Liquid Lunch

Lunch is a fantastic meal of the day, even if it doesn't involve food for the first two hours. Needless to say, I haven't done this in far too long and I'm finding it very relaxing that drinking coffee on a very warm day to hydrate from my lunch. That and drinking with smart people can be a blast! (And for all of you under-aged individuals out there not of legal age reading this, I don't condone misbehaving and do your parents know you are reading this sort of subversive dribble?)

I would like to point out that no one was harmed in the making of my lunch today, and I was a good boy, and that I have another piggy recipe for you out there.

Drum roll please.

I'm waiting. . .

You can do it.

No one will think you are strange, just do it!

I don't care you're in public. Make sure to share this site!

Better! It took you long enough!

Pulled Pork Potato Patties

Tools:

Cutting Board

Mixing Bowl (large enough for all the ingredients)

Knife

Measuring Cup

Wooden Spoon

Non-stick skillet

plastic wrap (or lid for the mixing bowl)

Spatula

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of pulled pork

2 cups of instant mashed potatoes (made as per the recipe on the box)

1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped up finely

4 cloves of garlic, diced

pepper

1 egg

Non-stick spray

2 tbsp of butter

1 tbsp parsley flakes

1 tsp sea salt (I like the flavor better than normal salt)

Make the mashed potatoes as per the recipe on the box. Once the potatoes are cooked, mix in all the other ingredients in the large bowl with the taters. You will want to use a wooden spoon rather than a plastic one, I've snapped more than one plastic spoon making this. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool for an hour or two.

When the mix is cool enough to work with your hands, put the non-stick skillet on the stove over medium heat, adding a liberal dose of non-stick spray. This is important, non-stick cook-wear ONLY works if there is an oil or spray between the food and pan. Over time if you don't use a good non-stick spray or oil, you will ruin your pan.

Get the bowl out and take the lid off. This is the fun part (which you can do before you start cooking). Spray your hands with the non-stick spray and you are going to make 'snowballs' out of the tater mix (you don't HAVE to spray your hands, but it makes life easier when dealing with the taters). When you make them, you want the balls to fit nicely in your hands if they are held together, but not so large that they can't be easily held. Think 2 inch balls of 'taters for reference. Once you have a ball made, smoosh it flat (yes, smoosh is a technical word, get over it) in the palms of your hands until it is 1/3rd of an inch thick.

Place the tater patty on the warm skillet and listen to it sizzle on the skillet. Let it sit there for 4-5 minutes until you have a brown crust start to form. Lift up the edge slightly on each patty before you flip to see if it is browning, if not, leave it alone until it does! Flip the patty with the spatula only once to the other side and let cook until it is brown. Remove from the heat and serve warm with ketchup, warmed pasta sauce, or even white sausage gravy.

I love doing this with left over taters from dinner the previous evening, it is a great way to use up leftovers that you might have. Feel free to use any other kind of meat for this, but make sure that it is diced finely and precooked before you add it to the patties.

Well until the next time, enjoy the fantastic weather if you have it and the rest of your weekend.

Bien Camino!