Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 35 min
Makes: 4 servings

• 1 pork tenderloin (1 lb.)
• 1/4 cup KRAFT CATALINA Dressing, divided
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1 Tbsp. honey

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Brush meat with 2 Tbsp. of the dressing. Mix dry ingredients; rub onto meat. Place in baking pan. Mix remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing and honey; set aside.
2. Bake 15 min.; brush with dressing mixture. Bake an additional 10 min. or until cooked through (160ºF).
3. Remove meat from oven; cover with foil. Let stand 5 min. before slicing.

How to Prepare on the Grill:
Preheat grill to medium heat. Prepare meat as directed, rubbing with spice mixture. Place meat on grill; cover grill with lid. Grill 20 min., or turning occasionally. Brush with some of the honey mixture. Continue grilling 5 to 10 min. or until meat is cooked through (160ºF), turning and brushing frequently with honey mixture. Let stand covered with foil, 5 min. before slicing.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 12 (3/4-inch-thick) slices
• 1/3 cup bottled salsa
• 1 tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Flatten each pork piece to 1/2-inch thickness using your fingertips. Add pork to pan; spoon soy sauce mixture evenly over pork slices. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn pork over; cook 3 minutes or until done. Remove from pan.
3. Add salsa and preserves to pan; increase heat to medium-high. Cook 30 seconds or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve pork with salsa mixture, and sprinkle with cilantro.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

I chopped up two giant leeks, 2 fennel bulbs ( or anise) , 3 fist sized potatoes and a handful of portabella slices. Tossed them in a roasting pan with olive oil ,salt and pepper.I let them cook for about 15 /20 minutes ( at 350) and then I tossed the possibly over-marinated pork on top. I cooked it until the internal temp was about 155. After resting for about 15 minutes I slice it thin.everything is really yummy. The pork did not get oddly textured from over marinating . Yum .

Pork roasting in the oven gives the whole house an aroma that can't be beat. A few sweet potatoes, an apple pie - that's all I need.

The following recipe uses dried fruit in the stuffing instead of fresh.  Any combination of fruit works well.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH DRIED FRUIT STUFFING*

Serves 4

Stuffing:

1/2 c. finely chopped onion

1/4 c. finely chopped celery

1/2 c. finely chopped red bell pepper

1-2 t. oil

salt and pepper

1/4 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. golden raisins (or regular raisins, or dried currants)

1/2 c. dried cherries

1/4 c. bread crumbs

1 large pork tenderloin, butterflied and pounded to a rectangle, about 12 X 6 inches.

1 T. butter

1 - 2 t. oil

1/2 c. red wine

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 T. onion soup mix (optional)

1/4 t. Julia Child's pork spice mix**

salt and pepper

1/4 - 1/2 c. applesauce, unsweetened, preferably

* Really, any dried fruit will work here. I have used dried apples, raisins, apricots, any combination works well, even prunes.

** If you don't have time to mix this, just add a pinch of cloves, nutmeg, paprika, thyme and allspice or cinnamon with a little extra pepper.

---------

1. Saute the vegetables in the oil in a small skillet until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cook and stir for 1 minute. Put the vegetables in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Mix the dried fruit and bread crumbs with the vegetables and spread over the prepared pork tenderloin leaving a 1/2 inch margin of meat uncovered with the stuffing. Roll up the pork lengthwise, firmly, but not tightly (the stuffing will be squeezed out if you roll it up too tightly). 

3. Tie with butcher's string every 1 1/2 inch. Preheat oven to 375.

4. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet large enough to accomodate the rolled up roast. Brown the tenderloin on all sides and put the skillet with pork in the oven to continue cooking.

5. Roast for 30-35 minutes. Remove pork from the skillet and cover with foil to keep warm. Remember !! The skillet is hot and so is the handle. 375 degrees will give you serious burn - I know this from experience. Keep a pot holder on the skillet handle. Put the skillet on a burner with medium high heat and deglaze the pan with 1/2 c. red wine. Reduce to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Add the 1/2 c. chicken stock and the onion soup mix, if using. Cook to reduce halfway, again about 10 minutes. Add the pork spice mix, salt and pepper and the applesauce. Cook to heat through over low heat.

