We Tried Trader Joe’s New Spicy Pork Kimbap

Months ago we heard another flavor of kimbap was coming to Trader Joe's frozen section. Now, it's finally rolled out: Trader Joe's Spicy Pork Kimbap. And I think Western palates are gonna like this one even better than the original tofu. They're filled with gochujang marinated pork bulgogi, along with the classic carrot, pickled radish…

ByMichelleOctober 29, 20260Comments

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Al Pastor Diced Pork Shoulder

Taco Tuesday ended up being on Thursday last week after Trader Joe's rolled out their new Al Pastor (inspired) Diced Pork Shoulder. Real deal al pastor is of course cooked and shaved off a trompa, so we're considering this one "inspired." And it's pretty good. The meat is indeed diced (it's hard to tell…

ByMichelleMay 12, 20260Comments

Product Review

We Put Costco Tonkotsu Ramen Broth to the Test

I'm generally skeptical about Asian boxed broths. 9 times out of 10, you're better off starting from scratch for even the simplest miso or shoyu-based soups. Tonkotsu broth is the exception. It's a commitment and takes a looooonnnnnng time. So this time, I said, ok, let's see what Costco's got with this Kirkland Tonkotsu…

ByMichelleMarch 23, 20260Comments

Product Review

Trader Joe’s Now Has 7 Fried Rice Varieties. The Newest is BBQ Pork.

I usually don't pay much attention to Trader Joe's Fried Rice. Sure, I've tried a few of the more recent additions to the lineup, like the the Bulgogi Beef Fried Rice and the Korean Japchae Fried Rice. But for the most part, it's a home food for us, cooked from leftover rice. Until this week,…

ByMichelleFebruary 3, 20260Comments

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Braised Pork Shoulder with Fig & Apricot Sauce

Trader Joe's has come up with some pretty solid heat and eat holiday-ish entrees over the last few years. This year's entree (or one of, we'll see) is Braised Pork Shoulder with Fig and Apricot Sauce. The box shows nice uniform slices (which seems more like loin than shoulder to me), but ok. At $7.99…

ByMichelleNovember 6, 20230Comments

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Kalua Pork Spring Rolls

If you make kalua pork on the regular, I don't think you'll be particularly impressed with Trader Joe's Kalua Pork Spring Rolls. I mean, they're fine. Not great, not bad, just...fine. The air fryer crisps them up really well...but mostly they made me wish Trader Joe's would go back to carrying standard spring rolls. …

ByMichelleJanuary 27, 20220Comments

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Apple Cider Marinated Pork Loin

Trader Joe's Apple Cider Marinated Pork Loin is a great way to welcome fall. I only regret that I didn't grab a jar of applesauce or the pineapple fruit spread. Because while it has cinnamon, cloves, and other spices in the marinade, this is definitely a savory pork roast. I ended up using a little…

ByMichelleSeptember 16, 20210Comments

Recipes

We Tried Trader Joe’s Porchetta

Looking for an alternative to that Christmas ham or prime rib? It might not be your nonna's recipe, but Trader Joe's makes it super simple to put a reasonably sized porchetta on your holiday table. An Italian Christmas tradition, porchetta is typically made with pork loin and/or pork belly with the rind on to…

ByMichelleDecember 9, 20190Comments

Cooking Fruit Main Course Recipes

Red Chile Mango Pork Chops with Peach Salsa

The grill was once my husband's domain. I blame the fact that the button for the starter on our gas grill broke a couple of years ago and I really didn't want to risk sticking the lighter into the slot to start it. Maybe it *was* dangerous, but it was also a convenient excuse to not…

ByMichelleAugust 30, 20160Comments

Main Course Product Review

REVIEW| Target’s Archer Farms Ramen Soup Starters

Ramen has officially gone mainstream. Target is offering “premium ramen” under its Archer Farms brand in four varieties – pork, beef brisket, mushroom and chicken teriyaki. {Record scratch} Chicken Teriyaki?! The new offerings use “ramen” as an Asian noodle soup catch-all and actually include rice noodles along with the ramen and udon options. If you…

ByMichelleJune 16, 20160Comments

We Tried Trader Joe’s New Spicy Pork Kimbap

We Tried Trader Joe’s Al Pastor Diced Pork Shoulder

We Put Costco Tonkotsu Ramen Broth to the Test

Trader Joe’s Now Has 7 Fried Rice Varieties. The Newest is BBQ Pork.

We Tried Trader Joe’s Braised Pork Shoulder with Fig & Apricot Sauce

We Tried Trader Joe’s Kalua Pork Spring Rolls

We Tried Trader Joe’s Apple Cider Marinated Pork Loin

We Tried Trader Joe’s Porchetta

Red Chile Mango Pork Chops with Peach Salsa

REVIEW| Target’s Archer Farms Ramen Soup Starters

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