Herbs that go well with pork are caraway seeds, coriander, cumin, curry powder, dill, garlic, rosemary, sage, fennel, savory and thyme.

For fall dishes try combining cloves and apples with other herbs such as sage and thyme. On the spicy side you can use chilies, chili powder, cayenne pepper or paprika.

I place an inexpensive pork roast in the crockpot and season with garlic, chili powder, herb vinegar, and paprika. I cook it all day long until it starts to fall apart. I remove the roast, drain the fat and remove any fat on the meat, then return it to the crockpot.

At this point you can add barbecue sauce and cook for an hour or so more, then serve on buns. Or you can add taco seasoning, enchilada sauce or salsa and cook the same length of time then serve it on tortillas.

When grilling combine any of the herbs mentioned with plain white vinegar and half water, then baste while it grills frequently. Brush with barbecue sauce the last few minutes.

The following recipes will also give you a good idea of how to use herbs and spices with cuts of pork.

Baked Ham

Ingredients: 1 pre-cooked bone-in or boneless ham 5-9 pounds

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons herb vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons orange juice

garlic cloves, sliced thickly

whole cloves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. With a sharp knife, make slits in the fat side of the ham in a diamond pattern 1/4 inch deep. Combine the sugar, vinegar, mustard, honey, and juice and set aside. Insert a clove and slice of garlic into the center of each diamond. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Place ham in roasting pan. If you are using a lean, boneless ham place a little water in the bottom of the pan. Cooking time will be on ham package-usually according to the weight. Drizzle with the glaze the last 30 minutes, or until ham is about 160 degrees. Allow to stand for about 15 minutes, covered, before carving.

White Bean and Ham Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, diced

2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced

2 tsp. thyme, minced

3 fresh sage leaves

black pepper and salt to season

1/4 tsp. dried basil or 1 tsp. fresh minced

1/4 cup white wine or herb vinegar

2 bay leaves

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

2 cans chicken broth

1 meaty ham bone

1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Navy beans, rinsed and drained

Sauté onion, garlic, carrot in olive oil adding rosemary, thyme, sage, and basil with salt and pepper when onion is softened. Do not brown garlic. Add wine or vinegar, tomatoes, stock, ham bone, and bay leaves. Simmer 2 hours and add the beans and continue to simmer until beans are hot. Remove the ham bone and fat from ham adding any meat back to the pot and reheat.

Slowed Cooked Pork With Fennel and Sage

Ingredients:

3 pound pork loin roast that has been sliced

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

4 tbsp. fresh chopped sage

2 fennel bulbs, sliced

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup white wine or herb vinegar

Have roast sliced and tie to hold it together when cooking. Trim off most of fat. If necessary, tie roast to hold it together. Season the top and sides with salt, pepper, and fresh sage. Place on rack in slow cooker; top with fennel. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Remove the roast and larger pieces of fennel; keep warm. Turn slow-cooker on high or remove juices to a pan. Dissolve cornstarch in wine or the vinegar. Stir into drippings. Cover and cook on high for 25 to 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir once or twice during this time. OR do this in a pan on the stove set to medium heat and stir till thickened.To serve, divided into the slices. Spoon fennel over chops, then sauce over all.

Pork Roast with Garlic and Herbs

Ingredients:

2 pound boneless pork roast

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim fat from roast. Combine garlic and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl; mash into a paste. Rub the mixture over the roast. Tie the roast securely with string every two or three inches. Place on a rack coated with cooking spray, and place rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of roast. Bake for 1 hour or until meat thermometer registers 160°F. Let stand 10 minutes; remove string, and cut roast into thin slices. Makes about 6 servings.

Honey and Herb Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 pork chops

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons chopped marjoram

3 tablespoons chopped thyme

salt and black pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Brush the chops on each side with the honey that has been warmed slightly in the microwave. Mix the chopped herbs and coat the chops with them evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the lemon juice. Grill or broil chops for 5 minutes on each side, turn and broil another 5 to 10 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness, further away from the heat. Serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Vegetables and Pork

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless pork tenderloin

1 lb. baby carrots

2-3 lbs. red and white potatoes plus some sweet potato

2 sweet onion, cut into wedges

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp. dried sage

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1 tsp.. dried thyme, crushed

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to season

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray and set aside. Brown the pork in a skillet coated with olive oil or cooking spray over medium-high heat. Toss vegetables together and place in sprayed or oiled roasting pan. Set the pork on top of vegetables. Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper, and drizzle with the oil. Bake at 450 degrees for 35-45 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the pork registers 165 degrees and vegetables are tender. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before carving. Slice roast and arrange on platter with vegetables.

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