6. Slice the pork and serve with the sauce.

Ingredients: 1 (1 1/2 - 2 pound)pork tenderloin
Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry red wine
1 tablespoon honey
1 tblspn brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tspn of grated ginger (or a pinch of powdered ginger)
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
2 shallots, finely chopped

Instructions:
Combine marinade ingredients and whisk together. Pour over pork tenderloin in a plastic bag to marinate overnight OR pour over pork tenderloin in small roasting pan and cook in oven immediately.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes or until meat is 145 degrees F. Allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing on an angle. Drizzle the pan juices onto each piece of meat.
yum

Our company from last night included three of my friends from school and their husbands.  We began to mentally prepare for school over Sangria and fresh guacamole.  :)

On to the menu:  It was an easy meal to prepare with guests here because there are a lot of things I did ahead of time!

Warm Almond Crusted Goat Cheese and Berry Salad

Berry Salad:

• 1/2c. wheat berries
• 1/2 strawberries
• 1 nectarine grilled
• romaine lettuce
• sliced almonds
• TJ's raspberry dressing

Warm Almond Crusted Goat Cheese:

• 8 pieces of goat cheese - 1/2in. thick slice
• 1 egg + 1 tbsp. water
• 1/2 c. flour
• crushed almonds and breadcrumbs

Roll the slice of goat cheese in flour and then the egg+water mixture.  Then roll it in either almonds or breadcrumbs and place in a glass baking dish.  Before serving, place in the oven at 350 for about 10 min, so the inside warms.  Place the goat cheese on the salad and serve!

Warm Summer Vegetable Quinoa

( Recipe Soon)

Mojo Pork Tenderloin

Mojo Pork Tenderloin

• 3 c. orange juice
• 1 c. lime juice
• 1/2 c. fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper
• 3 T. fresh chopped garlic
• 1 T. chopped oregano

Rub the pork with garlic and salt and pepper.  Marinate the pork for at least a few hours.  I marinated it for almost 24 hours because I wanted it to be very tender.  I made sure Brady continued to add marinade to the pork while it was on the grill.  When it was done, we sliced oranges and limes and squeezed the juice on the pork.  It turned out very tender and flavorful!

Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad

• watermelon
• pineapple
• strawberries
• honeydew

Served in a watermelon!

We also had corn on the cob - (boring picture) and dessert!

Light Lemon Fruit Pizza

(Recipe Soon) :)

Source www.theotherwhitemeat.com
Rating (1) Prep Time 90 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes Difficulty Easy
Yields 6 servings

Almond crusted pork in a sherry soy sauce marinade.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb Pork, tenderloin, lean, raw
1/2 cup cooking sherry
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup fresh chopped onion
1 fresh carrots, peeled and diced
1 Celery, stalk, fresh, medium, chopped

Nutrition Facts
Makes 6 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 241.1
Total Carbs 9.7g
Dietary Fiber 1.9g
Sugars 2.6g
Total Fat 7.7g
Saturated Fat 1.3g
Unsaturated Fat 6.4g
Potassium 0mg
Protein 29.4g
Sodium 454.7mg
Dietary Exchanges
Fat 1, Meat 2 1/2, Starch , Vegetable 1, Very Lean Meat 1/4
See the Detailed Nutritional Analysis
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Directions

1 In small bowl stir together sherry, soy sauce, pepper, and garlic; pour over pork in a self-sealing bag.
2 Seal bag; Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour. Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade; pat dry. Coat pork with almonds. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
3 Brown pork on all sides, about 5 minutes, turning carefully.
4 Reduce heat to low, add reserved marinade, onion, carrot, and celery; cover and simmer 10-12 minutes.
5 To serve, slice tenderloin and serve with vegetables and hot cooked rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro and accompany with a fruit salad.

Additional Information
Marinate the tenderloin overnight in the refrigerator, and finish preparation just before dinner. This skillet supper is on the table in fewer than 30 minutes. Accompany with a fresh fruit salad.

Recipe for Spiced Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Lemon-Mustard Sauce

• Two 12-to-14-ounce sections of pork tenderloins
• Mustard Rub:
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper (I would decrease to 1 teaspoon next time)
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• Lemon-Mustard Sauce
• 1/4 cup butter, preferably unsalted (I used 3 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1 cup chicken stock (I used low-sodium chicken broth)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons minced parsley, preferably flat leaf, optional
• Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt

Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (meaning you can hold your hand 4 inches above the grill grate for only 1 to 2 seconds) and then on medium heat (you can hold your hand 4 inches above the grill grate for 4 to 5 seconds).

Make the sauce, first melting the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and mustard, and continue cooking until reduced by about one half. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley and salt to taste. Keep the sauce warm.

