Roasted Pork Loin with Fennel and Tomatoes

I'm sad to report that our beautiful new home currently has absolutely no hot water. The previous water heater sputtered it's last ounce of hot water early Thursday morning after leaking far too much water onto the ground for anyone's good. So, alas, we are without hot water during what will probably (hopefully!) be the coldest week of the winter. However, we are very fortunate to have parents near by with plenty of hot water to spare and a furnace that is working wonderfully to keep our house nice and toasty. So other than freezing cold hands, we are doing ok. The most challenging part for us, I believe, is the lack of hot water in the kitchen for washing dishes, which in turn means that our dishwasher does not work. Therefore, we are forced to wash everything by hand with water we have boiled on the stove. Very old school indeed. While many saner folk would probably opt for take-out on disposable dishes or eating out so someone else can wash the dishes, we plug on and are determined to cook as usual. Although Gavin usually does most of the dishwashing - since I do all the cooking - we are sharing the task now that everything has to be handwashed. But fear not! Like I said, I am still cooking and will therefore be sharing some fun new recipes.

I've been alternating recently between wanting hearty comfort food to fend off the cold and then lighter meals to pretend like it might some day get warm again. I wholeheartedly believe that what you cook and what you eat can effect your overall mood and your outlook on the day. So if you're feeling chilled to the bone and in need of warm blanket or hug, make something hot and satisfying that will not only warm you up as you're making it, but keep you warm after the dinner has been eaten and put away. This pork with fennel and tomatoes will make you warm and satisfied without weighing you down. Pork tenderloin is a very lean cut of meat and the vegetables are full of all of those great nutrients that help keep your body going and hopefully ward off that inevitable cold. To add another layer of comfort to this dish, serve the pork over rice or pasta. That way you have somewhere to catch all of the delicious sauce from the juicy tomatoes and white wine.

Roasted Pork Loin with Fennel and Tomatoes (Serves 4)

• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1.5 lbs)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large fennel bulb
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if large
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 350F.
Rinse off pork tenderloin and pat dry.
Combine minced garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, thyme leaves, salt and pepper.
Rub the mixture all over the pork. Set aside to come to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a large dutch oven (any oven proof pan will work) over medium heat.
Sear pork on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Cut the green tops from the fennel bulb. Reserve about 4 tbsp fennel fronds and discard the rest.
Cut the fennel bulb into quarters from top to bottom. On a diagonal, cut out the core from each quarter. Thinly slice the fennel bulb and chop the fronds.
Once pork is seared, add sliced fennel, fennel fronds and tomatoes to the pot. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Put pot, uncovered, into the oven and cook pork to desire doneness. For medium rare, the thermometer will read 135-140, about 25 minutes.
Put the pot back on the stove and remove pork. Let the pork rest while finishing the sauce.
Over medium heat, add wine to fennel and tomatoes.
Scrape up any herbs on the bottom of the pot and allow to simmer until reduced by half, about 5-8 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Slice pork and serve with the sauce.

For a printable recipe click here.


Roasted Pork Loin With Fennel and Tomatoes

Grilled Pork and Roasted Sweet Potatoes: One Spice Rub Two Ways

Getting creative with spices can be tricky if you're not sure what goes with what. Fortunately there are a lot of great spice blends out there. But you have to be careful since some our mostly salt with a few other things thrown into the mix. By making your own spice blends you can control the salt content as well as all of the other flavors based on your own tastes. Some mild spice blends could use some extra heat while others are too spicy for certain dishes. I highly recommend getting a spice grinder. Not only can you make your own spice blends but you can chop up nuts as well. Freshly ground spices are a lot more pungent and, well, fresh tasting than the ground spices you buy at the store. Don't get me wrong, ground spices are great and definitely work well for most things. But if you have a spice grinder, your options for combining flavors are pretty much endless.

If you don't have a spice grinder, the spices for this meal can all be purchased pre-ground and will still taste wonderful together. The blend is based loosely off a recipe I found on Epicurious for roasted sweet potatoes. I decided to make the sweet potatoes and use the remaining spice mix on pork chops. Sweet potatoes and pork taste so different on their own that using the same spice mix only serves to bring the meal together without making everything taste the same. By cooking some pears in with the pork, you can create a sweet sauce to go over the pork in only a few minutes. 

