Sherried Pineapple Pork Tenderloin

My main motivation for making this recipe was that it would use up one of the 5 little cans of pineapple juice that have been taking up space in my pantry since we lived in our old apartment. I can't even remember what I originally bought it for. I had no idea that this would become a favorite in our house... I made it two weeks in a row, which is something I almost never do.  And I might even make it next week, since I still have three cans of pineapple juice left. The sauce is so good that John convinced me that we needed to save the remaining two tablespoons of it, because surely we'd find something to dip in it. Oh, and did I mention that it's quick and easy to make?

The original recipe says that it serves four, but that's just silly. My portion was what you see above, so I'm going to say it serves two. If you've got more people to feed, this could easily be doubled. We ate ours with some delicious pear, walnut, and feta salad.

Sherried Pineapple Pork Tenderloin
adapted from Cooking Light: Fresh Food Fast

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 6oz can pineapple juice
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs dry sherry (you could substitute dry white wine)
1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce

Directions:

1. Rinse pork and pat dry with paper towels (you want it to be dry so it will sear properly). Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with vegetable oil, add pork. Cook pork 3 to 4 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 10 minutes. Turn pork over, cook 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees.

3. Place pork on cutting board; tent with foil. Let it stand while you make the sauce.

4. Combine pineapple juice and remaining 3 ingredients; add to pan drippings. Bring to a boil; boil 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup.  Slice pork and spoon sauce over slices.

Serves 2

 
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Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

My slow cooker is an appliance that I really, really want to like, but it constantly disappoints me. Almost everything I've made in it has been completely underwhelming. So, when the America's Test Kitchen people came out with their new cookbook, Slow Cooker Revolution, I knew they'd be able to improve my relationship with the slow cooker. This recipe for bolognese sauce was definitely a good start. I've never made a traditional bolognese, but this was just as flavorful as anything I've had at a restaurant (and John couldn't get enough of it, so it's Italian-approved).

The folks at America's Test Kitchen always come up with creative ways to solve common cooking dilemmas, and this recipe is no exception. To prevent the meat from drying out during the long cooking time, they mix it with a panade of bread and cream before putting it in the slow cooker. The recipe (which I am posting as written) calls for meatloaf mix, but I ended up using a mix of ground beef and pork. I also ended up adding quite a bit of salt once this was done cooking, so next time I will probably add more than the recommended 1/2 teaspoon to the meat mixture before it goes in the crock pot.

I think the appeal of the slow cooker for many people is the time-saving element. On that end, this recipe does take some prep work (chopping and sauteing vegetables), so it might not be an ideal weeknight recipe. However, this recipe saves you time in that it makes a huge batch of sauce: enough to sauce three pounds of pasta! So, you can make it on the weekend and freeze the rest for a busy night. I know John and I are looking forward to eating these leftovers!

Big-Batch Bolognese Sauce
from Slow Cooker Revolution

Note: You will need a 6 quart slow-cooker for this recipe.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
1 carrot, peeled and minced
1/4 cut minced celery
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
3 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
1 cup heavy cream
3 pounds meatloaf mix
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker. Stir tomatoes into slow cooker.

2. Mash bread and heavy cream into a paste in large bowl using fork. Mix in meatloaf mix, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper using hands. Stir meatloaf mixture into slow cooker, breaking up any large pieces. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

3. Let sauce settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using a large spoon. Break up any remaining large pieces of meat with spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 14 cups

Download a printable recipe.

Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Shallots

Just when you've had it with summer and the f%#$*# air conditioning that barely works... bam, you suddenly find yourself having to wear a sweater when you go out at night. Ah, fall, how I've missed you. John's parents came over for dinner last weekend, and we wanted to cook something appropriate for the changing of the seasons. But before we get to that, allow me to introduce our newest (and tiniest) kitchen assistant, Penny:

Penny fits nicely in my apron pocket, and she looooves to eat. And now back to the cooking...

The finished dish looks pretty elegant, but it was relatively simple to prepare. You brown the pork tenderloin and then pop it in the oven while you prepare the pears and the sauce. The sauce contains pear nectar (find it in the International Foods aisle with the other Goya stuff), which adds just enough sweetness. We served this with some rice pilaf, roasted tomatoes and green beans, and my favorite fall dessert, apple squares.

Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Shallots
from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme plus fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
1 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin
3 large shallots, each cut into 6 wedges through stem end, peeled
3 unpeeled small Bosc or Anjou pears, quartered, cored
4 teaspoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup pear nectar

Preparation:  
Preheat oven to 475°F. Mix oil, garlic, and chopped thyme in small bowl. Rub mixture over pork, shallots, and pears. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and shallots; brown on all sides, turning, about 7 minutes. Transfer shallots to platter. Transfer pork to baking sheet (do not clean skillet). Roast pork until thermometer inserted into center registers 145°F, about 10 minutes.
  
Meanwhile, add pears to same skillet and cook over medium-high heat until brown on cut side, turning once or twice, about 4 minutes. Transfer pears to platter (do not clean skillet).
  
Mix butter and flour in small cup. Add broth, pear nectar, and butter mixture to same skillet; boil until sauce thickens, scraping up browned bits, about 7 minutes.
  
