Tasty Tuesdays: Sweet Sugared Grilled Pork #Recipe with Lava Cast Iron CookWare #Review + #Giveaway

When my husband and I were first married, we discovered that we really enjoyed cooking together. We spent a lot of time planning our meals, looking for new recipes, and even doing the grocery shopping together. Over the years, our schedules have become busier, and with our son in the mix, we no longer have time to try out complicated recipes. We do still try to cook together, when possible, and give fun jobs, like tearing up lettuce to our three-year-old.

This time of year, we love to grill... but the weather isn't always in our favor. Some evening during th elate spring and summer, are so hot and muggy, that we can't bear to go outside. Luckily, we found a wonderful alternative to outdoor grilling!

Lava Cast Iron has over 40 years of experience in creating cast iron. They mix cutting edge technology with a passion for cooking, and classic, yet modern design. Lava's goal is to bring healthier cooking to the family table. Lava's products are made in a state of the art manufacturing center in Turkey, which is solely used for iron casting and enameling. Lava prides itself on using high quality cast iron, and not using any harmful additives in their products. Each product is individually tested for quality, and to be sure that international standards are met, before they leave the manufacturing center.

If you have ever cooked with cast iron, you know how wonderful it is. My husband and I were very excited to receive the opportunity to select a piece of Lava Cast Iron Cookware to try out in our home. After we made our selection, our cookware was shipped right to our door.

Our Lava CookWare package has arrived!

Our new Lava product came with a little sticker on the box...

The sticker on the product packaging let us know that out new cookware was environmentally friendly, had a sleek and modern design, helps keep food hot or cold longer, can be used for traditional cooking, and that is was not suited for microwave use.

My husband loves to cook, so he was particularly excited about our new Lava cookware. He was the first one to open up the box, and get a glimpse of our gorgeous new cast iron grill pan!

Lava Cast Iron Grill Pan in black...

Beautiful, high ridges of the grill pan...

Easy to grip handles, and spouts on either side of the pan for easy pouring...

The Lava Cast Iron Grill Pan was a wonderful choice for us. It's made so that it can be used on all cook tops, gas or electric. I always loved using a grill pan on a gas stove. Sadly, I don't have a gas stove anymore, so I was very interested to see how this new grill pan would do on our electric range.

Ready for its first use on our stovetop...

Sacha prepared the pan for use, according to the instructions that came with the pan. He added a tiny bit of fat to the pan, and then heated the pan on a medium heat, gradually increasing the temperature. You never want to heat a grill pan on the highest heat setting right off the bat.

He then placed some hot dogs across the grill pan...

...and let the grill pan do all of the work.

The Lava Cast Iron Grill Pan worked beautifully for grilling our hot dogs. We hadn't had hot dogs in a very long time (we hardly ever have them), so we treated ourselves, and the Lava grill pan, did not disappoint us! The hot dogs were cooked all the way through, they were plump and juicy, and they had beautiful grill marks on the outisde.

Yum... a hot dog all the way. Hey- where are my onions?

We had such a wonderful experience with cooking the hot dogs in our new Lava Cast Iron Grill Pan, that we were looking forward to using it again. So, two days later, I decide to put the pan to the test by making grilled pork cutlets for dinner.

Sweet Sugared Grilled Pork

You will need...

Pork tenderloin cutlets- 1 per person.

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

3 Tbsp. Agave or Honey

1/2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

Optional- 3 Tbsp. Apple or Pineapple Juice

Mix all ingredients but the pork together in a bowl or prep tray. Add the pork cutlets, and let the pork marinate for about thirty minutes.

Remove the pork and put the marinade to the side.

While the pork is resting (if you had it in the fridge, bring it to room temperature before grilling), begin heating your grill pan. Remember, start out by using a medium heat, and then gradually increase the heat on the stove top, to heat the pan.

Add the pork to the grill pan, brush the top of the pork with some of the remaining marinade, using a basting brush.

Allow the pork to cook five minutes per side for thin cuts. For thicker cuts, allow a couple of extra minutes per side. You don't want to flip and re-flip the meat, so it's best to keep track and time the cooking per side. This helps the grill marks remain pretty, and helps to ensure that your meat is thoroughly cooked through.

