August 10th
I went to the grocery store and asked the butcher . . .
"What do you have in a fresh pork tenderloin?"
The butcher proceeded to say, "Well, I have a couple of pigs wandering around in the back, take your pick."
So, I stepped behind the plastic curtain and lo and behold there was Babe and Porky having a smoke. I thought, "awesome, smoked pork," and then I jumped poor Babe and put him in a hammerlock (he seemed meatier than Porky, plus he didn't stutter, which makes the pork tough). After I put the sleeperhold on him, Babe was out and I took his tenderloin. He'll be alright, he just walks towards the right all the time and frankly, isn't quite as cute.
This is my odd way of saying pick a good tenderloin (without fighting cartoon icons). From various cookbooks and watching too much Alton Brown (I've mentioned this guy in at least three blogs, check him out), I've found that good cooking starts with good shopping. It's easy to just walk into the store and grab a pre-packaged tenderloin complete with marinate, but most of these are loaded with fat and salt. They are tasty, and if cooked right can be pretty good, but the fun of cooking is challenging yourself (if you have the time).
I went to Publix and sorted through the pork tenderloin and found that what was displayed was not what I wanted. I went to the "butcher window" and gave them a specific pork schematic (he did look at me kind of funny when I broke out a blueprint), and he was happy to oblige. I never in a million years thought to ask the butcher at a grocery store to find me the correct cut of meat. Like the days of the gas pumpers and window washers, I thought butchers at a grocery store were from a bygone age. They aren't, just most people don't think to ask. Most assume that what is out is out, or they don't want to be a bother, like me. I was specific about poundage, and how much fat I wanted trimmed off, and he presented me with the perfect cut of pork, complete with ray of light from above and angel chorus.
The point of doing all this is the time you save. Rather than fiddle with your meat (sorry), you can work on your seasonings a little more. I decided on a black pepper crust. I took the tenderloin and pretty much dredged it in black pepper and garlic salt. I also cut little holes in the meat and added some fresh minced garlic. Once rubbed to perfection, covering all of the bare spots, it was time to cook. Preheat the oven at 425 and cook for 30-35 minutes. I usually take the pork out about 3/4th of the way through the cooking time to check the temperature with a meat thermometer. Most books will tell you that 160 is the optimal temp., however, I like to take the pork out a little earlier and cover it with tinfoil to get a nice pink center. If you cook it to 160, then let it rest, it will get to 170-175 which is a little overdone. Since I am also cooking for future meals, I don't want the reheat process to turn my pork into jerky. Cookbooks will tell you 160 to be safe, but pork tenderloin (and a good steak) should be a little medium rare.
The rest of the meal in this picture is pre-packaged. If I had the time to make my own mashed potatoes, grow and cook my own vegetables, and whip up some gravy, I would have a Food Network camera crew wondering how I did it all. There is nothing wrong with a little help, especially if you are not a network chef.
After all is said and done, it turned into a tasty meal, and gave me two leftovers for the week.
I plan on doing some major cooking this week. On the culinary agenda is a chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage jambalaya with long grain wild rice, and a white bean chicken chili with tomatillo sauce.
Posts to come. . .
PS - The Gainesville Roller Rebels put up a hell of a fight this past Saturday, but came up a bit short. It was a great performance by a team that has improved significantly over the past month, and to be quite honest, is really fun to watch. Check them out at www.gainesvillerollerrebels.com.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Professionally Wrestling Pork Tenderloin
August 10th
I went to the grocery store and asked the butcher . . .
"What do you have in a fresh pork tenderloin?"
The butcher proceeded to say, "Well, I have a couple of pigs wandering around in the back, take your pick."
So, I stepped behind the plastic curtain and lo and behold there was Babe and Porky having a smoke. I thought, "awesome, smoked pork," and then I jumped poor Babe and put him in a hammerlock (he seemed meatier than Porky, plus he didn't stutter, which makes the pork tough). After I put the sleeperhold on him, Babe was out and I took his tenderloin. He'll be alright, he just walks towards the right all the time and frankly, isn't quite as cute.
This is my odd way of saying pick a good tenderloin (without fighting cartoon icons). From various cookbooks and watching too much Alton Brown (I've mentioned this guy in at least three blogs, check him out), I've found that good cooking starts with good shopping. It's easy to just walk into the store and grab a pre-packaged tenderloin complete with marinate, but most of these are loaded with fat and salt. They are tasty, and if cooked right can be pretty good, but the fun of cooking is challenging yourself (if you have the time).
I went to Publix and sorted through the pork tenderloin and found that what was displayed was not what I wanted. I went to the "butcher window" and gave them a specific pork schematic (he did look at me kind of funny when I broke out a blueprint), and he was happy to oblige. I never in a million years thought to ask the butcher at a grocery store to find me the correct cut of meat. Like the days of the gas pumpers and window washers, I thought butchers at a grocery store were from a bygone age. They aren't, just most people don't think to ask. Most assume that what is out is out, or they don't want to be a bother, like me. I was specific about poundage, and how much fat I wanted trimmed off, and he presented me with the perfect cut of pork, complete with ray of light from above and angel chorus.
The point of doing all this is the time you save. Rather than fiddle with your meat (sorry), you can work on your seasonings a little more. I decided on a black pepper crust. I took the tenderloin and pretty much dredged it in black pepper and garlic salt. I also cut little holes in the meat and added some fresh minced garlic. Once rubbed to perfection, covering all of the bare spots, it was time to cook. Preheat the oven at 425 and cook for 30-35 minutes. I usually take the pork out about 3/4th of the way through the cooking time to check the temperature with a meat thermometer. Most books will tell you that 160 is the optimal temp., however, I like to take the pork out a little earlier and cover it with tinfoil to get a nice pink center. If you cook it to 160, then let it rest, it will get to 170-175 which is a little overdone. Since I am also cooking for future meals, I don't want the reheat process to turn my pork into jerky. Cookbooks will tell you 160 to be safe, but pork tenderloin (and a good steak) should be a little medium rare.
The rest of the meal in this picture is pre-packaged. If I had the time to make my own mashed potatoes, grow and cook my own vegetables, and whip up some gravy, I would have a Food Network camera crew wondering how I did it all. There is nothing wrong with a little help, especially if you are not a network chef.
After all is said and done, it turned into a tasty meal, and gave me two leftovers for the week.
I plan on doing some major cooking this week. On the culinary agenda is a chicken, shrimp and andouille sausage jambalaya with long grain wild rice, and a white bean chicken chili with tomatillo sauce.
Posts to come. . .
PS - The Gainesville Roller Rebels put up a hell of a fight this past Saturday, but came up a bit short. It was a great performance by a team that has improved significantly over the past month, and to be quite honest, is really fun to watch. Check them out at www.gainesvillerollerrebels.com.
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