Sunday Supper: Sweet potato fries with seasoned pork

Cast Iron Skillets! Folks, you’ve gotta have at least one. So I was flying through the grocery store, because that’s the pace in which you move when shopping with “I’m hungry & I’ve gotta go to the bathroom!” kids, when what should catch my eye? A magazine that by it’s name alone made me feel all the feels, it’s called Cast Iron. Immediately, I skeeted to a stop, ordered the kids to the other end of the aisle (because celebrity gossip, and romance novels-good grief), then stopped to flip through the pages long enough to declare, “yup, I need this”!

Before I assembled the little’s, I chose which recipe I wanted to make from for dinner, gathered the ingredients, and off to the checkout lane we went. After a bathroom pit stop, loading the back of the car, and popping open the 2 ½ coffee’s in one can of magic, I began to reflect. Not long ago, this was all impossible. A coffee and magazine would have thrown me into such guilt, as a matter of fact, it still did a little.

It’s hard to shake off old habits. I’ve spent many years being fully aware of where each nickel of our income went, that it’s hard to see some of it now going towards what I would have called frivolous things. Any extra money went to groceries, paying down bills, or saving to get the car fixed. I have to remember though, we work hard, we try as best we can to be diligent over our finances, and by the pure grace of God, we’re now able to indulge some….SOME. So a cried, praise the Lord, and sucked back the rest of that can! Now it’s time to talk sweet potato fries with seasoned pork, in a skillet of course!

Let me start by saying I’m fully aware that BOTH the kids are currently knee deep in an “I don’t like that anymore” phase. I didn’t care, I was making these fries, they were going to happen. And looky-looky what we’ve got here…evidence. Evidence for the next time they say “I don’t like that”, now I can say “remember when…”. Also, evidence that I’m always right; because that’s the mothering goal I’m aiming for in the long run!

Ingredients

• 3 lb small sweet potatoes peeled and cut.

(You can alternatively use one bag of frozen sweet potato fries (which is what I did this time around). In which case, put them in your preheated iron skillet while frozen, and skip the frying process).

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• vegetable oil for frying
• 2 Tbs cornstarch
• Prepared pork

Directions

1. Put your sweet potatoes in a bowl, and cover them with cold water. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes. This will remove some of the starch.
2. In a small bowl combine your seasonings and set aside.
3. Pour oil in your cast iron skillet so that it covers about 4 inches. Heat your pan to medium heat or to 325 degrees.
4. Remove the potatoes from the water, drain, and pat dry.
5. Toss potatoes with cornstarch to coat and fry in batches until lately golden brown (about 4 minutes).
6. Remove potatoes from the oil, then let them drain on a paper towel, or a brown paper bag. Sprinkle with season mixture
7. Place your fries & warm pork on a serving plate (or skillet) and drizzle with cream sauce.

Cream Sauce (for drizzle)

• 1/4 cup each of sour cream & mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp each of cinnamon & cumin
• 1 Tbsp  prepare BBQ sauce

Give that a good stir to combine.

Cook once, use twice!

Here’s a great trick for stretching that pork & turning into a prepared meal for the week ahead. Cook the pork, and use half for this recipe, save the other half for another night. Pair it with spanish rice (or whatever rice is your favorite). Either way, when the fries are in the oven, get that rice on the stove! I added some beans, olives, chopped peppers & onions, and viola…Tuesday’s dinner is all done (or whatever night you choose to eat it…but you get it!)