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Moroccan-Style Pork Tenderloin

Published December 9, 2007 Pork , Recipe 10 Comments
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I can’t be the only person who has to stop and think every time they see a recipe specifying either pork loin or pork tenderloin. I always have to stop and think which is which. For us, pork tenderloin is just the right size for two people whereas a pork loin is bigger than we could ever conceivably eat.

We eat a lot of pork tenderloin because Angela always asks for it (I think she likes the tenderness). I like pork so I’m pretty happy with it. So I’m always on the lookout for a new method to cook it.

I had purchased San Francisco Flavors from the Barnes & Noble discount shelf when we were in San Francisco. I didn’t know much about it but figured it would, at worst, be provide good memories of the trip. I picked it up while looking for something to make with the pork tenderloin. The ingredients for the Moroccan-Style Pork Tenderloin looked good so I figured I’d give it a try.

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I had to change the recipe a little bit. I didn’t have any oranges so I substituted lemon zest. I also only had ground cumin so I used that in place of cumin seeds. The only problem I had with the recipe were that it called for twice as long a cooking time as I ended up using. I had put the thermometer in to test it as it hadn’t been working properly before (it was reading 180ºF in the air) and it read 145ºF. I had to use another thermometer to check it as I didn’t believe the first one.

The pork tastes pretty good, particularly if not overcooked. It is, however, quite a bit spicy. Angela cut off the edges of her’s because it was too spicy. If you don’t like it spicy, decrease the amount of red pepper flakes.

Also, Moroccan is hard to spell (one r and two c’s).

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Moroccan-Style Pork Tenderloin
Adapted from San Francisco Flavors

1 1-lbs pork tenderloin
salt and pepper
1 large garlic clove
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 475ºF.
  2. In a small food processor, combine the garlic, lemon zest, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Process until it forms a paste.
  3. Dry the tenderloin with paper towels. Salt and pepper all sides of the pork. Rub the paste on all sides of the pork, as evenly as possible.
  4. Place the pork on a roasting tray and place in the middle of the preheated oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until the pork reaches 145ºF internal temperature. Remove the pork from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Slice the pork and serve with jasmine rice and sautéed spinach.

Serves 2.

Costine al Vino Rosso (Pork Spareribs with Red Wine)

Published November 19, 2007 Italian , Pork 1 Comment
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There’s a regular fight in our house about what to have for dinner. Angela wants me to make something I’ve made before. I find that boring and want to make something new. Sometimes she wins, sometimes I win.

Last night, Angela wanted me to make Slow cooker “BBQ” Spareribs again. I wanted to make something new. This time I won.

Because we don’t have a grill (one of the downsides of apartment living), I decided to indulge my love of braises. And, really, how can pork braised in red wine and tomato sauce be bad?

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And it wasn’t to me. Sadly, Angela didn’t particularly care for it. I’m not entirely sure why. I know she just disliked the taste of the Jerusalem artichokes that I served with it. So, this recipe is not Angela approved (I’m thinking about making a graphic of Angela Approved Seal for recipes she likes; sort of an indicator as to whether or not a picky eater would like it).

As written, the recipe results in ribs that aren’t fall-off-the-bone tender. If I were to make them again, I’d braise them for longer. There’s also no salt involved in the recipe as written. I think Mario Batali was phoning it in on this recipe. I’ve updated the recipe to make it better.

Otherwise, I liked it. There’s room for improvement but it was still tasty.

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Costine al Vino Rosso (Pork Spareribs with Red Wine)
Adapted from Molto Italiano

1 1/2 lbs. pork spare ribs, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, coarsely diced
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 2″ pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 1″ pieces
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup basic tomato sauce
1 anchovy fillet, rinsed and patted dry
4 sprigs of rosemary
Salt

  1. Place the spareribs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Drain the spareribs and then rinse them. Season the spareribs with salt
  2. Add the olive oil to a dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until the oil is just about smoking. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
  3. Deglaze the dutch oven with the red wine, scrapping up any browned bits. Add the chicken stock, the tomato sauce, and the anchovy fillet. Season the sauce with salt. Add the pork and stir together.
  4. Bring the sauce to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the pork is fork tender. Serve in small bowls.

