EVERYDAY FOOD TO THE RESCUE

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Pork, Side dishes by sallybr

Last week, on a very busy day in which I had zero inspiration for cooking dinner, the daily email from Martha Stweart’s Everyday Food was a life saver. It arrived mid-morning as usual, and featured a grilled pork tenderloin with a simple soy-citrus marinade. I had a tenderloin in the fridge, and all ingredients needed for the marinade. Side dish? Orzo sounded great, so I searched for recipes on the same website, and one of the top choices was “Toasted Orzo with Olives and Lemon”. The clouds left the horizon, blue skies announced that my dinner blues were gone. And you’ll get both recipes in a single post! 😉

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH SOY, GINGER, AND LIME
(adapted from Everyday Food)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), trimmed of excess fat and silver skin

In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, oil, and ginger. Add pork to the marinade, turning to coat well on all sides. Marinate in the fridge for several hours to overnight.

Remove meat from marinade, and pat it dry. Season it very lightly with salt, and grill for 7 minutes on a hot grill. Turn the meat to grill the opposite side, and grill for 6 minutes more. Without opening the grill, turn the heat off and let the meat stay inside for 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the grill, tent it with foil, and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

to print the recipe, click here

TOASTED ORZO WITH OLIVES AND LEMON
(adapted from Everyday Food)

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound orzo (1 + 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup slivered black olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add 2 cups of water and lemon zest, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover, and simmer until orzo is al dente and liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in olives, parsley, lemon juice, and remaining tablespoons of olive oil, if desired (I omitted this step).

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: What a great dinner this was! Ready in less than 30 minutes, all I had to do was make the marinade at lunch time (but you can do it in the morning, if you don’t go home for lunch), and by the time we came home from work, dinner was a cinch to make.

I used the 7-6-5 grilling method for the pork tenderloin, because it works well with pretty much any type of marinade or dry rub. It is easy to take care of the rest of the meal when all you have to do is set a timer and move the meat around when it goes off.

Toasting the orzo is what makes this side dish so special. I’ve used a similar method before in one of the simplest and greatest recipes I’ve made last year, the “Carrot Nib Orzo”. If until now you’ve only treated orzo as a normal pasta, boiling in salted water, please try either of these recipes, you will be more than pleasantly surprised by the improvement in taste and texture.

ONE YEAR AGO: Weekend Pita Project

TWO YEARS AGO: Mandioca Frita 101 – Fried Yucca Root (Brazilian Food at its best!)

18Sep2010

PROTOCOL FOR A FIFTEEN-MINUTE DINNER

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Pork by sallybr

Materials
1 pork tenderloin
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsp ground chili pepper
fettucini (I used whole wheat)
big bunch of baby spinach
lemon zest
red pepper flakes
1 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper

Method
1. Put a large pot of salted water to boil and turn your grill on.

2. In a small bowl, make a little paste with maple syrup, soy sauce, and chili pepper.

3. In a large bowl where you’ll serve the pasta, mix the olive oil with red pepper flakes and lemon zest.

4. Cut the pork tenderloin in 1/4 inch slices, pound each very lightly with a mallet, and brush each side with the maple/chili glaze. Season with a little salt.

5. Place the pasta in the boiling water and start the timer.

6. Grill each slice of pork tenderloin for a couple of minutes, turn, and grill for 2 minutes more on the second side. Remove to a platter and keep warm.

7. Two minutes before the pasta is done cooking, add the baby spinach, and finish them cooking together.

8.Reserve a little of the cooking water, drain the pasta/spinach, add them to the serving bowl, mix well to combine, add some of the cooking water if necessary. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

9. Serve some pasta with the pork tenderloin.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The basic inspiration from this recipe came from Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times. Adding the spinach to the same pan the pasta is cooking works quite well, but you need to be careful about the timing – overcooking the spinach could ruin the dish.

The pork tenderloin is a recipe I jotted down by hand from some online source years ago, I wish I could give proper credit, but I was unable to find it now. If you’ve never mixed maple syrup with pepper, keep this combo in mind, it’s a winner. Another great example is a recipe by the Surreal Gourmet that marinates salmon steaks with maple syrup and coarsely ground pepper for a few days before grilling. I need to make it soon in the Nano-Bewitching Kitchen because it’s an old favorite of mine.

ONE YEAR AGO: Cauliflower au Gratin

5Jun2010

7-6-5 GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN

Posted in Pork by sallybr

Note added Feb 22nd, 2021: If you own a Weber type grill, it might get a lot hotter than other brands, and this method won’t work for you, unless you are able to control the heat down to 500F-550F. My friend Gary recommends a surface thermometer in case you’d like to monitor the temperature of your grill, and find hot spots.

The Boeing 777 is my favorite airplane, but the number to keep in mind when grilling pork tenderloin is 765, referring to the time it takes to grill it (7 + 6 + 5 minutes). The original recipe was from an issue of Fine Cooking magazine (June 2002) published as a general method to grill pork tenderloin, that’s adaptable to many different flavor profiles. I’ve been making it ever since.

7-6-5- GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN
(very loosely adapted from Pam Anderson)

2 pork tenderloins
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp aleppo pepper
salt

For the glaze:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
a little water
salt and pepper

Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, and aleppo pepper, rub all over the meat and let it stand in the fridge overnight or several hours.

Prepare the glaze by melting all ingredients in a small sauce pan. You want a reasonably thick consistency, so adjust the amount of water accordingly. Let it cool (you can prepare the glaze the day before).

