Saturday, July 30, 2011

Gluten-free, Low-fat (ish?) Pork Loaf

I know way too many people who can't have gluten now, it's getting ridiculous. So I'm trying to revamp my already tried and true recipes so I can pawn some of my cooking off on my gluten-impaired friends and family. And ahh, it does feel good to be able to cook again! The entire summer, I've been bedhopping because my apartment is too hot to survive in. No really, 3rd floor + no air conditioning + Above 100 degree weather = death, so I've been couchsurfing since this awful weather began. It's no joke, they say more people die from heat than any other natural weather condition, including hurricanes and tornadoes. Just this summer alone so far, 22 people have died, including a 10 year old girl. In '95 a similar heatwave killed over 700 people. So by allowing me to crash for a day on their couch, my father, my best friend and my new semi-long distance lover have actually been saving my life. Cooking for them is the least I can do.


Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs of ground pork
1 Cup Rice Krispies, crushed. (Note: You may need a bit more)
1/4 cup All Whites (my new cholesterol-friendly alternative to eggs)
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp each: thyme, parsley, garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika and something special I picked up at Trader Joe's- South African Smoke seasoning. Oh yeah, it was totally worth the trip.
Okay, the smoke seasoning is optional. But really good!
If you don't care about gluten, you may use regular breadcrumbs either instead or in addition to the cereal.

Method
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
In a large mixing bowl, mash all the ingredients together with your hands and form it into a loaf. Don't be shy, mash your love right into it- really get in there! You can always wash your hands later. Once it's in the pan and your hands are clean, sprinkle a bit more parsley over the top for color and bake at 350° F for about an hour. Oh, you probably want to put some water in the pan (or pam spray) to keep it from sticking.
Once it's done, let it rest for a few minutes out of the oven, then slice and enjoy!

Mmmm, this is South African Smoke seasoning. It tastes and smells so good, even if the grinder part of it really sucks. Get it anyway!!!

My raw loaf. I actually forgot to put the worcestershire sauce into the mix so I just poured it on top. Who's gonna notice? I could have remixed it, but as I've mentioned before, I'm LAZY.

Sadly, all the sauce did was color the water I put at the bottom so the loaf wouldn't burn. And wouldn't you know it, the loaf  burned anyway. Do as I say, not as I do. This actually wasn't done out of laziness for once; I was told it's not a good idea to check on your food that often. Every time you open the oven door, the temp inside decreases by 25°. This would be especially annoying while baking. While that may be true, some checking is required, or you can end up having to soak your baking dish. All I'm saying is, learn from my dumb ass.

 Another thing I got at Trader Joe's which went absolutely amazing with this dish... Goddess dressing! No really, it's like... soy and tahini sauce, and a bunch of other stuff and it's just freakin' delicious! Seriously, I used to look at people who shopped at Trader Joes and think they were a bunch of pretetious hipsters, but now I guess I'm one of them. *Le gasp!* This freakin' dressing makes it all worth it!!

3 comments:

  1. Hi,

    My name is Rebecca Snavely and I’m a casting associate with Radical Media, a TV production company in Los Angeles. (I also have Celiac / am gluten-free, so I appreciate this post!) We’re partnering with Budweiser to cast a new television show where we are looking for skilled chefs from around the world, age 21 and over, who are ready to break out and take their place with the world’s best.

    Are you that chef? Or, in your experience, have you come across this story? Is there a culinary artist you know who should have his/her own kitchen, but for one reason or another, hasn’t been able to live that dream? I'd love your help, if you have ideas of whom we should contact.

    Finalists will be provided with top-level mentorship, and will be filmed as they prove their skills in a series of exciting challenges. One lucky chef will have the chance to take over a world-famous kitchen.

    All qualified applicants must be over the age of 21 as of July 31, 2011. Applicants should submit a phone number, a photo and a brief personal bio to radicalchefshow@gmail.com. Our casting staff will contact them for further information.

    All applications must be received by Friday, August 12th, 2011.

    Thanks in advance for your help (and the GF recipe).

    --
    Rebecca Snavely | Casting Associate | Radical Media
    Budweiser Beer's THE BIG TIME
    T: 310.664.4671
    F: 310.664.4600

    rebecca.snavely@gmail.com
    Follow us on Facebook!
    http://www.facebook.com/BudUnited
    Ad Age: Bud Will Make Your Dreams Come True - http://adage.com/article/news/bud-make-dreams-true/227579/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That would be really sweet except for a few things:

      1. I got to this comment too late
      2. I'm not TV chef quality, I just do this for shits and giggles.
      3. I'm too ugly for TV.

      But thanks anyway, and I hope you found your chef!

      Delete
  2. Your gluten free low fat pork loaf looks good. This one can be easily freezed and very handy for days when I am lazy to cook.

    ReplyDelete