chili Lime Pork Strips

I didn't know where else in the book to put this, but it was too good and too versatile to leave out! Use the strips for a Chili Lime Pork Salad or a Chili Lime Pork Omelet or just wrap them up in low-carb tortillas with a little salsa and sour cream.

1 pound (455 g) boneless pork loin

1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 28 ml) oil

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice

Slice the pork as thinly as you can into small strips (this is easier if the pork is half-frozen). Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the pork. Stir-fry the pork strips until they're nearly done—about 6 to 7 minutes—then stir in the chili powder and lime juice. Continue stirring and cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes. These strips keep well for a few days in a closed container in the fridge.

Yield:
4 servings, each with 1 gram of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 23 grams of protein.

Cherry Chops

An unusual sauce of tart cherries and a crunch of toasted almonds enhance these pork chops. Don't expect this sauce to be cherry-red, though, unless you add a drop or two of food coloring.

4 thin pork chops, about 18 ounces (510 g) total

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

1/2 cup (123 g) canned tart cherries in water (pie cherries)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 tablespoons (2.3 g) Splenda

1/8 teaspoon guar or xanthan

1/3 cup (37 g) slivered almonds

1/2 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper the chops lightly on both sides and start browning them in the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Give them about 5 minutes per side. While that's happening, put the cherries, vinegar, mustard, cloves, Splenda, and guar or xanthan in a blender and purée the whole thing together. (If you'd prefer to keep the cherries whole, you could just mix everything together well. I like it puréed.)

It's time to turn the chops now! While the chops are browning on their second side, start browning the almonds in the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently so they don't burn; you just want a touch of gold. When the almonds are toasted, don't forget to turn off the heat, and if you have an electric stove, remove the pan from the burner.

When the second side of the chops is browned—again, about 5 minutes—pour the cherry sauce over them, turn the burner to medium-low, and cover the skillet with a tilted lid. Let the whole thing simmer for 5 minutes and serve. Scrape the sauce from the skillet over the chops and top each with toasted almonds.

Yield:
4 servings, each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and 22 grams of protein.

Gingersnap Pork

Okay, it doesn't really have gingersnaps in it, but it is sweet and spicy and good!

4 thin pork chops, about 18 ounces (510 g) total

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

1/2 cup (120 ml) cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste

3 tablespoons (4.5 g) Splenda

2 teaspoons grated gingerroot

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

1/4 cup (25 g) finely diced celery, including leaves

In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, start browning the chops in the oil. While that's happening, put the vinegar, pepper, cloves, tomato paste, Splenda, gingerroot, lemon juice, and Vege-Sal in a blender and run it for a second or two to blend.

When the chops are browned on both sides—about 5 minutes per side—pour the sauce over them, scatter the celery over the whole thing, turn the burner to low, and cover with a tilted lid. Let it simmer for 5 minutes and then serve. Don't forget to scrape the extra sauce out of the pan and over the chops!

Yield:
4 servings, each with 5 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 20 grams of protein.

Pork Chops with Fennel and Gin

Fennel looks a bit like celery, but with feathery leaves and a swollen bulb at the base. Some markets label it “anise.” For this recipe we use the bulb, but if you like you can save the leaves for salad, or to use as garnish.

12 ounces (340 g) pork chops, no more than 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) thick

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

1/2 fennel bulb

1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

3 drops orange extract

1 teaspoon Splenda, or liquid Splenda to equal a teaspoon of sugar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) gin

Put your big, heavy skillet over high heat. While it's heating, sprinkle your chops both sides with salt and pepper.

When the skillet's hot, add the oil and slosh it around to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the chops; keep the heat high. You want them to brown a little on both sides.

In the meantime, sliced your fennel lengthwise as thinly as possible. Flip your chops! Now, in a small dish, mix the vinegar, lemon juice, orange extract, Splenda, and gin.

When your chops are browned a bit on both sides, remove them from the skillet, add the fennel in an even layer over the bottom, and lay the chops on top. Cover with a tilted lid for five minutes or so.

Add the vinegar-lemon juice-gin mixture and re-cover with the tilted lid for the remaining time. Serve the chops with the fennel and pan liquid on top.

Yield:
2 servings each with 423 calories, 30 grams fat, 27 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams dietary fiber, and 4 grams usable carb.

Shoulder steaks are my favorite cut of pork—I think they're juicier and more flavorful than pork loin or most chops, probably because they have more fat! Pork steaks have a lot of advantages for the low-carber in a hurry—they cook quickly, they're often quite cheap, and they take to a variety of easy seasonings, so you can vary them at will. Here are the two ways I most often cook pork steaks, plus a very slightly more complicated bonus recipe.

Sautéed Pork Steak

Pork steaks vary considerably in size. Whether you have a single-serving pork steak or a two-serving pork steak will depend on the size of your steak, not to mention the size of your appetite. Feel free to do two steaks at a time if they'll fit in your skillet.

Olive oil

Pork shoulder steak, no more than 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) thick

Sprinkle-on seasoning of your choice—Cajun, Creole, Soul, Barbecue, and Jerk seasonings are all great used this way.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, slosh it around, and throw in the pork steak. Sprinkle the top with the sprinkle-on seasoning. Let the steak cook for about 7 minutes or until it's well-browned and a bit crusty on the bottom. Flip it, sprinkle the seasoning on the cooked side, and let it cook for another 7 minutes or until well-browned on the second side and cooked through. Serve.

Yield:
How many servings this makes will depend—as noted—on how big your steak is. I can eat a medium-size pork steak all by myself, and I often do! The sprinkle-on seasoning is unlikely to add more than 1 gram of carbs per serving, but do read your labels and choose brands with little or no sugar or make your own.

Grilled Pork Steak