Posted by johngl
There we were, wanting lunch. No bread for sammies. No enthusiasm to go out. But we were hungry.
“There’s pork tenderloin in the meat drawer” says she.
“There’s a couple of cups of duck-rabbit-chicken stock left,” says he. “We have some quinoa.”
Less than 30 minutes later, we were having a delightful lunch.
Posted by johngl
Since I have been on the road most of the week a good, home-cooked meal was in order. It helped that the most glorious spousal unit had reminded me of some pork tenderloins we had stashed in the meat drawer.
This particular recipe stems from an old Steak de Burgo recipe used by Johnnie’s Vet’s Club in West Des Moines, Iowa. The funny part about this is that I still have the hand-written recipe taken from Johnnie himself. Back in those days, the recipe was a “big secret”. Now, it’s out on the interwebs.
At it’s core, the recipe is equal parts cream and butter along with some garlic, oregano, and basil. Throw in some fortified wine and you’ve got it.
Posted by johngl
You may think I am stuck in a rut with this sous vide baby back rib thing, but I assure you that isn’t the case. Sometimes, zooming in on a recipe can yield some really great results.
I’ve tried six hours at 150 ° and 16 hours at 150°, each using different rub recipes.
This time around, I ran them for over 20 hours using a rub developed for some “oven” baby backs a couple of years ago.
The results were pretty spectacular.
Posted by johngl
Even here in Austin, we had a tough winter this year. Temps in the low teens killed off a bunch of my plants: avocado, pequin peppers, poinsettias, aloe, agave, a 25 year old schefflera, and mango all dead. But the Swiss chard? Two bought it, but one pulled through.
In celebration, I ate it…along with some additional organic Swiss chard from the local market and some pork tenderloin the most glorious spousal unit found in the freezer.
The freezer. What a fascinating place. Stuff can get lost in there for years. But every once in a while we’ll find something that’s still edible.
Posted by johngl
Spring marks the beginning of grilling season and since I have a new grill to break in, I’m using anything as an excuse to get out into the sunshine.
But, before I got to the grill, these racks of baby backs had to spend a lot of time in the sous vide hot tub to get nice and tender.
Posted by johngl
This is more or less continued from yesterday’s post in that I decided to try out the Italian Sweet and Sour recipe on the grill.
In short, the result far and away exceeded any expectations I may have had.
Posted by johngl
So, at long last, I found myself back in the kitchen. I’d like to thank my regular readers for hanging around during my hiatus.
Last weekend, my most glorious spousal unit and I were wandering the aisles at Costco and noticed that once again they had bone-in racks of pork. To me, this is always a good sign and usually means there is a traditional holiday of some sort right around the corner. This one is Easter. I don’t celebrate Easter, but I am happy lots of people are looking for bone-in racks of pork to have with their chocolate bunnies and colorful eggs.
You may be wondering what is with the whole East meets West them thing but this recipe just sort of reminded me of Asian sweet and sour with a bit of a twist.
Posted by johngl
Barbeque ribs. The mere mention of them starts my mouth to watering.
Throw sous vide cooking methods into the mix and the results are phenomenal.
These babies are glazed with Zen’s spicy sauce
This takes “low and slow” to a whole new level.
Posted by johngl
Some might call this a “crown roast” of pork, but the most glorious spousal unit didn’t go through all of the “crowning”; it’s just too much extra work. Well, and that’s a lot of meat.
Here is what they look like side by side:
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On the left is a true “crown” that is made up of two full racks, trimmed or frenched, and tied together and is used to “WOW” guests at a dinner party. On the right is a single rack left untrimmed. While the left one may look prettier, the taste would be about the same. Obviously, we had some considerable leftovers, but those made for some great chops later in the week.
Posted by johngl
Another chilly weekend, another slow-cooked offering from the most glorious spousal unit!
This is a Pork Loin Roast Braised with White Beans, Rosemary, and Sage.
She calls it cooking. I can’t complain.
Posted by johngl
My most glorious spousal unit discovered some 8″ diameter paella pans for less than $10 each. Never one to caught short of pans, we purchased four of them. Finding myself with some time to cook this afternoon, along with some duck and pork in the fridge, I thought I would put a couple of those cute little pans to use.
If you have read any of the previous paella posts (each of those is a separate link), you know the traditional method of cooking is over an open fire in a really large pan. I did these entirely on the stove top with some really great results.
Posted by johngl
This time of year it is pretty easy to find bone-in rack of pork. If you cut a rack into individual chops, you’ve got yourself a real “ribeye” style treat (Texans tend to call this a cowboy cut). If there are only a few of you, you’ll even have enough of the rack left for another dinner.
Bone-In Pork “Ribeye” Chop with Butter-Roasted Baby White Potatoes and Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
Posted by johngl
Sometimes referred to as chicken fried steak, this crispy-fried beef cut is very similar in composition to the breaded pork tenderloin we visited a couple of weeks ago. You could use a beef tenderloin, or a ribeye, or a New York Strip. I just happened to use top sirloin because it is relatively cheap.
Panko Breaded Southern-Fried Sirloin, Sausage Gravy, Whipped Potatoes, and Cole Slaw
Posted by johngl
A few days ago, the most glorious spousal unit stated, “If you make it home by 7 on Friday, I will make you a nice dinner.” What she didn’t know at the time was that I had to attend a Web Task Force meeting with the Wine & Food Foundation of Texas at 3:30; I was going to be coming home early anyway. I was feeling pretty smug.
“Sure, my dear <chuckle>, I’ll be home early Friday.” Early is actually late for most working stiffs, but I usually don’t walk through the front door until around 8:30 these days.
The meeting lasted two hours. I was going to make it home really early.
Pan Seared Porterhouse Cut Pork Chops with Organic Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and Brandy-infused gravy
Posted by johngl
Those who’ve read the previous breaded tenderloin post know that I had some leftover tenderloin parts that needed to get used up right quick. I did that.
I thought about calling this post Fun with your Tender Loins. I didn’t follow through with that.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Marsala Cream Sauce and Cous Cous
This is one of my old stand-by recipes that is really easy to prepare.
A spirited and irreverent journey into the world of food, alcoholic beverages, and the innovative use of construction materials