Transfer the pork medallions to the grill over high heat. Grill for about 2 minutes per side. Move to medium, rotating the medallions a half-turn for crisscross grill marks. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes more per side, until the medallions' internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F to 160 degrees F. If any of the medallions begins to look dry, drizzle a bit of the sauce over it. Pool the sauce on individual plates and serve 1 or 2 medallions to a portion.

For the main course, we served Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Nectarine Salsa and Cilantro-Coconut Rice.  My husband was nice enough to take care of cooking these (I prepped them) so I could talk with the family.  The rub for the pork tenderloin was inspired by this recipe.  Mix the following spices, rub into a 1.5 lb pork loin, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Then, cook in oven to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

The Fresh Nectarine Salsa was a food processing till chunky of the following ingredients:

• 4 peeled, pitted nectarines
• 1 de-seeded jalapeno
• 3 T cilantro
• 1/4 c red onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 T rice vinegar (more to taste)
• 1 t lemon juice
• salt to taste

The Cilantro Coconut Rice was based on this recipe.  It was supposed to have mint in it, but I think all of the mint was gone from the grocery stores for 4th of July mojitos (that's the only explanation I could come up with for no mint at all in Athens).  Also, we followed the reviewer recommendations to add more coconut milk and broth than the recipe called for, but we added too much because the rice was really creamy.  I guess I would recommend following the recipe and then gradually adding extra coconut milk till you reach the desired consistency.

Next up is the Parents' Day dessert course: Cream Cakes with Macerated Strawberried and Fresh Whipped Cream.

Sometimes I find it amazing how recipes just sort of find me. Last weekend, we picked up a Pork Tenderloin from the farmers market, and I had randomly picked up a couple plums at the grocery store the day before. Then, paging through the July issue of Cooking Light, I found a recipe for the Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Plums. I had actually bought blue cheese to go with the beets I had roasted on the 4th, but sure, as long as I had it we'd use it here.

And it was good. The pork was tender and full of flavor. The plums were warm and sweet and tart, and the two together with blue cheese was a great combination. On the side I served boiled baby red potatoes (farmers market) with olive oil and sea salt, as well as sauteed leeks and farmers market zucchini with Parmesan.

I love to look down at my plate while I'm eating and know that almost everything on it was grown by a local farmer. To realize that somebody pulled this summer squash from the ground and placed it into a basket, and didn't send it through a factory. And the difference in flavor is amazing. I challenge you to try a new vegetable from the farmers market. If it's fresh and local, I guarantee you'll love it.

When last we left Aminal Food we were left wondering if K would actually wow the judges with something they apparently (read: bad editing) had no questions about, macaroni and cheese with God knows how much cholesterol in it lobster.  We return to Caesar's Palace, home of really bad actors and Rao's, where we left off.

This post is brought to you by the weeks-old grassroots Dark Knight campaign at ONTD. Why so serious Food Network?

So tonight Yet Another Neelys Show is set to air, Stealing Road Tested from the Deen Brothers Road Tested with the Neelys. I'll watch it.  And then I'll forget about it and reflect on how fucking awesome Secrets of a Restaurant Chef is.

Anyway, Lisa and K are finishing up their dishes and Dayna Devon is in the kitchen with a fucking microphone as if Food Network Stars are cooking with a microphone in a kitchen whenever they're taping at Chelsea Market.  (Hell, this never happened on The Next Iron Chef, although the contestants were pissed about a German film crew getting all in their cooking in one episode, or Iron Chef America, even.)  The judges are like K, why didn't you look at her?  Meanwhile, Lisa does manage to look up, albeit crosseyed.

(This part was omitted because it was a repeat of the end of part one, which, in the recap, is somewhere between the "Versus" graphic and the girls jumping on trampolines.  We bring you now to the judging of the dishes.)

K's mac dish looks ugly presentation-wise, as usual. However the League of Judges like K's mac and cheese.  Like I predicted.  Meanwhile Lisa's is "muddier."  Paula Deen hates it.  Then again she smokes. I heard that smokers only have two tastebuds.  That's why she loves butter so much--she can't taste it.

The cassoulet: Ugly plating once again for K.  But The League of Judges like Lisa's cassoulet.  It's the best Bobby's ever had.  K, however, is screwed because he's never made it before.  Little Man says K's version is "Johnny's first cassoulet."  No, it's Spot's first cassoulet. You see Spot run.  Then you see him make cassoulet.  Duh.