Spice Rubbed Pork and Sweet Potatoes (serves 4)

• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  
• 1 pound thin-cut boneless pork chops, about 4 chops
  
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into wedges (about 3 cups)
• 1 pear, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 425F.
In a spice grinder, combine first six ingredients.
In a roasting pan or cookie sheet, toss together sweet potato wedges, 1 tbsp olive oil, and about 1 tbsp of spice mixture.
Roast for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Season both sides of each pork chop with the remaining spice mixture.
Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Place each pork chop in the pan along with the chopped pear and cook, without moving, for about 4-5 minutes to brown.
Flip pork chops over and finish cooking for about another 5 minutes for 1/2 inch pork chops, longer if they are thicker. Cook to about 140F.
Leave pears in the pan and deglaze with white wine. Deglazing picks up the cooked spices from the bottom of the pan and combines them into the sauce.
Stir in honey and let reduce for about 5 more minutes.
Serve pear sauce over grilled pork.

For a printable recipe click here


Spiced Rubbed Pork and Sweet Potatoes

Spice Rubbed Pork with Apple Chutney

With the torrents of rain, that I thankfully missed while away, fall has definitely arrived. Although I love hot weather as much or more than most people, I get to a point in summer when I can't wait for the beautiful colors of fall and the cool crisp air. And that's not to mention all the new dishes inspired by the change in produce and the cooler temperatures. Soups and stews, roasted root vegetables, and hearty winter greens are just some of my favorites come this time of year. One of the beauties of eating seasonal foods is that it's a lot harder to get bored. Some ingredients are only available at certain times of year and therefore get to be enjoyed while they are at their best, then missed as they go out of season, only making the joy of their return that much greater.

One of my fall favorites is the apple. Sure you can easily eat apples year round, and I'm not saying I don't eat them in spring and summer, but there's something about the crisp air of autumn that makes apples taste that much better. Similar to peaches in the summer, apples can be eaten on their own, in desserts and even in savory dishes such as this pork dish with apple chutney. Apples are great in that they are equally tasty (in my opinion) when crisp and tart as they are when soft and cooked down with some sugar and spices. This chutney took only a few minutes to saute together as the pork and vegetables finished cooking. The store had some beautiful boneless pork chops on sale so I went with those. A pork tenderloin would also work but would take a bit longer to cook. Bone-in chops would be very tasty.

I used a spice rub I got as swag from the Blogger Conference I attended back in August. It was a combination of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme and a touch of brown sugar. Any spice blend will work or make your own with the ingredients above. I served the pork with a mix of roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Toss the cubed squash and potato together with olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh thyme and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Roast at 425F for about 15 minutes  then add the Brussels sprouts, stirring to combine. Roast for another 15-20 minutes until everything is tender.

Spice Rubbed Pork with Apple Chutney (serves 4)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound boneless pork chops (3-4 chops, depending on thickness)
• 2 tbsp spice rub
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 large apple (about 1.5-2 cups chopped). I used a Golden Delicious but any variety would work.
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• Pinch of cloves
• Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.
Rub the spice mixture into the pork chops.
When the pan is very hot, oil should be shimmering, place the chops in the pan and don't move them.
Let them caramelize on the first side for about 5 minutes then flip and sear the other side.
Turn the heat down to medium low, cover the chops loosely with tinfoil and cook for another 10-15 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Cook until the pork chops reach about 140F or until light pink in the center.
While the chops are cooking, peel, core and dice the apples.
Heat the butter in a small saute pan over medium heat.
When the butter has melted, add the apples, stirring to coat.
Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Pour in about 2 tbsp of water; saute until the apples begin to break down and the water thickens into a sauce, about 8-10 minutes, depending on the crispness of the apple.
The chutney will be slightly sweet but not as sweet as a dessert.

For a printable recipe click here


Spice Rubbed Pork With Apple Chutney

Cuban Spiced Pork with Peach Chipotle Salsa

I love peaches. They are in season right now and I've been buying them by the basketful. I eat them as a snack, over cereal, or incorporated into savory dishes, such as this peach salsa. This pork and salsa meal was inspired by a dish I made in class and a salsa recipe I found on Epicurious.com. I like combining pork with sweet flavors as they pair wonderfully...pork and apples is a classic combination. To bring out the Cuban spices rubbed into the pork, I chose a salsa with chipotles as well as peaches to create a sweet and spicy topping. Chipotles in adobo can be found in most international aisles at the supermarket and come in small cans. They are quite spicy so tailor the salsa to your desired level of spiciness. I served the pork with black beans and rice that were mild and slightly sweet, since both the pork and salsa have a certain level of heat to them. I will post the black bean recipe soon but any mild flavored side dish would work. This pork dish is definitely easy enough to make any night of the week but the salsa makes it special enough to serve for guests. Peaches will be in season for at least another month so definitely give this a try while they are at their best.

