Well, we’re about to transition to fall. Temperatures are dropping, days are getting shorter, and my garden is putting out its last gasps of life for the season. Yes, it is actually still producing some tomatoes and peppers!
It’s been quite a season for Hoss’s Acres (or a fraction of an acre), as we’ve had an absolute ton of cherry tomatoes and a pretty good harvest of slicers. The green bell peppers did fairly well, as did the jalapeños, but I was vetoed on growing my favorite — habaneros — because we still have a pretty good quantity of them in the freezer. I love growing them not only for the heat and flavor they impart to recipes, but because there is something fun about the way they change color from the green of immaturity to the orange of ripeness. The nice thing about the habaneros is that they can be frozen in a zip-close bag and then used as needed in whatever recipe you are making.
Another harbinger of fall is the intrinsic desire to get the oven cranked up for a hearty meal befitting a crisp fall day, and if you can use the bounty from the garden, so much the better! This recipe calls for bone-in country-style ribs, but make sure they are from the loin and not the shoulder. You can also substitute pork rib chops if desired.
Rib ingredients:
- 2 lb. bone-in, country-style pork ribs
- 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
(or, if unavailable, canned stewed tomatoes)
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 tbsp. minced fresh garlic
- 12 fresh, whole jalapeños
- 3 cups pork or chicken stock
- 2 tbsp. Hoss’s Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Orzo ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups dried orzo
- Vegetables and cooking liquid from the pork
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Season the pork with salt and pepper, brown in a heavy-bottomed skillet, then remove from heat.
- Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic and saute for about 5 to10 minutes.
- Add the jalapeños, stock, and seasoning, then
place the pork ribs on top of the tomato mixture
and place in oven.
- Roast for 15 to 20 minutes until the interior temperature of the pork is 145 degrees;
remove from oven.
- Place the orzo in a pot and barely cover with a combination of the tomato mixture and water.
- Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring the orzo every minute or two and adding liquid as necessary. The orzo will become creamy, like risotto, as it gets done.
- Use any leftover cooking veggies for sauce and top liberally with grated Parmigiano Reggiano!