Whitney wants to "do" Aaron's pork loin and her chicken Parmesan (I'm hoping not literally).  Meanwhile Aaron has to redo Whitney's chicken Parmesan and create his own pork loin dish.

Whitney is making pork medallions with pork tenderloin as opposed to the original loin.  Her strategy is to make the loin dish "petite food," whatever that is.  Aaron will add sides.  If he can.  Whitneyisspeakinglikethis.  I think she's screwed.  Meanwhile Aaron can't cook and talk and know what Chipotles are.  (Yes, I know, those chipotles, but can someone ask him if he knows what Chipotles are?   Thanks!)  On the side are K and Lisa (?).

(This part was omitted because this is a repeat of Part II, paragraph Anyway.  We bring you now to the judging.  Except for "culinary school" and "berre blanc."  Whitney knows she is in trouble because she forgot that Little Man is allergic to those things called "culinary school.")

Aaron has 20 minutes.  He hasn't made a Chicken Parmesan.  Yet.

He deep fries the chicken parm.

And Whitney overcooks the loin.  And proceeds to tell us that the pork tenderloin is overcooked.  For Little Man, I assume.  And she's also cheap--she mentions how the food on this show is paid for.  The League likes her honesty.  Meh.

We now proceed to judging, in which we will alarm nutritionists of the world.  Then again, I'm not a nutritionist, but if I was I would be alarmed.

The League likes Whitney's sauce, but not her chicken.  Aaron, amazingly enough, makes a great Parm.  Because it's fried and it's larger than Whitney. (Typo, but, hey, it works!)  Remember last year when JAG (if you're lucky, you might see reruns where Fine Living spells his name out for those that forgot what his real name was) and Paul fried that meatloaf because the oven wasn't working at Fort Dix and they knew Giada was going to eat their brains out if they didn't finish, so they threw the meatloaf in the fryer?

It's like that.  You fry something on this show, no matter how easy frying is, the judges will love it (by way of editing, but whatever).  Also: Paula Deen, woman of two tastebuds.

The judges, natch, like Aaron's loin.  The judges question Whitney's portion size and think she's contradictory.

K thinks the frat is all talented at this point in the show.  No comment.

Little Man brought the 4 here to Beemer because of the restaurants and the "high stakes."  Rim shot.  Drumstick breaks drums.  (Did I mention his bad stock market metaphor a few weeks back? Or, edited to add, this post with the Wizard of Oz metaphor at the end? No?  You think he should be my intern?  Because I'll take on interns for a fee.)

Whatchamacallit is disappointed that Lisa didn't bring her all to both dishes.  She also hates Lisa's "unwelcoming" "intensity."

And then Whatchamacallit asks K his "point of view" is.  If tiling in the kitchen was the death knoll of designers in the first two seasons of Design Star, then "point of view" is the death knell of Aminal Food contestants.  That is, unless you're K, because he has some crazy guardian angels or something.

Whatchamacallit also thinks that Whitney's pork dish wasn't "basic."  I guess she wants people to boil water and consider that cooking.  You know how vampires traditionally are warded off by silver crosses and garlic?  Whatchamacallit is afraid of The French Laundry Cookbook and French Laundry at Home.

All of a sudden the Blue Fairy came in and asked the frat what they wanted to be more like on the last couple of episodes or so.

Lisa wanted her professional side and her nice side to be one.

K wanted to be organized.

Whitney wanted to stop overthinking.

Aaron wanted to get an A in cooking or something

The Little Man dismissed the Fairy. "We have not made a decision yet," he said.  I replied, "No shit!"

Judging:

Whatchamacallit thinks Lisa is still a control freak.

Bobby thinks Whitney doesn't have experience.

And Little Man doesn't trust K's "passion."

And Whitney is cut.  The judges' blog post on Whitney @ Food Network will explode today, I know it.  And Jacob will be like "OMG you guies it's just a reality show just breathe!"  Meanwhile I knew K would at least be in the final 3.

(If you want to go big.)

We end with Lisa finding candy corns in bed, much like her spiritual daughter.  That's a good thing!

Next: Former frat members come back and embarrass the current frat members in front of Excalibur cast members!  Poochie's in Beemer, even!  (Like I predicted!)  And Lisa has to pull wine from the infamous Mission: Impossible wine cabinet!  (Seriously!)

(Plug: I made the Whitney image with Aviary and a brower hack I found at Lifehacker, and I have five invites to the program if you'd like to try it out.  E-mail me at heartnibbler[at]gmail.com if interested.)