Slice pork; arrange on platter. Surround with pears and shallots. Drizzle sauce over pork. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Serves 4

 Download a printable recipe.
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Indoor Pulled Pork with Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce

At 8:30 AM on Saturday, while most normal people were sleeping or eating breakfast, John and I headed to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for our weekend food project of pulled pork. ("indoor" pulled pork, as we live in an apartment with no outdoor space). I sent John to the meat section while I groggily staggered up to the coffee bar for my caffeine fix. A few minutes later, John comes waltzing over, clearly pleased with the giant pork butt he picked out. We wandered around for about 10 more minutes looking for Liquid Smoke, finally found it by the barbecue sauce, then we checked out. And yes, we cracked inappropriate jokes about pork butt all the way home (Hahaha... "cracked"! See what I did there?). We're mature.

I call this a project because it took all day to make. Granted, most of the day,  the pork is spent either brining or cooking, so it does not require constant attention. And at the end of the day, every last minute was worth it. We could barely muster any coherent sentences as we took our first bites: "MMM. So... mmm... wow... mmm... ohmygosh... tastymmmyummm." There are so many layers of flavor: the brine infuses the meat with the liquid smoke flavor, the spice rub adds a little kick, and the homemade barbecue sauce was just ridiculously good (you mix in some of the pork cooking liquid, which I think is the key ingredient here).

This makes a lot, but a quick Google search told us that pulled pork freezes well, so you don't necessarily need to have a big crowd to help you eat it. Serve on rolls to make sandwiches, or just eat it straight up.

Indoor Pulled Pork with Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce
from Cook's Illustrated

Note: Sweet paprika may be substituted for smoked paprika. Covering the pork with parchment and then foil prevents the acidic mustard from eating holes in the foil. Serve the pork on hamburger rolls with pickle chips and thinly sliced onion. Instead of the sauce recipe here, you can use 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce thinned with ½ cup of the defatted pork cooking liquid in step 5. The shredded and sauced pork can be cooled, tightly covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat it gently before serving.

Pork:
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons table salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 boneless pork butt (about 5 pounds), cut in half horizontally (see step by step below)
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons smoked paprika (see note)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup light or mild molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:
1. FOR THE PORK: Dissolve 1 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons liquid smoke in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

 2. While pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and cayenne in second small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

3. Remove pork from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture. Place pork on wire rack set inside foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place piece of parchment paper over pork, then cover with sheet of aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture from escaping. Roast pork for 3 hours.

 4. Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. Carefully pour off liquid in bottom of baking sheet into fat separator and reserve for sauce. Return pork to oven and cook, uncovered, until well browned, tender, and internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1½ hours. Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.

5. FOR THE SAUCE: While pork rests, pour 1/2 cup of defatted cooking liquid from fat separator into medium bowl; whisk in sauce ingredients.

6. TO SERVE: Using 2 forks, shred pork into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 1 cup sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

 

 Makes 6 to 8 servings.


Download a printable recipe.
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Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

 

As you may have noticed, we've been eating a lot of desserts around here lately. So, in the interest of balance, here's another recipe from the Cooking Light files.  This is from the current issue and it has all kinds of good things in it... pasta, pine nuts, and pork products. The one thing I found weird about the recipe was that it has you toast the pine nuts and cook the pancetta in the oven (these are things I'd normally think to do on the stove).  However, we followed the recipe and it came out great (but I still think you don't really need to turn on your oven for this). Final verdict? This is a satisfying dish that's easy to prepare, and it's only 385 calories per serving, so eat up!

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked cavatappi pasta
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbs. pine nuts
2 oz diced pancetta
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, toss well.

While pasta is cooking, arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly roll pan. Bake for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl.

Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees.

Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan. Bake for 6 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.

Makes 4 servings.


Download a printable recipe.
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Stir-Fried Cashew Pork

This recipe made me wonder why we don't make stir fry more often. It's so easy and versatile, and a good way to use up any leftover meat or veggies you have hanging around in the fridge. There's really no need for those icky bottled stir-fry sauces either... you can make your own with just a few ingredients. Expect to see more stir fries in upcoming posts!

This dish features pork tenderloin (tip... it's easier to slice into strips if it's a little bit frozen), cashews, and snow peas in a simple sauce, served over jasmine rice. What did John have to say about it? "Are you going to put this on the blog?? I want to make it again but I don't want to forget about it!". Men have such a special relationship with pork products, don't they?


Stir-Fried Cashew Pork
adapted from America's Test Kitchen 30-Minute Suppers

Ingredients:
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup water
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 pork tenderloin (3/4 - 1 lb.), cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 cup snow pea pods
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine hoisin sauce, water, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. In a large non-stick skillet, heat about 2 tsp. of oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the pork and cook until no longer pink (about 2 minutes); transfer to a plate. Repeat with another 2 tsp. of oil and remaining pork.

2. Add remaining oil to skillet and heat until shimmering. Cook peas until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the sauce, cashews, and pork to the pan and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

 

Click here for a printable recipe.
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