potato pancakes

last week when i was at sam's club, pork loin was on sale for $1.48 a pound. i don't know if you're a savvy shopper, but believe me when i tell you that's a screaming deal. i selected a nice 5.5 pound loin and brought it home.

as i was preparing the loin for roasting, i was trying to decide what would go well with it. i remembered my mom used to make potato pancakes when i was a kid...and i knew they'd go really well with the pork loin. they're kind of like hashbrowns, but have a little bit more substance due to the addition of egg and flour.

the most important part of this recipe? draining the potatoes well. they will darken a little bit if you just let them drain, so the best way to avoid this is to put them into a clean dishtowel and wring them out.

potato pancakes

*4-5 medium size russet potatoes (2 lbs-ish...), peeled and grated
*1/2 onion, chopped fine or grated
*1 T dried parsley
*1/4 cup flour
*2 eggs, beaten
*1-2 T milk
*salt and pepper to taste
*vegetable oil for frying

peel the potatoes and shred in the food processor. you can also grate them by hand. i like to use the food processor and toss in the onion, too. it's easy.

drain the potatoes well, either by placing in a colander in the sink or by wringing them out in a clean dishtowel. put the potatoes in a bowl and mix in all the other ingredients. mix until just combined.

if the mixture becomes too runny, just drain off the excess water.

heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium to medium high heat. drop spoonfuls of potato pancake batter into hot oil, and spread out with the back of the spoon so the pancake isn't too thick. let cook until golden brown, flip over and cook on the other side. serve hot with pork loin (i'll post a recipe for that later this week or next! i have a kick A bbq sauce recipe!).

makes 4-5 pancakes. serves 4 (assuming there are no hollow legs in your family!)