(Also, to clairify the picture, I mean that Whitney might've been shipped off to another Vegas hotel or a room away from taping as to not ruin who went home, a la ANTM. And under the Bobby Flay picture this morning it read "desserts."  It's since changed--maybe the interns finally woke up this morning!)

Currently Jason is over after playing Nick in tennis.  I am telling Jason all about last weekend's trip to Milwaukee.  I fired up the grill a little while ago and Lauren's grilling a pork tenderloin.  I used to be bad at starting the charcoal grill up, but now I don't think I'm going too far by saying I've mastered the art.  One minute, minimal lighter fluid, and I'll give you a glowing flame.

Lauren and I also have a very impromptu trip to Chicago on the horizon next week.  Lauren has a family friend named Yosh who has been the Cubs clubhouse manager for 65 years, and with his upcoming retirement, the Cubs are honoring him at next Thursday's game vs. the Orioles.  Lauren has zeroed in on some tickets, and we'll basically have a free trip excluding gas.  We might also take in the Cubs/White Sox game on Friday at US Cellular on the South Side.  All of this is riding on whether or not we can get a reliable car.  So I may be attempting to meet Dad halfway to switch cars one of these days.

When I saw the special June Grilling issue of Gourmet magazine I was inspired to make the pulled pork sandwich gracing the cover. After I read that it takes 10 hours to prepare I decided to make my own version of a pork slider. Here is my creation:

PORK
Mike's parents have a no-fail recipe for preparing pork tenderloin on the grill. It comes out perfect every time Mike makes it. First you marinate the meat in equal parts of vermouth, oil and soy. You can drop some fresh thyme leaves in if you have it. Marinate for at least an hour then remove, add salt and pepper and toss on the grill for 10 minutes a side. You may have to adjust the time depending on the size of the loin.

COLESLAW
I did use the recipe from the magazine for the coleslaw. I like my slaw a bit sweeter but other than that it turned out well. It actually tasted better the day after I made it.

Assembly: I took a couple slices of the pork and placed them on a soft roll then topped it with the slaw and a dollop of bbq sauce. Delish!

For a side dish I decided on a roasted corn and tomato salad by Emeril Lagasse. I found this recipe while cruising the Food network website. I r-e-a-l-l-y wanted to love this salad. I mean look at it, it's gorgeous! Unfortunately, the taste didn't live up to the beauty. It was bla. Maybe it was because I left out the jalapeno peppers. I didn't want it to be spicy. :oops:

To celebrate our two week anniversary, I grilled up a special meal of Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin, Mexican Grilled Corn on the Cobb, and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes with a cheap Chardonnay.

Here are the recipes:

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin (about 1.5 - 2 Pounds Total)
2 T Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1/4 C Dark Rum (I used light because it is all I had)
2 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
1 Cup Soy Sauce (I used 3/4 Soy and 1/4 C Bragg's Liquid Amino)
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Combine all ingredients except the pork in a flat baking dish. Reserve 1/3 of the marinade and keep it separate. Trim all fat and skin from pork tenderloins (this is Terry's job) and place them in them in the marinade. Turn to coat well. Cover and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature. (we're newlyweds so the pork marinated much longer than the suggested time frame.)

Place pork on 3rd burner of grill (this is specific to our grill and this menu) with first two burners set to medium and 3rd burner at low. I used the first burner to roast red peppers (they were on sale for .99 each) for a tomorrow's lunch: Roasted Red Pepper, Roast Beef, Smoked Gouda Cheese Sandwich on mini wheat buns with Chipotle mustard. (Check back tomorrow for the recipe!)

Let pork cook using Indirect Grilling method for about 30 minutes. After the peppers were charred, I put the corn on the cob on the 1st medium flame and the cherry tomatoes in a bar-b-que pan in the 2nd medium flame.

Turn the pork loin four times while flame is on medium to sear in flavor, then reduce flame to low and turn occasionally, marinating frequently. The reserved marinade is supposed to be heated and poured over the finished product, but this was unnecessary because we let the pork marinate longer than the recipe instructed and found it needed nothing more.

So here's how we prepared the fresh sweet corn on the cob.

We shucked and washed it, sprayed it down with PAM Olive Oil and laid it on that hot grill.

