San Francisco Pork Chops

 Last year, Dexter participated in the Aksarben Calf Challenge and we met the Kraus family while in the cattle barn.  We have stayed in touch throughout the year and this year Avery is participating in the Pig Challenge which brand new this year.  I will let her tell you more about it.-KFM

Hi there. My name is Avery Kraus. I am 16 years old and a sophomore at Friend High School in Friend, Nebraska. I am involved in 4-H, FFA, basketball, volleyball, and softball. 

I breed, raise, and show cattle and swine. This year I have three swine projects and two  breeding heifers. One of my swine projects this year is named Dexter. I received Dexter through the Aksarben Pig Challenge where you receive a free barrow, raise, feed, show it, and sell it back to Aksarben in September. 

   

Did you know that pork is the most consumed meat in the world? The United States is third in global pork production, producing around 13.18 million metric tons in 2019. Over 120 million hogs are slaughtered annually in the United States. Pork production in the United States has an estimated $23.4 billion of gross output per year. Around 26% of the 2.2 million metric tons of pork and pork products produced are exported to other countries. Pigs consume billions of bushels of grain and oilseeds each year providing an income for our farmers across the nation. The United States pork producers continue to lead agriculture in new technologies and have achieved record-high productivity. Even though the breeding herd has been reduced by 50 percent, the breeding output has doubled in the last 30 years. 

   

San Francisco Pork Chops 

For 4 servings you will need:

• 4 pork chops

• 1 Tbsp. oil 

• 1 clove garlic, minced

Sauce:

• 2 tsp. oil

• 4 Tbsp. dry sherry or broth

• 4 Tbsp. soy sauce

• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper 

• 2 tsp. cornstarch

• 2 Tbsp. water 

Preparation: 

1. Trim pork chops of fat.

2. Heat oil in a skillet. Brown chops on both sides.

3. Remove and add more oil if needed. 

4. Saute garlic for a minute, being careful not to burn it.

5. Combine oil, sherry or broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper. 

6. Place chops in skillet. Pour sauce over them and cover tightly. 

7. Simmer over low heat until chops are tender and cooked through, 30-35 minutes. Add a little water, 1-2 Tbsp if needed to keep sauce from cooking down too much. Turn once. 

8. Remove chops to platter. Stir in cornstarch dissolved in water. Cook until thick.

9. Pour over chops and serve. 

Tips:

Boneless pork loin chops can be used. Trim fat and pound to a ¼  inch thickness. Cooking takes only 20 minutes. 

Good served with:

Thn spaghetti or noodles tossed with butter and sauce, or over a bed of rice.

Stuffed Pork Chop Recipe

 Another educational and yummy post from Miss Avery Kraus of Nebraska. -KFM

Covid-19 Pandemic Takes a Toll on U.S. Pig Production

    In April, pork producers in the United States faced major problems due to the Covid-19 because they had nowhere to ship their market ready hogs. Some reverted to culling or aborting as their finishing houses would otherwise get to full. Several processing plants in the United States had to temporarily close down because workers had fallen ill with Covid-19. The pork industry has been hit especially hard with production cut by about a third. Hog farmers nationwide will lose an estimated $5 billion, or $37 per head for the rest of this year due to the pandemic. To help with some of the loss, the U.S. government announced a $19 billion Covid-19 aid package for farmers, of which $1.6 billion is reserved for the hog industry. Thankfully in June the U.S. federal government claimed that pig processing had almost returned to 2019 levels. 

    As a consumer pork prices are 18.5% higher than they were a year ago, but pork prices for producers are still at a low. Lean hog meat is selling for $0.48/lb and the break even price for farmers just to cover production costs is $0.60/lb. Even with the high pork prices in stores and the government funding does not come close to getting the pork producers to a break even point. Sadly many generational family farms will never recover and will go bankrupt due to this pandemic. 

Fun Facts:

Did you know that a single serving of lean beef, pork, and poultry is the size of a deck of playing cards? Even though the portion is a standard size for all servings vary dramatically in calories and protein. 3 ounces of beef brisket gives you 280 calories and 22 grams of protein while at the other end of the spectrum, a lean pork tenderloin provides the same amount of protein but only 120 calories. 

Stuffed Pork Chop Recipe 

Ingredients: 

- 4 pork chops

- 1 (6 ounce) box Stove Top stuffing mix, prepared as directed on package, then cooled to room temperature 

- ½ cup sour cream

- 1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put pork chops in a 9x13 baking pan. 

2. Make stuffing as directed on the package and cool to room temperature.

3. In a mixing bowl combine sour cream, soup, salt and pepper. Mix well. 

4. Slice pork chops horizontally to create a pocket and fill with stuffing. 

5. Pour soup mixture over each chop and top with any leftover stuffing. 

6. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until no longer pink in the middle.