Ground Pork and Winter Squash Frittata

I have a secret.  I have successfully reintroduced eggs back into my diet.  Okay, it’s not a secret anymore!  I seem to only be able to handle the soy-free organic pasture-raised eggs from my local farmer, and I don’t eat them every day (I’m so used to organ meat and homemade sauerkraut for breakfast, I actually prefer that now over just about any other option!), but when two Paleo bloggers come over for lunch, I can make a frittata and enjoy it!

This is the frittata that I made for Jeremy  of Paleo Living Magazine and Louise of Ancestral Chef, two very cool people with very cool blogs.

Frittatas were actually a common food of my childhood (my dad used to make them with mushrooms and bell peppers and called it “souffle” even though they were nothing like souffles!).  We didn’t call it “breakfast for dinner night” or “brinner” as we do in my house now (it was just supper), but eggs as a dinner protein was common for us simply because they were/are inexpensive (I grew up far below the poverty line).  So, there’s something about frittatas that I find comforting and reminds me of home and of family.  Although, I do admit to enjoying experimenting with flavors in frittatas far more than I remember my father experimenting when I was a kid.

I discovered the magical combination of pork (seasoned very much like an English Banger) and squash a few months ago and have been making meals that feature these ingredients for a while, although oddly enough, I think this is the first recipe I have posted along these lines.  I used kabocha squash in my frittata, but you could very easily use acorn or delicata or just about any winter squash you like.  A secret to peeling them is to cook them in the microwave for one minute, let cool if it is too hot to handle, and then peel, seed, and dice.  I do admit to quite disliking the job of peeling and dicing winter squash (watch your fingers because cuts are common accidents during this job!), but it is totally worth it for this recipe.  Three cups of finely diced squash was equivalent to one small kabocha squash from my local farmer’s market (probably around one to one and a half pounds).

I cooked this frittata in a 12″ cast iron skillet, but it would work just as well in a 10″ skillet.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 thick slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 lb ground pork
• 3 cups kabocha squash or other winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into a 1/4″-1/2″ dice
• 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt to taste (I used truffle salt)
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1/4 tsp ground mace
• 10 eggs, beaten

1. Place chopped bacon into a cold oven proof skillet (I like to use my 12” cast iron frying pan) and then turn on the heat to medium high.
2. Cook bacon until crisp, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Turn on broiler (on high) to preheat oven.
4. Add ground pork, sage, salt, thyme and mace to the skillet.  Brown, stirring frequently to break up pork, until pork is fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes.
5. Remove the stems of the thyme (carefully!) and add the squash.  Cook until squash is tender, about 5-6 minutes (this will depend on the variety of squash you are using and just how finely diced it is).
6. Add beaten eggs.  Let cook on stove top 1-2 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
7. Place skillet in oven and broil until eggs are completely cooked, puffed up and starting to brown on top (about 7-10 minutes, varies oven to oven so watch carefully).
8. Serve and enjoy!