But once it was cooked, we had a few surprise ingredients to throw in. Here's the recipe for twelve ears. I improvised for two by mixing the ingredients in proportion, but I didn't reduce the recipe by that much and was glad that I had lots of the seasoning to share with the grilled cherry tomatoes I threw in at the last minute:

Tex-Mex Corn on the Cob
12 ears of corn on the cob
3 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
3/4 teaspoon salt (BTW, I rarely add salt when instructed and never miss it.)
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (I'm sorry, but if it ain't real garlic, I don't use it. I skipped this ingredient!)
Refrigerated butter-flavored spray (I'm the grill queen so "refrigerated butter-flavored" sounds whimpy to me. I used Spray Oil specially formulated for grills.)

Place ears on medium heat until kernels bubble, pop or crinkle and show a tinge of black from the grill. (I made that up based on personal preference.) Stomp the other ingredients together in a mill or with a whisk. Grill corn then slather with mix. Use leftovers on anything else waiting to be grilled - like cherry tomatoes.

We both agreed it was one of our best meals, but we did have one minor disagreement you can help resolve. Which of the following pictures reflects correct table-setting etiquette?

Picture A

Picture B

Our table-setting disagreement didn't spoil our two-week anniversary, but we do have a lot riding on the bet over who is correct.

]]> http://digestthis.wordpress.com/?p=59 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:29:51 +0000 NetDiva http://digestthis.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/herb-encrusted-pork-tenderloin/ Pork is just so incredibly under-rated. I love it. This is my recipe for Herb Encrusted Pork Tenderloin. This is a pretty easy main dish to put together and it's mouth watering and tender. My fiancé just loves this! So without further ado, here's the recipe.

Feeds: 4-6, Prep time: 15 min, Cook time: 45 min

• 1 center cut pork tenderloin
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh rosemary (pull out any woody stems)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 cup grainy brown mustard (get the really good stuff!)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 dash olive oil
• salt & pepper

Step 1: Sear the Meat

Heat about 4 tbsp olive oil in a skillet, non-stick is best. Salt and pepper the outside of the pork, all the way around. Just barely sear all sides of the meat for about 10-15 seconds per side. Then, take it out of the pan and set it in a baking dish away from the heat.

Step 2: Prepare the Sauce

Chop up all the herbs very finely. In a small mixing bowl, add the herbs, mustard, white wine, garlic, and whatever olive oil is left in the skillet. If there's less than about 3 tbsp of oil, add a little more. Mix it all into a thick paste like in the photo (bottom left).

Step 3: Cover & Cook the Meat

Cover the pork on all sides with a very thick coating of the sauce. It's OK to use your hands. Pour whatever is left around the sides. Cover with a piece of foil and cook at 300°F for about forty five minutes or until your meat thermometer says 150°.

Step 4: Serve

Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then serve it whole or slice it into medallions that are about 1/4-1/2" thick. Add a little of that sauce over the top and serve it. I really think this goes well with steamed veggies and a little angel hair pasta with white sauce. With all the strong flavors in the sauce, be sure that your side dishes don't compete with it!

Social Bookmarks:

If you have been keeping up with the progress of my beautiful handcrafted camphor laurel chopping, cheese boards and Mezzaluna Boards. My official site is finally finished and live so to see my full collection please click here.

Ingredients

800g Pork tenderloin (2 tenderloins, ea weighing 400 gm)
Olive oil (for frying)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
500g Button mushroom
2 Garlic clove (minced)
1 Bay leaf
2 Whole cloves
3 Shallot (med size)
8 Baby onion (use cocktail, pearl or sml boiler size onions ~ your choice)
1 Small fresh thyme sprig (I added 4 sprigs)
250 ml Cream
(I added some cornflour to thicken the sauce up a bit as I prefer this.)

Method

1. Cut pork tenderloins into 1-in thick medallions. Heat a little olive oil in a lrg non-stick skillet or frying pan & brown the meat on all sides. Season to taste pref w/salt & pepper. (I left mine whole and carved before serving.)

2. Wipe the mushrooms, slice thinly & add to the frying pan w/the garlic, bay leaf & whole cloves.

3. Peel the shallots & baby onions. Slice the shallots & add them to the frying pan w/the whole baby onions & sprig of thyme. Cover & cook for 1 hr over a gentle heat.

4. Remove bay leaf, cloves & thyme sprig. Add cream & bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly to thicken the sauce. Season to taste pref & serve immediately.

I served mine with kumara and zucchini fritters.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

I have explained that the whole tenderloin, usually large enough for 4 modest servings, can be sauteed, or pan roasted, oven baked, or grilled, skewered, sliced, cubed, stuffed, rolled, or even ground (perish the thought), and sauced with any number of concoctions, sweet or savory, even sweet and savory. Herbed, spiced, tarted up with colorful fruits or vegetables. The imagination presents the only limitation.

