Recipe Review | Pork Tenderloin Medallions + Blistered Broccolini

This latest recipe came out of the May 2015 issue of Cooking Light magazine. The actual recipe calls for broccoli rabe which I could not find in my supermarket so I substituted broccolini. If you're interested in knowing the difference, look here.  I love making pork medallions because they are so easy to prepare, always stay juicy, and offer a great lean protein alternative (enough chicken already!). The whole family is fond of any roasted vegetable, making this meal a home run.

Pork Tenderloin Medallions + Blistered Broccolini

(via Cooking Light, May 2015 issue)

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What you need:

about 1 pound broccolini

cooking spray

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, cut into 8 slices

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

lemon wedges

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What to do:

1. Preheat broiler to hight.
2. Arrange broccolini in a single layer on a jelly-roll or rimmed baking pan; coat with cooking spray. Broil 8 minutes, carefully turning after 5 minutes. Set aside and squeeze lemon juice on top. 
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 
4. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove pork from pan. 
5. Remove pan from heat. Add reamaning 1 tablespoon oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and vinegar to pan, scrape pan with a wooden spatula to loosen browned bits. Drizzle sauce over pork and broccolini. Serve with optional extra lemon.

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Recipe Review | Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples

This recipe was a little more involved than some of the recent recipe posts I've made but so worth it when it comes to flavor. Everyone loved the result and I'm certain I will make it again. I felt a little "busy" in the kitchen when trying to pull this all together but I know the next time it will be a smoother process. I would recommend that you prep the pork, apples, onions, and thyme before you jump in.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples

(via Inspired Taste)

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What you need:

2 (1- to -1 1/2  pound) pork tenderloins

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 apples, cored and sliced (I used fuji)

2 onions, thickly sliced

1 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon butter

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What to do:

1. Heat oven to 425º F.
2. Trim each tenderloin of any silver skin. Pat dry with paper towels.
3. Using your hands, rub the tenderloins all over with 1 tablespoon oil, sprinkle with salt, and rub until both tenderloins are evenly coated.
4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-bottomed oven-safe pan over medium heat.
5. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned all over. (This should take about 12 minutes.) 
   
   
6. Transfer the browned pork to a large plate or cutting board.
7. Check the pan, if it looks dry add 2-3 tablespoons of additional oil.
8. Add the apples and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. 
   
9. While the apples and onions cook, use a brush (or your hands) to rub the pork all over with the mustard, sprinkle it with 1/2 of your chopped thyme and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. 
   
10. Add the remaining thyme to the apples and onions, stir. Place the pork on top of the apples and onions and slide into the oven. 
    
    
11. Roast 10-15 minutes or until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers between 145º and 150º F. 
12. Transfer pork to a large plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest about 10 minutes.
13. While the pork rests, place the pan with apples and onions back onto the stove and turn heat to medium. Add chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape the pan, living any brown bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Add the butter and stir until melted. 
    
14. Slice pork into 1-inch slices then serve on a bed of the apples and onions with pan sauce drizzled on top. 
    

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Recipe Review | Balsamic Roasted Pork Loin

   

This delicious dish came from a pin I found (Surprise! Not.) last week. I make a lot of pork loin recipes in the crockpot (like Cranberry Pork Roast) and usually purchase my pork loin from Costco. As you might imagine, the price is right--but the quantity is LARGE. Because I typically prep and freeze my crockpot meals ahead of time, this is not a problem. This time, I prepped half the pork for future meals and prepared the remaining half using this recipe. It was very easy and very delicious. 

Balsamic Roasted Pork Loin

(via allrecipes.com)

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What you need:

2 tablespoons steak seasoning rub (I used what I had: 1 tablespoon of each. See photo above.)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil*

2 pounds boneless pork loin (A typical pork loin is about 1 pound, which is why there are 2 in the photos above. You could half this recipe for a smaller crowd. If you do, your pork will still take about an hour to come to the correct internal temperature). 

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What to do:

1. Dissolve the steak seasoning in the vinegar and whisk in the olive oil. Place pork in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Pour mixture over the meat. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. (Mine marinated for about 6 hours.)

2. Preheat oven to 350F.

3. Place loin and marinade in a glass baking dish and bake, basting occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 145F, about 1 hour. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

4. (optional) Spoon the excess "sauce" over the pork before serving.

* 1/2 cup of oil sounds like (and is) a lot of added fat. However, pork is a very lean meat and much of the marinade/sauce (hence, the oil) is not consumed. I am considering adjusting this quantity when I make the dish again (because I know I will make it again). If I do, I will add a note to this post to let you know how it turns out.

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Recipe Review | Cranberry Pork Roast (CrockPot)

My girlfriend and I have been on a kick sharing and trying new crock pot recipes lately. We usually collect between 5-7 recipes, make one master shopping list, and then email the lot to one another. Then we each (on separate coasts) prep all the meals in one afternoon/evening into Ziplock Freezer bags and store them in the freezer until we cook them for our families. Upon doing so, we report back to one another which meals were "flips" and which were "flops." 

Cranberry Pork Roast is a definite "flip," as in: EVERYONE flipped out over how delicious it was. This is a crock pot meal I would serve at a dinner party. Really. 

(CrockPot) Cranberry Pork Roast

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What you need:

2.5-3 lb pork loin or rib roast (I used 2 smallish loins = 2.5 lbs)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 cup cranberry juice
1/2 small lemon, thinly sliced (my lemon was small so I used the whole thing)

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What to do:

Put the meat in a plastic zipper bag, add the ginger, mustard, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Shake to coat.

Put the contents in the crock pot. 

Add cranberry sauce, cranberries and sugar. Put in raisins and garlic. Pour in cranberry juice, and top with lemon slices. 

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for about 4. 

The slower and lower you cook the meat, the more tender it will be so I recommend using the low setting.

Serve over rice or pasta. (I've served it over Orzo and rice; it's always delicious!)

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What to do if you are FREEZING for future use:

Put the meat in a freezer bag and add the ginger, mustard, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Shake to coat. 

Add the remaining ingredients to the bag.

Write on the bag: "Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Serve with rice or pasta."

The result is smokey, tender meat that literally falls apart with a fork. The flavor is tart from the cranberries and lemon but also sweet from the sugar and raisins. Shredded and served over orzo with some of the juices (+ a green salad) made for an easy and delicious weeknight meal. I hope you give it a try!

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