I have rarely cooked pork over the last several years. After my butchering class, I have become enthusiastic about cooking organic pork. Since I lack experience in cooking pork, I followed Gordon Ramsay’s recipe - Pork Chop with Piquant Sauce. My piquant sauce was too pungent and spicy by itself, but tasted mild with the baked pork chop. Eating pork chop off the bone (cowboy style) was a satisfying experience.

When making a pork chop next time, I want to make the meat crispier on the outside.

No, I didn’t get sliced up. I attended a butchering pig class last night in Brooklyn Kitchen. Butcher Tom Mylan did a marvelous job cutting a half pig in front of us. He cut the pig into loins, shoulder, pork belly, ribs, chops, etc. The pig was slaughtered last Thursday at Fleisher’s and had been well stored. Since I have been eating grass-fed and organic meat, meat has never tasted so fresh, especially for “rare” lover like myself. I took some pictures to share with you.

Warning: images can get too graphical for some people.

Brooklyn Kitchen storefront.

Butcher Tom Mylan. I’d love to be his apprentice for one day and experience the adrenaline for cutting meat!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5…5th rib, chop. That’s the upper part of the pig, where delicious shoulder is located.

Our beloved pork chops and ribs.

Pork belly. Add salt for curing, you get bacon and pancetta.

Beautifully butchered pork chops. My dinner on Wednesday night.

My childhood favorite - ham!

Loins in one piece: sirloin, bottom round, top round, and eye round.

Pieces that I took home:

Trotter. Don’t be scared. Trotter is good for braising. Its final gelatinous and meaty texture makes it one of my favorite pieces of pork.

Cowboy pork chop - hold that bone and bite the meat off like a real man!

Shoulder…at least 3 lbs. Dinner party Saturday night?

Top round (a type of loin). I cut some pieces for my friends and roasted the rest for today’s lunch.

Have I scared you away or made you salivate for some delicious pork?

On Sunday, my friends and I, Team Barrel, ran a 10K trail run challenge at Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx. The run was extraordinary; we ran through tree branches, swamps, and rocky hills. Even though the course was difficult and weather was chilly, the challenge was fun and went by very quickly. I paid more attention to safety than the distance while going up and down the hills. I finished 3rd in my age group, 20 to 29, and 21st overall. I was happy that I beat my goal, under 50 minutes. I am also very proud of my friends who ran with me in the race; they all achieved their goals as well. Here are the pictures for the record:

From left: Charles, me, Peter, Wook, and Matt

Getting a Lloyd’s carrot cake muffin for winning 3rd place in my age group

Here’s the close-up shot of the famous Lloyd’s carrot cake muffin. The 1st place won a real cake! Better luck next year.

Celebration begins! We went to Dinosaur BBQ at upper west side to pig out afterward. I ordered Tres Hombre: 1/4 rack of ribs, 1/4 lbs. of beef brisket, and 1/4 lbs. of pulled pork to go with Creole potato salad, mac n’ cheese, and corn bread. Of course, a feast is not a feast unless there’s a bit of alcohol involved. I had a glass of Guinness and pilsner (unfortunately, I forgot the brand.)

What a beautiful day!

Shepherd’s pie is a traditional British food made with leftover meat (I used fresh meat) and minced vegetables. Mashed potatoes and grated Parmesan cheese makes up the crusty top. I substitute ground lamb with ground bison, The natural sweet flavor of ground bison makes the dish just as delicious.

Every weekend, I will be visiting the green market and buying fresh groceries. I will share my shopping list and the cost with my readers. I hope to promote eating locally and bring back the enthusiasm of hands-on cooking.

Vegetables:

• 3 Carrots: $1.00
• Burdock & Daikon (Japanese radish): $1.00
• Shallots & Cippollini onions: $2.00
• Shittake & Crimini mushrooms: $3.25

Fruits:

•  2 Bosc pears & 3 apples: $2.50

Dairy:

• Fat-free yogurt: $3.50

Meat:

• 1 Guinea hen (3 lbs.): $15.00 (not pictured)

Total: $28.25

Finally, more variety of vegetables was sold at the greenmarket today - that’s the sign of spring! Nothing puts me in a better mood than buying fresh and locally grown produce.

Vetetables:

• 1 bunch of swiss chard: $3.00
• 1 bunch of broccoli rabe: $3.00
• 1/4 lb of brussels sprout:1.00

Fruits:

• 8 apples (Cameo, Jonathan, Gold Delicious, Jangold, Gala): $3.25

Total: $10.25

Lovely!

I can eat Italian dish on any given day. Just like authentic Italian food, everything is made from scratch. Gnocchi is made from boiled Yukon potatoes, whole milk ricotta cheese (pasture raised cow milk), one egg yolk, and whole wheat flour. Beef stew is made with cubed beef (pasture raised cow), cippollini onions, carrots, turnip, and 1/4 bottle of Shiraz. A warm and hearty gnocchi beef stew hit the spot when it was 30 degrees outside.

