Oh man, I am really sorry this post is coming up so late! Today is my birthday (whoo!) and I actually took the day off, so you would think that this would have gone up with my morning coffee. However, I went out with friends last night and lets just say that 29 year olds don't bounce back like 21 year olds. Damn. I had to go eat some BBQ ribs to get me back up and going!

Ok, on to the food...this sausage totally hits the spot! So, I used venison AND pork as you will see. I was given some venison and I am not usually one to enjoy the gamey taste, but I am good at masking it! Venison is such a lean meat that I am learning to love more. I am trying to get experimental with it. If you have favorite ways to use venison (steaks or ground) please post in the comments! And before I get the question...yes, you can make this with exclusively pork too :)

Gather up:

1/2 lb pork sausage
1/2 lb ground venison
1/2 apple, diced
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
butter, ghee, or coconut oil for pan

Add everything except the butter/ghee/coconut oil to a large bowl and mix really well. I just dive right in with my hands
Divide sausage into about 8 equal balls and flatten with your hands
Heat a cast iron skillet over low heat and add your cooking fat. Add patties and let cook until browned on both sides and cooked through. I let mine cook for about 6-8 minutes on each side. I don't wanna eat raw pork...mmmmkay? Cooking on low will let you cook them for longer without burning them!

If you follow my portion control system, you can use your red container to measure out your patty size! You may need to make 1 red into 2 patties though :) Once you figure that out I would roughly count this as: 1 red, 1 tsp. Technically pork sausage is not on the 21 Day Fix approved list, but once we know our bodies we can wiggle a little (if you need assistance with this, email me! brittanylerbakken@gmail.com)

Yall--this. is. a. WINNER! My husband asks for it frequently, it accompanies me on many potlucks, and is just downright delicious right out of the crockpot or as leftovers.

Now, this is not a saucy pulled pork. It is all about the rub, baby. Mix up some spices, rub it on and let it sit. I like to add mine to a waffle for a little twist on a southern favorite. You can try this easy and healthy waffle or one that suits your dietary needs! Or tacos...oooo tacos! I can picture it with tortillas, pico, guacamole and lime wedges. Save me from myself.

Gather up:

1 large pork roast (also called pork butt). I typically grab about 2.5-3 lbs
1 large onion, diced
3 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder (ancho chili powder is fun too!)
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika (I also like smoked paprika!)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon (ooooh yea, we did that!)
2 tsp sea salt
1 lemon
1 lime

Dump your diced onion in the bottom of your crock pot.
Slice your lemon and lime in half. Squeeze half of the lemon and half of the lime onto your onion. Save the other halves for a few minutes.
Mix all your spices together in a bowl and mix to combine.
Rub that spicy, delicious, mixture all over your pork shoulder. I add it all, even if it looks excessive.
Add the pork to your crockpot and rest it on top of the onion.
Squeeze the remaining lemon and lime halves on top of your pork.
Set your crockpot on low for 8-10 hours and wait for your house to smell UN-FREAKIN BELIEVABLE!
After it is done cooking it should easily shred with 2 forks.
Impress your friends and devour.

If you follow my portion control system the pork by itself can be measured as 1 red!