Get inspired!

Taking the blue when it comes to being green

Safeguarding natural resources is one of the pillars of the ethical principles the pork industry strives toward each and every day. Roberts Ranch of Oklahoma has exemplified this commitment at the Trails End #2 Sow Farm and the
Oklahoma Pork Council is pleased to name Trails End #2 the recipient of the 2012 Oklahoma Environmental Steward Award.

Trails End #2 is a 10,500 head sow breeding, gestation, and farrowing farm located near Ames, Okla. The farm sets on 560 acres of land that teems with wildlife. Trails End is comprised of nine gestation barns and four farrowing barns with 448 farrowing stalls per building. All the buildings are tunnel ventilated and use evaporative cooling during the heat of summer months. Trails End #2 has 33 employees.

Trails End #2 uses a center pivot system to land apply effluent on 314 acres of forage crops. Crops grown include rye, millet, and crab grass. The irrigation system allows animal waste to be transformed into valuable crop nutrients negating the need for inorganic, commercial fertilizer. Bill Barnes, who is responsible for the implementation and record keeping of the environmental operation aspects at Trails End #2, said location of the site was a major consideration before construction began.

"One of the things we looked at was its remoteness from surrounding communities and neighbors," Barnes said. "Our closest neighbor is a mile and a half away. This spacing, along with facility and lagoon design, helps keep potential odor from disturbing our neighbors. Establishing distance is just part of being a good neighbor and being responsible for the area you operate in."

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Internationally inspired to make the heart smile

courtesy of porkbeinspired.com

One of the best thing about living in this time (at least in our opinion) is the ability to quickly share information across the globe without much effort. Thus, inspiration for the evening meal can come from somewhere halfway acoss the world. With that in mind, below are two recipes with an international flair.

Baked Pork Eggrolls

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes

Ingredients
1 cooked pork tenderloin, (1 pound), trimmed*
Cooking spray
4 cups coleslaw mix
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
16 egg roll wrappers

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray.

Place the coleslaw mix and green onions in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover with wax paper and microwave on high until softened, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.

Finely chop the tenderloin. Combine tenderloin, coleslaw mixture, cilantro, and hoisin sauce in a large bowl and toss to mix well.

Working with one 1 egg roll wrapper at a time (keep the remaining wrappers covered to prevent drying), place the wrapper on a work surface with one corner pointing toward you. Brush edge of wrapper with water. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the pork tenderloin mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling. Fold in the sides and roll up. Place the egg rolls seam side down on a plate and cover with damp paper towels to prevent drying. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Arrange egg rolls in a single layer seam side down in the prepared baking pan. Lightly spray egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake until the bottoms arllightly browned, about 8 minutes.

Calories: 100 calories
Protein: 9 grams
Fat: 1 grams
Sodium: 200 milligrams
Cholesterol: 20 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 0 grams
Carbohydrates: 14 grams
Fiber: 1 grams

Candace's Carnitas Tacos

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, (Boston butt), trimmed

1 carrot, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1/4 cup dry red wine, OR chicken broth

2 tablespoons chili powder

4 cups red cabbage, thinly shredded

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

salt

pepper

12 8-inch corn tortillas, warmed

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced

Cooking Directions

Combine carrot, onion, and wine in slow cooker.

Sprinkle roast on all sides with chili powder, rubbing it into meat. Season on all sides with salt and add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until roast is falling-apart tender, about 6 hours. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer meat to a large bowl. Use two forks to shred meat into bite-sized pieces. Moisten/season with cooking juices to taste. Cover to keep warm and set aside. I n a medium bowl, combine cabbage and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange 2 tortillas on each serving plate. Fill tortillas with pork, cabbage mixture, and avocado and serve. (Alternately, arrange pork, cabbage mixture, and avocado on a platter and let guests make their own tacos.)

Cooking tip: For even more flavorful carnitas, brown roast on all sides in a lightly oiled skillet before sprinkling with chili powder.

6 servings

Recipe courtesy of celebrity mom Candace Cameron Bure, on behalf of The National Pork Board

Calories: 590 calories

Protein: 36 grams

Fat: 26 grams

Sodium: 940 milligrams

Cholesterol: 95 milligrams

Saturated Fat: 6 grams

Carbohydrates: 47 grams

About Oklahoma Pork Council

The Oklahoma Pork Council, a producer organization consisting of Oklahoma pork producers, represents the interests of all pork producers. Partially funded by federally collected Pork Checkoff dollars, OPC promotes pork and pork products, funds research, and educates consumers and producers about the pork industry. For more information about this or any other programs of the Oklahoma Pork Council visit www.okpork.org or call 1.405.232.3781.