Check out the smoke coming off of the grill pan, and the fat dripping down through the ridges of the pan!

After the meat has cooked on each side, remove from the grill pan and let the meat rest for a few minutes.

Beautifully cooked pork, and gorgeous grill marks, thanks to our new Lava Cast Iron Grill Pan!

We plated our pork, and then served it up with zucchini, mashed potatoes, and little man's favorite- crescent rolls! I can't tell you how unbelivably delicious the pork was! It was sweet, juicy and tender, and it almost felt like it had been prepared for us at a high end restaurant... but we made it ourselves, in a matter of ten minutes, thanks to this classic way of cooking, and a fabulous grill pan that did all of the work!

Dinner is served!

We have grilled lots of yummy meals in our new cast iron grill pan by Lava Cookware! This week, I can't wait to try out making BBQ chicken, and hamburgers on the new grill pan. I'm also looking forward to grilling corn on the cobb, making kabobs, and hubby can't wait to grill up some steaks!

The nice thing about havin a grill pan for the stovetop, is that you can grill year round, right inside! If it's raininy, too hot, cold, or snowy, you still have the ability to grill up a quick, easy, and healthy meal for your family. Grilling is always a wonderful choice, because it's healthy- as the fat and grease just drip away. Thanks to the pour spouts and easy grip handle on the Lava grill pan, it's easy just pour the drained fat into a grease jar (you don't want to pour it down your sink), and get rid of it!

Cleaning up and Caring for your cast iron by Lava...

Seasoning And Cleaning Your Lava Cookware: To season your cast-iron skillet, cover the bottom of the pan with a thick layer of kosher salt and a half-inch of cooking oil, then heat until the oil starts to smoke. Carefully pour the salt and oil into a bowl, then use a ball of paper towels to rub the inside of the pan until it is smooth. To clean cast iron, there is no need to use soap - simply scrub your skillet with a stiff brush and hot water, and dry it completely.

Why Choose Lava Cast Iron?

Cast-iron may seem like an old-fashioned choice, but this dependable cookware is a must in the modern kitchen. Cast-iron conducts heat beautifully and go from stovetop to oven with no problem.

Cast-iron is a 100% recyclable material. Also, it provides energy savings, as it preserves heat for a long period of time.

Lava cast-iron pots and pans are durable. With proper use and care, you can utilize your pots and pans at your kitchen for your whole lifetime, and even leave them to your children or grandchildren.

Lave Cookware has designed beautiful cookware options for families to enjoy and pass down through the generations. Take a look at some of the Lava cookware pieces we would love to add to our Lava collection...

3 1/2 Quart Multi-Purpose Dutch Oven

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Cast Iron Baking Dish

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Cast Iron Bread Pan

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1 Quart Saucepan

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Multi-Purpose Pizza/Crepe Pan

As you can see, Lava Cookware has an incredible selection of cast iron cookware products. Cast iron is wonderful to cook or bake on. The best cornbread I have ever eaten, has been made in a cast iron skillet, time and time again. Both my mother and grandmother love cast iron cooking, and now that I have a wonderful cast iron grill pan from Lava, I know that I will love cast iron cooking, as well!

Lava Cookware makes a beautiful addition to any collection of cookware. There are a variety of sizes and colors for these products. Lava Cast Iron would make a wonderful gift for housewarming, for a wedding, for Mother's Day, Father's Day, or just because! If you love cooking, Lava Cast Iron Cookware is for you!

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Want It? Buy It!

To learn more about Lava Cookware, head on over to the Lava website. To browse and/or purchase Lava Cookware, visit the Lava Cookware webstore.

Want It? Win It!

One lucky MBP reader will win their own Lava Singature Enameled Cast-Iron 10 inch Square Grill Pan, in the winner's choice of color. Choose from blue, red, orange or black. This grill pan is valued at $70.00. Giveaway is open to US residents, 18 and older.

Special thanks to Lava Cookware for allowing us to experience their wonderful cast iron grill pan, and for offering this fantastic giveaway to our readers!

Good luck!