Serves 2 to 3.

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Basic Tomato Sauce
Adapted from Molto Italiano

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1/4 carrot, finely diced
1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, diced
1 28-oz. can of whole tomatoes

  1. Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the carrot and thyme and cook until the carrot is soft, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes and the tomato juice to the skillet. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon. Simmer the tomato sauce for 30 minutes. Season the sauce with salt.

Makes 2 cups (yes, that’s twice what you need for above, use the rest for pasta or something).

Homemade Pancetta

Published November 12, 2007 Charcuterie , Italian , Pork , Recipe 13 Comments
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One of my best memories of pancetta is it in a very American context. I had been through a 4 week study abroad in Italy and was then traveling around Europe. My mom had joined me for a week and we were in Riomaggiore in Le Cinque Terre. Staying in a small apartment, we decided to make breakfast for ourselves to save money. The best breakfast I can remember was simply fried eggs with pancetta cooked in a manner similar to bacon. And it’s not that the product was particularly good (it was), but it was simply such a comforting change from the Italian food I’d been eating for months.

I actually tried to recreate that breakfast back at home but the pancetta I got was too salty and was practically inedible. The main problem with pancetta here is just how expensive it is. It’s really hard to justify paying the equivalent of $16 a pound for pork belly (or more!). Trader Joe’s sells it for a fairly reasonable price but, anymore, they only sell the pre-diced version which isn’t bad, it just doesn’t do well for things that requiring stuffing (such as braciale).

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Ever since I bought the cookbook Charcuterie, I had wanted to make pancetta. It’s probably the inner engineer in me, but there’s something particularly exciting about the chemical changes necessary to cure meat. That, and it tastes good (after all, it’s pretty much bacon).

I was particularly proud of making the pancetta. It’s not that it took a lot of work (it just took awhile to cure and then dry). Similar to the bratwurst, it was the act of making something that was far different than I’d ever made before (I act like I was personally changing the chemical bonds to cure the meat).

The recipe is pretty easy as long as you have the proper materials. Measuring by weight is important as otherwise you run the risk of changing the ratio of kosher salt to pink salt. Pink salt is not the pink Himalayan salt but is instead salt with 6.25% sodium nitrate. It’s colored pink so that you don’t mistake it for regular salt (sodium nitrate is toxic in large quantities but the sodium nitrate will chance composition as the meat cures so there’s no risk).

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The drying step is optional but makes for a more authentic product. I used a small refrigerator that I had left over from college for the curing and drying portions as it had plenty of room and my normal refrigerator is pretty full (I also use it to cool down chicken stock and to brine a Thanksgiving turkey).

As for the flavor? It was good. Really good. It was almost so flavorful that it was too flavorful to eat. I can’t wait to try it in Pasta with Corn, Pancetta, and Sage or Spaghetti alla Carbonara (of course if I could find some pork jowl I’d try and make guanciale).

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Homemade Pancetta
Adapted from Charcuterie

One 4-pound (1.8 kg) pork belly, skin removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 grams (1.5 tsp) pink salt
35 grams kosher salt
18 grams (1.5 tbsp) dark brown sugar
28 grams (3 tbsp) ground black pepper
7 grams (1.5 tbsp) juniper berries, crushed
3 bay leaves, crumbled
3 grams (.75 tsp) grated nutmeg
3 or 4 sprigs of thyme

  1. Trim the pork belly to be rectangular and remove the skin if present.
  2. Combine all the ingredients except the pork belly and half of the black pepper in a bowl. Rub the mixture onto all sides of the pork belly.
  3. Place the pork belly in a large 2-gallon zip top bag and refrigerate for one week, turning over every other day. When the pork belly is done curing, it will be firm in the middle. If it’s not firm, refrigerate for one to two more days.
  4. Remove the pork belly from the zip top bag and rinse under running water thoroughly. Dry completely with paper towels. Spread the remaining black pepper over the meat side of the pork belly. Roll the pork belly tightly (there should be no air pockets) and secure with butcher’s twine. Make sure to loop both around the circumference of the roll and around the length of the roll.
  5. Place the pork belly in a spare refrigerator set to its lowest setting on a middle shelf. Place a tray of water combined with 2 tbsp kosher salt in the bottom. This will allow the pancetta to dry. Leave in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
  6. After drying, the pancetta will keep in a refrigerator for 3 weeks and a freezer for 4 months.