Prepare a hot grill. Remove the meat from the marinade, brush it all over with the glaze, and season with salt. Place the meat on the grill, close the lid and grill for 7 minutes. Turn the pork tenderloin over, close the lid again, and grill for 6 minutes. Don’t open the lid, just turn off the heat and keep the meat inside for 5 minutes. The internal temperature should be 145F to 150F. If not, close the lid and leave the meat for a few more minutes. Remove the meat to a serving platter and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

You can prepare the same recipe on a charcoal grill, just place the coals to one side, and when it’s time to turn the heat off, simply move the meat to the opposite side of the grill, with no coals underneath.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The published recipe suggested brining the meat first, then brushing it with the glaze of your choice. I opted for a lemony marinade instead. Pam Anderson offered three options on the glaze, all using frozen fruit juice concentrate as the starting point. We usually don’t stock those in the freezer, so I went with melted orange marmalade instead, adding a little vinegar to cut any excessive sweetness. During grilling the sugar will impart a deep copper color to the meat, something that we all associate with great taste… and it had that for sure! I served the meat over plain white rice, without any sauce, but with crisp-tender green beans and almonds, one of our favorite side dishes. Leftovers are great for sandwiches, fajitas, or simply re-heated in the microwave. Give this recipe a try, and it might become one of your favorite weeknight options!

16Apr2010

PORK TRINITY: COFFEE, MUSHROOMS, AND CURRY

Posted in Pork by sallybr

I’m always searching for interesting ways to bring pork tenderloin to our table. This preparation, with a dry rub of powdered trumpet mushrooms, coffee, and curry, turns humble pork into a feisty little beast. The meat gets tightly wrapped, then rests in the fridge for a couple of hours (or more). The flavors of this threesome synergize to more than the simple sum of their parts. Funky, deep, mysterious… you’ll hear your diners asking… “what is this spice?”

I found the recipe five years ago in a blog called Foodie NYC. To my disappointment, the proprietor seems to have vanished from the blogosphere – no activity since 2008. Still, I highly recommend that you browse his blog, because all the recipes are original, not from cookbooks or magazines. It’s impressive!

BLACK TRUMPET COFFEE CRUSTED PORK TENDERLOIN
(from Foodie NYC blog)

1 package of dried black trumpet mushrooms (or dried shiitake)
handful of coffee beans
1 tsp hot curry powder
2 pinches of freshly ground nutmeg
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 pork tenderloin
1-2 Tbs olive oil

Using a spice grinder, grind enough black trumpet mushroom to obtain 1/4 cup of powder. Reserve. Grind the coffee beans and add 3 Tbs to the powdered mushroom. Add the curry and nutmeg; mix well.

Dry the pork tenderloin (previously brined it if you prefer, but it’s not necessary), place it on a piece of plastic wrap and add the mushroom /spice powder to its surface, completely covering it. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Heat the oven to 300 F.

Add the oil to an oven-proof skillet and heat on top of the stove over high heat. Sear the meat briefly on all sides – the idea is to seal the crust, not to make it golden brown. Since the meat will cook in the oven, over-browning the crust now could make it burn later.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for about 30-35 minutes (see comments). Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve made the full menu as described in Foodie NYC, serving the pork with eggplant puree and pistachios, and it was excellent. But I also made only the pork and then picked different side dishes to accompany it. For our dinner this week I served it with new potatoes, that were roasted in a light coating of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cooking conditions: Some people like their pork medium-rare, however my old-fashioned (in a good way…) beloved prefers it traditionally well-done, so I increase the time and sometimes also the temperature (350F). Use a meat thermometer and adapt the cooking to your taste.

Note to self: play with other flavors… cocoa powder? a little smoked paprika? ground ginger? Just don’t skip the mushrooms… 😉

28Mar2010

PORK TENDERLOIN and BLUE CHEESE

Posted in Pork by sallybr

…. so Happy Together!

Here’s a great combination, in a recipe from Bauer’s Secrets of Success, a cookbook quite popular in this bewitched place…

GRILLED PORK MEDALLIONS with BLUE CHEESE SAUCE
(cookbook Secrets of Success, original recipe from chef Ruggero Gadaldi)

1 qt water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pickling spices
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
2 pork tenderloins
6 large skewers (metal or bamboo)
olive oil

for sauce:
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper

Make the brine for the pork by bringing the water to a boil, adding the brown sugar, spices, vinegar, carrot, celery, onion, and salt. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, allow it to cool to room temperature. Cut each tenderloin in 10 medallions, and submerge the pieces in the brine (you can use a plastic bag). Refrigerate from 4 hours to overnight.

Turn your grill on high, remove the pieces of pork from the brine and pat dry. Thread the pieces onto skewers (if using wood skewers, allow them to soak in water for several hours to prevent burning). Season lightly with salt and pepper and brush the meat with a little olive oil. Grill for about 5 minutes per side, until medium-cooked.

Make the sauce by pouring the cream in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until it starts to thicken (5-10 minutes), add the gorgonzola cheese, and stir until dissolved.

Serve alongside soft-cooked polenta.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is a perfect recipe for weeknights, as the pork can brine during the day. I normally prepare the brining component in the evening, and submerge the tenderloin early next morning, before leaving for work. The brine does two great things for the meat: it imparts a subtle sweet flavor, and it promotes browning on the grill, thanks to its sugar content. The gorgonzola sauce couldn’t be easier to prepare; it comes together in minutes. In his restaurant, chef Gadaldi’s serves the medallions alongside soft-cooked polenta. I did the same, but also included broccoli. It was nice dinner in less than 30 minutes (and I’m not even Rachael Ray… ;-)).

(if prepared without the polenta, this meal is appropriate for people on low-carb diets)