Here is one of my favorite ways to cook quickly a tenderloin sliced into medallions. These cook quickly, about 6-8 minutes. The sauce is an herby, port wine enhanced, broth-based sauce flavored with a touch of tomato paste and pitted prunes which add a deep sweetness to the pork. Once all the ingredients are gathered and prepared, the whole recipe is finished in about a half-hour.

SAUTEED PORK MEDALLIONS WITH PRUNES

Serves 3 or 4

One pork tenderloin, cut in 8 slices, about 1" thick

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 t. ground cumin, optional

2 T. oil

1 sprig rosemary, leaves stripped from stem and chopped*

1/2 c. finely chopped onions

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. port

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 T. tomato paste**

1/2 c. chicken broth

12 pitted prunes

1-2 T. butter

2 T. fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Flatten the pork slices slightly and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and cumin.

2. Saute the pork in batches in hot oil 3-4 minutes, turn and saute other side 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining batch. Remove pork to a warm plate and cover with foil.

3. Lower heat to medium, add onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary leaves. Cook, stirring, for a minute to soften.

3. Add port, vinegar, tomato paste and broth. Deglaze the pan. Add prunes and cook, stirring occasionally to reduce by approximately half.

4. Return pork and any accumulated meat juices on plate. Add butter and stir to combine.

5. Serve pork with sauce and sprinkled with the fresh herbs.

*If you're not a fan of rosemary, just put the whole sprig in the pan when you add the port and remove it when you are ready to serve. It will add just a touch of rosemary flavor.

** If you don't have tomato paste, you can use catsup in a pinch. I always have a tube of tomato paste, one of the best convenience items for cooks. You can squeeze out the amount of tomato paste needed and return the tube to the refrigerator to store.  The small cans of tomato paste usually leave half the contents or more to be dealt with later. For me, that used to mean the contents suffering a long, slow death in the back of the refrigerator. I know, I know. You can put dollops on a plate and freeze them, keeping them in a plastic bag in the freezer until needed. I tried that once and could never find the bag quickly. Believe me, the tubes are much more user-friendly and cost effective.

2 pork tenderloins (3/4 pound each)
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
1 pound carrots, halved and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Place the pork in a shallow roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray; arrange the potatoes, carrots and onion around pork. Drizzle with oil. Combine the seasonings; sprinkle over the meat and vegetables. Bake, uncovered, at 450°F for 30-40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°F, stirring vegetables occasionally. Yield: 6 servings

BARBECUE PORK SANDWICHES
4 Hormel Always Tender Mesquite Barbecue Tenderloin
your favorite barbecue sauce

Grill tenderloins until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Take meat off grill and rest 10-15 minutes, so the juices can redistribute. Thinly slice meat. Place sliced meat in crock pot (slow cooker) on low; cover meat with your favorite sauce, add as much or as little as you like. Heat until warmed through.

I served my tenderloin on whole wheat kaiser rolls.

CHEESY POTATOES
30 oz package of shredded frozen hash browns
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup (any cream soup will work)
1 c sour cream
3 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c corn flakes
salt, pepper, onion flake or powder to taste

Preheat oven t0 350 degrees F. Mix together hash browns, soup, sour cream, 2 c cheese, and seasonings. Put hash brown mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with remaining cheese, corn flakes and melted butter. Bake for 1 hour.

These are delicious!

*I used fat free sour cream and cheese and 98% fat free soup to cut calories, they still tasted great.

ELMO CAKE

1 box of funfetti cake mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix cake according to package instructions. Pour cake batter into a well greased and floured Elmo cake pan (can be purchased off Wilton's website).

Bake for about 35 minutes. Or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow pan to cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Turn cake out onto another wire rack and cool completely.

I decorated my cake with dyed buttercream frosting. Instructions for dying your frosting come with the Elmo pan.

Sasha loved her cake, I hope your little one loves it too!

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled then minced (about 2 tbsp minced)

1 pork tenderloin

a couple tbsp white wine

Method

I placed placed the first 6 ingredients in a casserole dish, and stirred until the sugar had dissolved. I then placed the tenderloin in the marinade, covered the casserole and placed it in the refrigerator for about 4 hours, turning the meat once. I cut the tenderloin into medallions, so the marinade would reach more of the meat, but you could easily keep the tenderloin in one piece, if you prefer slicing the tenderloin after it has been cooked.

