Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

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Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

Last week it was in the 60’s here, all week long (albeit raining). Then, on Thursday it got cold enough to get a little bit of snow. Enough for Andrew to have a little bit of fun in at least! And now, it’s REALLY cold. So, when I came across a recipe for this pork tenderloin I thought it looked great, something to transport me to a warm tropical beach – and away from the freezing tundras of coastal Maryland.

Super duper easy too. I just threw together a marinade, let the pork do it’s thing – and then used the method that I’ve used for pork tenderloins in the past; seared it off on the stove first, then finished cooking in the oven. Since I didn’t want to let all that delicious flavor in the marinade go to waste, I went ahead and brought it to a boil on the stove then served it as a sauce alongside the sliced tenderloin.

I love the flavor that the peanut butter and soy sauce lend, as well as the little kick of heat from the crushed red pepper. The original recipe called for mango chutney, which I didn’t have, so I just used some peach-hot pepper jelly that I’d gotten from TS Smith & Sons last year – and it turned out beautifully. But, orange marmalade or apricot preserves would be good too; just something that’s sweet, with a little bit of chunkiness to it.

I served it with garlic rice pilaf (recipe coming tomorrow) and sauteed snow peas – and everyone cleaned their plates. If you’re looking for a change of pace, or to bring some exotic new flavors to the dinner table – definitely mark this one down on your menu soon!

Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine preserves, garlic, coriander, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, peanut butter, lime juice, orange juice, crushed red pepper and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk well to combine, paying attention to break up the peanut butter.  Place pork tenderloin in gallon sized Ziploc bag and pour the marinade on top. Squeeze out the air, and seal, using your hands to squish bag and distribute marinade evenly. Place in refrigerator and let marinade for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 425. Heat  the vegetable oil in large oven-proof skillet (I like cast iron) over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork tenderloin, and sear on all sides, until it’s nicely browned – about 7 minutes or so. Place the entire skillet into the preheated oven, and cook until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees – about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

While the pork is in the oven, pour the marinade into a small saucepan. If it seems too thick, add a splash or orange juice or water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, then turn off heat. Pour sauce over the sliced tenderloin and sprinkle with chopped cilantro for garnish.

Source: adapted from Kitchen Confidante

Pork Tenderloin w/ Madiera Fig Gravy

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Had originally planned another recipe to share with you today, but after enjoying this meal on Friday night – I had to share it with you guys ASAP. I’d had it on my list since I saw it in the Lee Brothers cookbook, and couldn’t wait to make it. We have a couple of fig trees (bushes?) in our yard, which produce two crops of giant, juicy figs a year. Once in the early summer, once again in the fall. They aren’t the traditional dark-skinned Mission fig that you usually find in the store, either. They have a very pithy white skin, that usually proves a bit complicated when going to make something like preserves with them, and I end up having to give them a peeling first. Didn’t matter for this dish, they just cooked right down into a delicious gravy.

And the Madiera. My God. I’m sold on this stuff as a marinating liquid! The pork has a relatively quick 1 hour soak in the Madiera, then is seared off in a cast-iron pan and finished off in the oven. Madiera is a sweet, fortified wine that I always have hanging out in my liquor cabinet. Great for a quick deglaze, and after-dinner drink, or a marinade. The sugars in the wine helped to give the most gorgeous caramelized crusts I’ve ever seen on a hunk of meat. No joke. Then, you add the marinade to the pan, along with the figs – and put it all in the oven for about 20 minutes. What comes out is sheer perfection. I served with some steamed broccoli and garlic rice pilaf. If you have figs available to you – whether in your back yard, or at the grocery store – add this to your menu plan. I can’t wait to make it again!

Pork Tenderloin with Madiera Fig Gravy

1 cup Madiera or Sherry
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 pounds pork tenderloins
2 tsp canola or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp butter
2 shallots, finely diced
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1 pounds fresh figs, trimmed and quartered

Pour the Madiera and vinegar into a gallon-size Ziploc, and add the garlic, thyme, and 1 tsp of salt. Seal the bag and agitate to combine. Add the pork tenderloins and marinade at room temperature for 1 hour, turning the bag over several times.

Heat the oven to 450, with a rack positioned in the top third of the oven.

Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board, reserving the marinade, and pat the meat dry with paper towls. Brish the tenderloins with 1 tsp of the oil, and season them with 1 tsp of salt and the black pepper. Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a large cast-itron skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Add the tenderloins and sear, turning them occasionally, until they are nicely browned, 5 to 6 minutes.

