LAURA GUTSCHKE

Fruits add charm to lowly cuts of pork

A pineapple symbol is on every page of "Hospitality: An East Texas Cookbook" and on the cover of "Houston Junior League Cook Book."

Toss pineapple in a recipe, and you automatically have a Hawaiian dish.

At least that seems the pattern in community cookbooks where a good chunk of recipes with pineapple in the ingredient list have the name of the far-flung state in its title.

There’s even pineapple symbols in some vintage Texas cookbooks, such as the “Houston Junior League Cook Book” (1968) and “Hospitality: An East Texas Cookbook” (1983) from the Harvey Woman’s Club in Palestine.

The introduction to the latter states that the pineapple became a symbol of hospitality in colonial times when East Coast sea captains returned to port. They would stick the exotic fruit on the spikes of iron gates as a sign that they were having an open house. Eventually pineapples were “carved above the doors of many southern mansions as a symbol of hospitality.”  

Laura Gutschke

Only a handful of recipes in the 310-page hardback “Hospitality” cookbook feature pineapple. I have adapted the sauce in Muriel Murphy’s Hawaiian Pork Chops to cook a cheap cut of pork that has a misleading name: boneless country-style pork ribs.

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The thick strips of pork don’t have bones like a rack of ribs, and the meat doesn’t even come from the rib area. The strips usually are cut from the shoulder area of the animal.

Despite the confusing name, the boneless pork ribs have a nice mix of meat and fat, the latter keeping the former moist in the following recipe. I prefer these “rib” cuts instead of pork chops, which can dry out during cooking if not coddled. With braising, the boneless pork stays moist without having to babysit the pot.

A similar recipe that sweetens the pork with orange juice instead of pineapple also is below. The recipe was inspired by Orange Pork Chops from Jill McPherson in “Hospitality.” Both recipes can be served over rice.

One major adjustment to both recipes was adding spice. When cooking savory dishes with a fruit, the heat counterbalances the sweetness.

Share your own old recipes or food-related historical recollections by emailing Laura Gutschke at lgutschke@gmail.com.

Hawaiian Braised Pork

Ingredients

About 2 pounds boneless pork ribs, cut into chunks

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 cup spicy ketchup

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 small red onion, sliced thin

Cooked rice

Directions

1. Place pork in a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot and turn heat to medium.

2. While pork begins to cook, prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, brown sugar, corn starch, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir the sauce into the pork. Add the onion slices.

3. When the sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat and cover the pot with a lid to keep the dish at a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the sweet sauce caramelizing and scorching on the bottom of the pot. Cook the pork for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until it is fork tender. If the sauce becomes too thick, add water as needed. Serve over rice. Yields about 4 to 6 servings.

Braised Pork with Orange Sauce

Ingredients

About 2 pounds boneless pork ribs, cut into chunks

2/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Cooked rice

Directions

1. Place pork in a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot and turn heat to medium.

2. While pork begins to cook, prepare the sauce. In a medium bowl, combine orange juice, water, brown sugar, salt, pepper, dry mustard and cayenne. Stir the sauce into the pork.

3. When the sauce starts to boil, reduce the heat and cover the pot with a lid to keep the dish at a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the sweet sauce caramelizing and scorching on the bottom of the pot. Cook the pork for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until pork is fork tender. If the sauce becomes too thick, add water as needed. Serve over rice. Yields about 4 to 6 servings.