When it was getting closer to suppertime, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees. Placed the covered casserole dish in the oven, and set the timer for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, I added the white wine. At 30 minutes, I removed the casserole from the oven, transferred the sauce to a saucepan, and reduced the sauce to about 1 cup over high heat. I returned the pork to the oven for about 5 minutes while I reduced the sauce.

I served the pork with the sauce on the side, with fine egg noodles and corn. Pretty tasty for a relatively quick & healthy meal.

Okay, I'm one of them.  It's pretty hard to resist, what can I say?  It doesn't help that butchers -- those pervs -- often seem to intentionally cut pork tenderloins in... uh... interesting ways.  We had one at my cousin's house a few weeks ago that had two rounded, bulbous -- never mind.

I'd originally intended to do something more interesting with the pork tenderloin I picked up last time we were at the store, but life's been pretty hectic lately.  It wound up sitting in the fridge until I pretty much needed to cook it ASAP or throw it out.  And I'll be damned if I'm throwing away something I didn't buy on sale!  So, despite the fact that Don was moaning in bed with the flu and it was really late and I barely felt like cooking at all, I made the pork.  And lo!  It was actually really good.  Even Don managed to heave himself up in bed long enough to eat two plates full.

Balsamic Roasted Pork Tenderloin

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 red onion
1 package pork tenderloin*
1 apple (optional)**

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a gallon-sized ziploc bag, mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper.  Shake the bag to combine them thoroughly.  Cut the red onion into either large chunks or wedges, and add it and the pork tenderloin to the bag.  Smoosh the whole thing around to make sure everything is coated thoroughly, and leave to marinate for about an hour while you watch some episodes of "The Office" that you Netflixed.  Once you remember that you have pork marinating, head back to the kitchen and line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil (or don't, but I do it because I hate to wash dishes and my baking sheets are too big to go in my crappy dishwasher).  Dump the contents of the bag out onto the lined baking sheet, trying not to let too much of the marinade splash out.  If you were less lazy than I, you might even use tongs or your hands or something to get the stuff out, rather than just inverting the bag over the pan.  Make some effort to at least arrange the pork loin in a straight line, if nothing else.  Cut up an apple, if you feel like using one, into wedges, and scatter it over the onions and pork loin in the pan**.  Pop the whole thing in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until pork is no longer pink inside.

*I picked up what i thought was one large vacuum-sealed pork tenderloin.  When I cut open the plastic, it turned out to be two medium sized ones, which was fine.  Just grab however much you want to eat of the vacuum-sealed tenderloins, it doesn't really matter.

**I used an apple -- a granny smith, specifically -- and we were both kind of unimpressed.  It just sort of tasted like oniony apple instead of really adding a lot to the other flavors.  Next time I'll omit the apple from the roasting pan and make my mom's cooked apples separately instead.

On photography: I was so hungry that we ate all of the onions and apples and one of the pork loins before I remembered that I probably ought to take a picture for you people.  So I wiped off the cutting board as best I could and stuck it in the light box, resulting in this rather plain picture.  Sorry.  Next time I'll do you up a plate.

You can find a multitude of recipes for Chicken Marsala in cookbooks and online.  I use one for pork that is from Jane Brody. I don't know if it was from one of her cookbooks, or from her newspaper column. The same recipe can be used for chicken breasts if they are boneless and pounded thinly enough.

PORK MARSALA 
1 lb. pork tenderloin, sliced 1/2" thick, and pounded to 1/4"

1 t. olive oil

8 oz. button mushrooms, halved if large or sliced if desired

1 shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 c. Marsala wine

1/2 c. red wine, dry

1 T. tomato paste

Chopped parsley, optional, for garnish 

 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the pork on both sides in the hot oil, in batches, and remove to a plate and keep warm covered with foil.

 2. Add the shallot to the oil in the pan, adding a little more if necessary. Cook, stirring, until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

4. Stir in the Marsala, red wine and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes to reduce. 

5. Return the pork to the pan to reheat for a minute or two. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve.

What to serve with this? I suppose you could serve potatoes, although it doesn't seem quite proper somehow. I would probably serve risotto, if I had the time and inclination to stand and stir it for 20-20 minutes. However, it is always worth the trouble.

A plain spaghetti or linguine would be good, also, especially if you made a little extra sauce to dress the pasta.

Naturally, I would have a salad, and maybe some vegetable, like broccoli spears, or broccoli rabe. The color would be great for the relatively colorless meat and sauce.