Tangy Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin

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Tangy Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin

If you’ve been with us a while, you know that pork tenderloins are one of my favorite protein items. Lean, and so adaptable to any flavor combination under the sun. They’re great seared in a pan and finished off in the oven, but I think where they really shine is on the grill…and that’s something we’ve been doing alot more of now that summer is here!

The good folks at Musselman’s asked me to develop a couple of recipes for them, which I always jump at the opportunity! We’re big fans of apple butter in this house, it’s long been a favorite pantry staple of mine to use as the backbone of flavor in dishes.

Musselman's Apple Butter

This time around, I made a simple barbecue sauce using Musselman’s Apple Butter as the base. It’s the perfect consistency for brushing onto meat on the grill as is, but I doctored it up a bit – some honey and brown sugar for additional sweetness, some cider vinegar for a little tang, and some molasses for depth of flavor. A little splash of bourbon would also probably be a great addition!

I used it on pork tenderloins, but would be equally as delicious on chops or chicken. Even barbecue sandwiches! Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make a larger batch for a cookout. Definitely a good one to have up your sleeve this grilling season.

Tangy Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
3/4 cup Musselman‘s apple butter
2 Tbsp molasses
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Prepare grill by heating to medium-high heat. While grill is warming up, prepare the pork and the sauce.
 
Season the pork tenderloins with kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.To prepare the basting sauce, combine apple butter, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, and honey in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
 
Cook the pork tenderloins over medium-high (direct) heat, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, begin brushing the sauce onto the tenderloins. Continue turning and brushing until pork registers 140 degrees, about 10-15 minutes more.
 
Remove tenderloins to a plate, and brush with the sauce one more time. Tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

 

Slice the tenderloin and serve immediately. Serves 6, with some leftovers!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good people at Musselman’s Apple Butter. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pork Chops w/ Blueberry-Chipotle Sauce

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Grilled Pork Chops w/ Blueberry-Chipotle SauceA few weeks ago, the good folks at D’Artagnan sent me another box of goodies to do some recipe development with. I always look forward to their little “care packages”, as I have a hard time finding good quality butchered meats here on the Shore. So when I received these gorgeous Berkshire bone-in porkchops, I was ecstatic. I’d never worked with chops that were so gorgeous before!

Needless to say, I wanted to “do them up” right. I seasoned them simply with salt and pepper and grilled them. I wanted a little fruity kick to pair with them, so I made a simple sauce out of fresh blueberries, brown sugar, and some chipotle peppers.

The sweet and spicy combo was the perfect accent for the meaty chops. I served it all over a bed of cinnamon-spiked mashed sweet potatoes, which is something that one of my favorite restaurants (Bill’s, for you locals) on the island serves with their pork chops…and again, it was the perfect compliment to the other flavors.

With a fresh green veggie on the side, it’s a great hearty summer meal – lighter than your traditional meat and potatoes. Easy, yet certainly impressive enough to serve to company.

Big thanks to D’Artagnan for the hookup! The chops were so tender, juicy, and flavorful. If you too have a problem finding quality meats in your area, head over and check out the selection they have available for delivery. I’ve really been impressed with every single item I’ve tried so far!

Pork Chops with Blueberry-Chipotle Sauce

4 bone-in (1-inch thick) pork chops
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

For the Blueberry-Chipotle sauce:
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 Tbsp chipotle in adobo, chopped

For the Cinnamon-Spiked Mashed Sweet Potatoes:
3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp half & half
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
kosher salt

Add the quartered sweet potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. Boil over medium-high heat until potatoes are tender – about 15 minutes. Drain, and place back in the pot. Add the butter, brown sugar, half & half, and cinnamon. Mash until smooth and well combined. Season to taste with salt. Cover and set aside.

Prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once blueberries begin to soften and burst, reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer until it’s reduced by about half.

While sauce is reducing, grill the chops. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Season chops with salt and pepper well on both sides. Grill chops for about 3 minutes on each side, internal temperature should reach 140. Remove to a platter and tent with aluminum foil.

To serve, lay down a bed of the sweet potatoes. Followed by a chop. Then spoon over some of the blueberry-chipotle sauce. Serve immediately.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at D’Artagnan. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Blackberry-Basil Vinaigrette

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Blackberry Basil Vinaigrette

Have you guys taken note of all of the gorgeous berries in stores right now? I’ve been enjoying all of them, but hard pressed – I’d say juicy, plump blackberries are my favorite. And, they’ve been REALLY good this year. So when Driscoll’s reached out to me and ask me to come up with blackberry recipe to share with you guys, how could I say no?

While I’ve had my usual fun baking with them, I thought a more savory application would be a fun twist. In an effort to shed a few pounds before sandbar season, I’ve been trying to eat more salads. I always make my own dressings, but have never made one with a fruit puree as the base before. Wow, I’ve really been missing out!

I added a handful of fresh basil to the blackberries before I pureed them, which added a wonderful aroma and freshness. The thick puree acts as a wonderful emulsifier, and the sweetness from the berries really rounds out the flavor. I also used champagne vinegar, for it’s subtle flavor…to really let the blackberry and basil shine. But, white wine vinegar would be an excellent substitute.

I like to serve it over a bed of mixed greens with some candied walnuts, herbed goat cheese, and plenty of fresh blackberries. Makes the perfect simple salad for these warmer days we’ve been having! Would also be wonderful to use as a marinade for chicken or pork. I’ll definitely be trying that in the very near future!

Blackberry-Basil Vinaigrette

1 cup fresh blackberries (about 6 oz)
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2/3 cup olive oil

Puree blackberries and basil leaves together in a food processor or blender. Scrape puree into medium bowl.

Whisk the vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper into the blackberry puree. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the oil is completely incorporated into the dressing.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Dressing can be kept in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at Driscoll’s. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lemon Cupcakes w/ Blueberry Frosting

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Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream

There are few flavor combinations that I love more than lemon and blueberry. The sunny bright flavor from the lemon, and the subtle sweetness and gorgeous hue from the berries. I baked these lovely cupcakes for a Relay for Life radio auction here on the lower Shore, but I managed to keep a few to enjoy and take a few pictures of so I could share the recipe with you guys!

As always, I used my favorite vanilla cupcake and vanilla buttercream recipe, then glammed it up a bit. Some lemon zest and lemon extract in the cake batter gives it that lemony punch that I was looking for. For the frosting, I cooked fresh blueberries down a bit with some sugar to soften up, then pureed and added to the buttercream. It creates a gorgeous color, that just screams “spring”!

Garnish with a single, fresh blueberry – and you’ve got yourself one delicious cupcake. This makes a large batch too, usually for me it ends up being around 30 cupcakes. I never have a problem getting folks to take them off my hands though, I’m sure you won’t either! Take advantage of all the delicious berries popping up in stores right now, and make these cupcakes soon.

Lemon Cupcakes w/ Blueberry Buttercream

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
16 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
1 lemon, zested
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. water
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
fresh blueberries, for garnish

To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cupcake tins with paper liners, set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and lemon zest. Beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of bowl and beat for 1 more minute.

Add the sugar to the butter mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Combine the buttermilk and the lemon and vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Fill the cupcakes liners 2/3 of the way full with batter (I like to use a large cookie scoop). Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in pan about 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, place the blueberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook until blueberries soften and burst. Puree in a food processor or blender. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter over medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, and carefully add in the confectioners sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the vanilla extract, as well as the blueberry puree. Increase speed to medium, and beat until smooth and frosting is combined.

Frost cupcakes as desired and garnish with a fresh blueberry.