Yields 3 lbs. pancetta

Cornmeal Herb Pork Tenderloin

Published October 29, 2007 Pork , Recipe 2 Comments
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I think that the pig, in the words of Homer Simpson, is a “wonderful, magical animal.” What else could produce such variety as bacon, ham, and pork chops. Getting the best out of most cuts of pork requires lots of time; whether curing, smoking, or just a simple braise.

Unfortunately, most days I don’t have that kind of time (sadly, my employer seems to prefer it when I actually go to work during the day; who knew). So every once in awhile we buy a pork tenderloin. It’s not the most flavorful cut but it cooks quickly and doesn’t get that tough (for some reason, Angela really likes her meat tender).

Pork tenderloin (I always have to look twice at recipes and make sure I’m not mistaking pork loin for pork tenderloin) doesn’t stand well on its own. By that, I mean that it’s similar to something like a chicken breast: you don’t want just a chicken breast as it’s fairly bland; you need to add something to it. Because of this, I’m always looking for good pork tenderloin recipes.

This recipe seemed to work particularly well for the pork. The herbs add good flavor but don’t totally overpower the porkyness. The cornmeal works well as a binder and adds good texture. The only problem with the original was that I don’t own a grill (despite the near year-round grilling whether here in Southern California, I have no where to put a grill), so I had to adapt it to oven cooking.

I also ended up changing the herb mixture a bit as I didn’t have any fresh rosemary. I could’ve used dried but something about the recipe screams for fresh herbs to me. While it’s fall now, I think there’s something spring-like about an herb crusted meal (particularly if it were to actually be grilled).

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Cornmeal Herb Pork Tenderloin
Adapted from Apartment Therapy
1 1-lbs pork tenderloin
1/2 cup Italian parsley
5 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
5 sage leaves
4 sprigs of tarragon, leaves only
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine the parsley, thyme, sage, tarragon, and garlic cloves in a food processor. Pulse to combine. In a bowl, mix together the herbs and the cornmeal. Slowly add 1 tbsp of the olive oil and mix to combine.
  3. Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. Rub the cornmeal mixture over the pork tenderloin.
  4. Put the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, brown the tenderloin on three sides.
  5. After browned on three sides, turn the tenderloin to the fourth side and place in the oven. Cook until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 135°F, approximately 10 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Serves 2 to 3.

 

Pork Chops with Peppers and Capers

Published October 25, 2007 Italian , Pork 4 Comments
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About once a year, Costco has a coupon that makes a family pack of pork chops extremely affordable. With a reluctant Angela in tow, I buy a package. These pork chops are pretty big: I usually cut them in half as we really don’t need that much protein. So I use one or maybe two of them and then freeze the rest. We then proceed to eat a pork chop ever month or so for the rest of the year. I think I need to stop buying large quantities of pork chops.

I decided that we really need to finish up the pork chops we had (the date on the package said January but I tried to ignore that; I think there’s one more thats left). We could use the room in the freezer and they are coming up to their anniversary in there. Angela wasn’t particularly enthused about the idea (she’s not a big fan of pork chops because they have a tendency to be a bit tough) which is why we don’t eat them very often (see the about page).

The real question when pulling something out of the freezer (particularly when it’s something that I don’t cook particularly often) is how to prepare it. I’ve made enough bad pork chops in my life (they have to be one of the easiest things to overcook) to know that this is a delicate question.

