Food Hussy Recipe: Pork Sliders with Mushroom & Smoked Gouda Mayo

This post is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council. All opinions are my own.

Recently I planned and attended a Farm Dinner with bloggers and Ohio Hog Farmers on behalf of the Ohio Pork Council. We're trying to get together so we can all learn more about each other and share that knowledge with you! 

My friend Uncle Squeals was also at the Surber farm. We shared stories about our visits at the farm and I relegated them with tales of me wearing a bright red-orange unitard!

Interestingly enough a couple of us had received an email about signing a petition to stop tail docking on piglets. But having visited a couple of hog farms - I knew the reason behind tail docking and that it's done for a very humane reason (piglets are a bit rowdy and if left to their own devices - they will chew off each other's tails!). But the thing is - without having these hands-on experiences - I wouldn't know why it was done. That's the great thing about these opportunities - we get to learn more and share that with you!

I also know that these farmers love their animals. Yes - we're going to eat them - but I have full confidence that they are treated humanely and with great care before that day comes.

In addition to the conversation - we got to eat a lot of delicious food! Chef Matt (who catered my wedding) with Colonel De Spices was there and made these amazing Creole Pan Fried Pork Chops. Even when you pan fry chops - cook them to 140 - then let them rest!!! These had a savory & spicy cream sauce with sauteed peppers and onions - so good!

My good friend Casey from Batter Up Bakery in Leesburg also came to hang out and brought some amazing goodies with her. We had cake cups with fresh fruit and frosting...

Then Casey shocked me by making my Mom's Peach Cobbler with fresh blueberries & raspberries from local farms. This was pretty much the same as what I did for 4th of July. Everybody loved it - which made my Mom very happy!

Casey always uses local produce - which went along with our farm to table day - so if you love a specific fruit - her bakery is the place to go - she's always making amazing treats with the fruit of the month. Right now - you'll find lots of peaches in her bakery - so yeah - I've been there a few times to say the least. :-)

Our hosts also contributed to the dinner and made these amazing side dishes - my favorite of which was the baked beans. They were cooked low and slow and were so rich. You just knew with one bite that they had been baked for hours. So good!

My friend Jill from Foodtastic Mom was at the dinner and shared the Pork Schnitzel recipe. Here's the thing though - as an Iowa girl - Pork Schnitzel is just a Breaded Pork Tenderloin - like we have in Iowa! I was GIDDY to find this out! NOW I CAN MAKE IT MYSELF! This and Maid Rites are my two favorite Iowa foods - so I love being able to make them myself!

Here are a couple of tips on making your own pork schnitzel:

* use parchment paper to pound out the pork tenderloin on top and bottom
* be sure to use pork tenderloin - it will ensure the schnitzel is juicy

Then Chef Matt made these amazing sliders! Colonel De has these crazy cool cheese powders - when you add them to a recipe it adds all that cheese flavor - without having to add the actual cheese! These pork burger sliders had Smoked Gouda in the mayo and wow - it was like they had cheese on them!

All in all - we had a great day - met some great people and ate a LOT of delicious pork. I hope you'll enjoy these recipes as much as we did!

Pork Sliders with Mushrooms + Smoked Gouda Mayonnaise

Ingredients:
* 1.5 pounds of fresh ground pork
* 12 oz sliced mushrooms
* 1/4 cup minced onion
* 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
* 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter
* 1 cup of mayonnaise
* 1 Tablespoon of smoked gouda powder
* 12 slider buns
* Colonel De's Chef's Seasoning to taste

- Combine pork, onion and peppers - mix well. Portion into 12 slider patties.
- Saute mushrooms in butter and season with Chef's seasoning
- Mix gouda powder with mayonnaise and set aside
- Grill patties and toast slider buns, top with sauteed mushrooms, spread buns with mayo and serve