Every Wednesday, The Sweaty Guinea Pig will feature a fresh individual who will share his or her thoughts and experiences on fitness and healthy living.

Name: Shannon Malone
Age: 23
Location: Piscataway, NJ
Occupation: Account Manager

What is your current routine? How many days do you dedicate to exercising every week?
My typical routine consisted of lifting 2 different muscle groups in each workout. For example, one day would be biceps and back. I also try to do at least 30 minutes of cardio on average 4 times a week. Unfortunately towards the end of school and especially after I finished, I gradually stopped working out. I wasn’t eating healthy and it took a serious toll on my body. Not only how I looked, but also how I felt. Currently, I am trying to get back in shape by eating healthier and running outside at least 3 times a week.

How did you come up with your current routine?
My old routine came from my previous experience when I used to workout in high school. I was fortunate enough to have a family friend who helped me get started and eventually tweaked my routine with my brother on a regular basis. My brother and I were a good team because we motivated each other to work out and had contests of who looked better flexing in the mirror. Right now I am more focused on eating healthy and gaining endurance. I started running outside because it costs zero dollars. Exercising outdoor is also less time consuming than going to a crowded gym after work. I do, however, plan to get back to lifting once I can discipline myself to exercise 30 minutes a day. I am planning on eating better as well. It is amazing that if you see your body change and feel more energized, you are more motivated to get off your butt.

What are your short term (within 6 weeks) and long term (3 months and beyond) goals?
Right now, my short term goal is to eat healthy and run few times a week consistently. Eating well and doing cardio training have always been my biggest battle when I try to get in shape. Once I feel better and see results, I will have the motivation to kick my workout up a notch.

In the long run, I want to get back to weight lifting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I didn’t realize how a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle can really affect the way I feel. I want to lift 3 times a week to tone up and run 3 to 4 times a week to improve my aerobic fitness. Right now, eating healthy is my priority; I want to continue with a healthy but realistic diet.

What are other types of training that you’d like to try?
I have always wanted to try yoga. Not only can you increase your flexibility and gain core strength, but yoga stretch also helps detoxify your body. In addition, I’d love to swim and take some kind of self-defense course.

What is your favorite post-workout meal?
Usually something light because anything heavy after a workout makes me feel like Shanzilla (Shannon Godzilla). Grilled chicken salad is great and tasty. I make sure to drink lots of cold water too. The colder the water the more calories your body burns!

What is your ideal “cheat” meal or favorite guilty indulgence?
I would have to say definitely chomping down on a slice of pizza and washing it down with beer.

Any advice or words of encouragement for other Sweaty Guinea Pig readers?
If you decide you want to get in shape, I would try to consider it more of a lifestyle change. I say things like “diet”, but I consider dieting more as eating healthier and sticking with it consistently. Everybody is busy working. Many of us are forced to eat fast food and rarely get to fit exercising into our schedule. We tend to take the easy way out when we are tired. If you aren’t ready to make a big change, start with something small and realistic. Cooking at home instead of ordering takeouts, or walking a couple times a week can make a big difference. Having people show me what to do with a free weight and going to the gym with a partner have kept me motivated. It really all comes down to discipline.

Every weekend, I will be visiting the green market and buying fresh groceries. I will share my shopping list and the cost with my readers. I hope to promote eating locally and bring back the enthusiasm of hands-on cooking.

Vegetables
8 cipollini onions, 1 bag of red onions, 2 carrots, 2 beets, 2 jerusalem artichoke: $3.50
1 box of lentil sprouts (2 x 3 x 1 dimension approximately): $1.75
2 hand-full of baby romaine: $3.50
3 tomatoes on-the-vine (1 lb.): $4.45
6 potatoes (Yukon, Russet, Purple Majesty, Mountain Rose): $2.00

Fruits:
5 Apples (Rome, McIntosh, Red Delicious, Gold Delicious, Fuji): $2.00

Meat/Fish:
1 piece of cod, 1/2 piece of Polluck: $18.50
2 lbs. of ground bison meat: $15.00

Dairy:
1 bottle of skim milk: $2.00 (1 dollar discount for returning the previous bottle)
32 oz. of plain fat-free yogurt: $4.50
1/4 lb. of cheese: 3.50

Total: $60.70

This weekend, I will be running a Urban Environmental Challenge with my friends in Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx. For my final preparation, I ran for a 3.6 mile route, from my apartment to Roosevelt Island and back. During my run, I did 210 push-ups, 200 crunches in several ways (e.g. bicycles, v-ups, whole body), and 10 sprints on a hill. Although I only exercised for an hour, I made my heart rate going up and down constantly. My workout was efficient and effective. If you’d like to join me for a Guinea Pig Urban Environmental Challenge, feel free to leave me a note and we will run hard until our lungs start burning!