Pork Bits

One of the reasons Stop & Shop has become my favorite local supermarket is because they are "sausage-friendly." Unlike any other store in the area, they always have sausage casings available in the meat case. And I never have to go from store to store looking for pork fat trimmings because the meat department at Stop & Shop packages their trimmings and sets them out in the meat case for .79 a pound.

I get a lot of mileage out of a couple packages of those trimmings, too, because most of the time they have lots of meaty parts that I trim from the fat and use for various pork dishes. The first time I did it, I simply seasoned the pieces of meat and pan fried them with garlic and onions. It was delicious, and quite a hit with my daughter, who dubbed them "Pork Bits." Since then, I've found Bits to be very versatile: they're great strung on skewers and done on the grill, or simmered in pörkölt, or made into a great chili verde.

When I was a kid, my mom used to make pork chops by covering them with barbecue sauce, placing a slice of onion on each one, and baking them until done. It was one of my favorites - still is - and it's easy to do with Pork Bits for a quick-to-prepare main course. Now, I realize that your local store might not carry Bits. No problem, just get "boneless country-style spare ribs" and cut them into roughly one-inch cubes: instant Bits!

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Put the Bits in a shallow baking dish and pour in about half a cup of your favorite barbecue sauce for every pound of Bits you have. Stir them around to coat them well, and then arrange them until you have a single layer in the dish.

Cover the Bits with thin slices of sweet onions. Vidalias are great for this; so are sweet Spanish onions. You'll need at least one full onion for this, but you might end up needing more.

Put the Bits in the oven for about 45 minutes.





Delicious. The Bits will be nicely browned and glazed with your sauce, and the onions will be kind of a soft, sweet "al dente."

Oven-baked Bits are great served with leafy greens like spinach or beet greens, and they go good with potato salad, too.

.