Transfer the tenderloins to a plate, add butter and shallots to the pan, stirring until the butter has completely melted, and then add the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the flour. Cook until the shallots have softened and are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the figs and the reserved marinade and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low, add the tenderloins to the skillet, and nestle them among the figs. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast, turning the meat once, for about 15 minutes (an instant-read thermometer should register 135 defrees).

Remove the skillet from the oven and let the tenderloins rest on a cutting board, loosely covered with foil, for 5 minues. Then slice tenderloins into 1/2-inch thick medallions and serve with the sauce.

Source: Simple, Fresh, Southern by The Lee Brothers

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Zesty Dry Rub

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In the past, I always turned my nose up at pork tenderloins. I think it’s because I’d never had one cooked properly – they were always flavorless and overcooked. A month or so ago, Elly posted a recipe for a delicious zesty dry-rubbed pork loin, and I made a mental note. A couple of weeks ago they went on sale at my local grocery store, so I picked one up with Elly’s recipe in mind.

We loved it. Loved it so much we’ve since had it again, which is unusual for us to eat something twice in a two week period. For being such a filling, comforting meal – it is super duper easy. And, a one pan dish as well! Sear off the pork loin in a cast iron pan, toss in some veggies, then finish cooking in the oven. In less than 30 minutes, dinner is on the table. The rub has wonderful flavors; lots of smokey cumin, spicy chili powder, and a bit of allspice- which gave it a  hint of a jerk seasoning. Would be a nice option for Cinco de Mayo actually, that isn’t a taco or a burrito (not that there’s anything wrong with that! Seinfeld fans, anyone?)

Most packages of tenderloins I buy actually have 2. No worries, they both fit in the skillet just fine and cooking time is about the same. I usually season 1 with the rub, which is enough to feed our crew for dinner. Then, season the other simply with salt and pepper. Leftovers make for an incredible Cuban sandwich or stir-fry later in the week!

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Zesty Dry Rub

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Juice from 1 lime
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Preheat the oven to 425.

Rub the pork tenderloin on all sides with the olive oil and lime juice. Mix the remaining ingredients into a small prep bowl, and then rub the mixture all over the pork tenderloin.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tenderloin. Sear on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Place the whole pan in the oven to finish cooking the tenderloin, about 12-15 more minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers at 160.

Remove the tenderloin and rest for 5-10 minutes under a foil tent, before slicing. Veggies, if using, can continue to cook while the pork rests.

Source:  Our Life In Food and Food Network; via Elly Says Opa!

Country Fried Pork Chops

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Country Fried Pork Chops

Pork chops are one of the things that Jon always gives me gruff that I don’t cook enough. I prefer to cook something like one of my many favorite versions of a pork tenderloin, but once in a while I give in and make him one of his favorite meals of all time – these fried pork chops. It’s one of those manly, stick-to-your-ribs meals that all guys love…

Basically a pork chop is coated with a mixture of egg wash and seasoned flour, much like fried chicken is. Then pan fried. Afterwards, a milk gravy is made from the pan drippings and served over the pork chops. While it’s not the most figure-friendly thing on the planet, it really is delicious and totally worth a splurge every now and again.

I always serve with mashed potatoes, because they are equally as good topped with the gravy. This time around I also served roasted Brussels sprouts on the side, and they were really delicious with them too. If you’ve not had the pleasure of trying these, you should – as it’s “country cooking” to the core!

Country Fried Pork Chops

8 bone-in pork chops (about 3/4-inch thick)
2 eggs, beaten
few shakes hot sauce
1 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the gravy:
3 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Set oven to the warm setting. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and place in the oven.

Mix eggs and hot sauce together in a shallow dish. Combine flour with paprika, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a large resealable plastic bag – mix to combine. Set both mixtures on counter and prepare pork chops for breading.

Season both sides of pork chops with the remaining salt and pepper. Dip each chop into the egg wash first, letting the excess drip back into the dish. Then place chop into the flour mixture, shaking the bag to cover each chop with flour well. Remove and set on plate. Repeat with other chops.

Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Place 4 pork chops (or however many will fit comfortably) in the hot skillet, frying until well browned on each side – about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and place onto the baking sheet in the warmed oven. Repeat with remaining pork chops.

Once chops are fried, prepare the gravy by adding the flour to the pan drippings in the skillet. Whisk to combine, and let cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, and whisk constantly until mixture has thickened – about 3 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, and season to taste with more if desired.

Remove chops from oven and plate, serving the gravy on top of the chops. Pour remaining gravy into a serving dish and serve alongside with the chops on the table.