Grand Prize Culinary Professional Recipe: Pork-U-PieGrand Prize Culinary Professional Recipe: Pork-U-Pie

Kim Dalton
Texican
Chicago, Illinois

Description: Savory and sweet pork and Cheddar mock apple pie with a crisp and buttery RITZ Cracker crumb topping.

Serving Size: Approximately 3 oz/ Approximately 16

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground pork

Small onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1 cup RITZ Crackers crushed

2 cups water

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp cream of tartar

2 cups RITZ Crackers crushed

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

1-1/2 cups RITZ Crackers crushed

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup salted butter, melted

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 9-inch frozen pie shells

3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Sauté first seven ingredients until pork is no longer pink. Drain. Mix in cracker crumbs and set aside.

2. Bring water, sugar and cream of tartar to a boil. Turn heat down and add Ritz crackers. Simmer for five minutes. Add lemon juice and cinnamon.

3. Make crumb topping by mixing RITZ Cracker crumbs, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.

4. Assembly — Can use own pie shells but premade frozen shells work well. Place about 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar in each shell. Divide pork mixture equally into each. Layer in another 1/2 cup Cheddar, then divide “mock apple” mixture between the two. Top each pie with remaining Cheddar. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly onto each.

5. Bake pies for 15 minutes in a preheated 400 degree F oven. Reduce to 350 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes. Cool, Slice.