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I settled on a recipe from Mario Batali because, well, I had just gotten his cookbook (we had a 50% off coupon from Barnes & Noble) and it looked reasonably good. It also happened to fit into things we just happened to have (well, with some modifications): pork chops, peppers, leftover white wine, and pearl onions. Now, the original recipe called for bell peppers but I only had an Italian frying pepper. It also called for “bulb onions” which I’m guessing are just fresh pearl onions with their stems attached. It also called for olives which I don’t like (I’ve tried several but haven’t come up with any I don’t spit out; I really want to like them; what’s a good “starter” olive?) so I left them out.

The original recipe called for a lot more red pepper flakes than I’ve listed here. The dish was hot. Very hot. Almost too hot to eat. It also repeated the pepper spray incident but to a lesser extent (Angela’s words: “Did you create pepper spray again?”).

This is one of the better recipes for pork chops I’ve had. Surprisingly, they weren’t over-brined (which I was afraid of given the length of time they are brined for). The peppers and onions also worked well with the pork chops. The sauce reminded me a bit of an Asian style stir-fry sauce. It might have been the red pepper. Sadly the potatoes were overpowered in taste by the pork chops. I also think the potatoes weren’t that good (but they were pretty).

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Pork Chops with Peppers and Capers (Cotolette alla Zingara)
Adapted from Molto Italiano

5 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 pork chops
salt and black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Italian frying pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin slices
4 pearl onions, peeled and sliced into rings
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp capers with brine
1/2 cup dry white wine

  1. Combine 1 cup of water, the kosher salt, the brown sugar, the peppercorns, and the bay leaf in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to desolve the brine ingredients. Pour the brine into a bowl and add the remaining 4 cups of water. Place the pork chops in the brine, cover and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Dry the pork chops with a paper towel. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour.
  3. Over high heat, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Brown the pork chops in the oil, about 7 minutes on the first side and 4 minutes on the other. Remove the pork chops to a plate.
  4. Add the onions, peppers, red pepper flakes, and capers to the skillet. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Deglaze with the wine, scrapping up all the brown bits.
  5. Add the pork chops back to the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes or until the pork reaches 135°F (mine cooked past this point but we’re still good).
  6. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Serve covered with the sauce.

Serves 2.

Slow cooker “BBQ” Spareribs

Published October 16, 2007 Pork , Recipe 5 Comments
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Who doesn’t love pork ribs? Well, I can definitely see those with OCD having a problem with it. But the mess is part of the fun.

Of course to make them for real you need to smoke them low and slow (or at least that’s the rumor). Unfortunately, despite our apartment complex having the name “Patio Gardens” we have neither a patio nor a garden (that’s what we get for living on the second floor), so I can’t actually smoke them over charcoal for hours and hours. That and I have to go to work on Mondays so it couldn’t have been dinner in that case.

Enter the slow cooker. Sure, it’s not real barbeque (hence the quotes in the title; they are not superfluous) but it’s as close as I’m going to get in the near future. And, frankly, it’s still good so who really cares?

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Slow cooker “BBQ” Spareribs

1/4 cup All Purpose Red Rub
1/2 rack pork spareribs (about 2 lbs)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 bottle barbeque sauce (preferably Dinosaur Bar-B-Que)

  1. Preferably one day before serving, trim any excess fat from the spareribs and cover them well with the red rub. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
  2. Remove the spareribs from the refrigerator and dry the outside with paper towels (some of the rub will come off). Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat with the canola oil until smoking. Brown the spareribs in the skillet, about 2 to 3 minutes per side (the rib side won’t brown particularly well because of the curvature of the ribs).
  3. Place the spareribs in the slow cooker and cover with barbeque sauce. Cook on low heat for at least 8 hours. Remove from the slow cooker and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 2 to 3.

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All Purpose Red Rub
Adapted from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse

1/2 cup paprika
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup garlic powder
6 tbsp onion powder
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

  1. Combine all ingredients in a sealable plastic container and mix well.

Makes 2 3/4 cups.

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