 
Cuban Spiced Pork Tenderloin

• 1.5 - 2 pounds pork tenderloin (packages usually include two loins at about this weight)
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Combine the garlic, black pepper, cumin, salt and cayenne.
Rub thoroughly over the pork tenderloins.
Place on a plate or in a container, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375F. 
Heat oil in an oven-proof pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Sear the pork on all sides, a couple of minutes on each side.
Place the pork into the oven and roast until it reaches the desired temperature, 145 for medium.
(A meat thermometer is a great thing to have but if you don't have one, a two inch loin takes about 25-30 minutes, but check it by cutting into the thickest part).
Allow the pork to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing it and serving with the peach salsa.

Peach Chipotle Salsa

• 3-4 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped small
• 2 tbsp chipotle in adobo, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Toss first four ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For a printable recipe click here

Cajun Spiced Pork with White Wine Honey Reduction

After spending five hours in the kitchen at school, I rarely want to come home and spend another couple of hours making dinner. I usually throw a stir-fry together or roast some vegetables and grill chicken or fish. Not that these dinners aren't tasty and healthy, but sometimes I like to try something new or experiment with flavor combinations. Pork tenderloin makes for a great alternative to chicken and can be made with any number of spices and flavor. This Cajun spiced pork has a kick of heat from the red pepper flakes, which is balanced out by the sweetness of the honey in the reduction sauce. Searing the meat first allows the sugar in the rub and the proteins in the meat to caramelize and form a crust on the outside of the meat. Pork can be eaten slightly pink so I cook mine to about 140F but if you prefer it fully cooked, wait till it reaches 150 or 155. Make sure to let the meat rest for 5, preferably 10, minutes before slicing it to allow the juices to calm down and not rush out onto the cutting board. Serve the pork with grilled polenta and broccolini or any of your favorite sides.
Cajun Pork with White Wine Honey Reduction:

• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1-1.5 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• salt and pepper
• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 c dry white wine
• 1.5-2 tbsp honey
  

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine the first five ingredients in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Rub the pork to coat in the spice rub.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy, heat proof pan (such as a dutch oven).
Sear the meat for a few minutes on each side.
Put the pan in the oven and cook to desired doneness.
Remove the pan and set the pork aside to rest.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine over low heat, scraping up all of the spices off the bottom.
Stir in the honey and let reduce for a few minutes.
Taste to check seasoning and add salt or pepper, if needed.
Slice the pork into 1/2 inch rounds and drizzle with reduction.

For a printable recipe click here

Roasted Pork with Shallots and Pears

As you may know, I am in culinary school which has created a certain level of expectation when I cook. Even though I'm relatively new to the program, people assume I must be a good cook to even consider going through school. Or perhaps I just put more pressure on myself... Either way, I want to put on a good showing whenever I have people over for dinner. The last time I had guests, I committed one of the entertaining no-no's by preparing something I had never made before. Actually, I made a few things I'd never done before. With some careful prep work and my fingers crossed, everything turned great! I not only impressed my friends, but I found a great new way to prepare pork tenderloin, a meat I love using to add variety to the usual chicken or fish. I first found a recipe on Epicurous and then read the numerous reviews of what others had done and then made my own variations. The following recipe made a moist, flavorful pork with sweet and soft pears and shallots. The red wine reduction was easy to make right before serving and complimented everything beautifully. To enjoy with your meal, try Grand Veneur, a delicious white wine from the Cote du Rhone region of France. Or if you prefer red, try Domain Charvin, another great product of the Rhone region. Both complimented the flavors of the pork and pears and will only set you back about $15 each. I served the pork with butternut squash gnocchi (a post on that to come) and broccolini. The key is to save time at the end of cooking to let the pork rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting it. This will keep all of the delicious juices from running out all over the cutting board. While it's resting, you can make the sauce and do any last minute prep.

Roasted Pork with Shallots and Pears

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 (or so) thyme sprigs, leaves removed and stems discarded
• 1.5-2 lbs pork tenderloin (they generally come in a package of 2 weighing about this much)
• 3 Anjou pears
  
• 5-6 shallots
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F.
In a large bowl combine olive oil, thyme and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper.
Toss the pork in the mixture and let sit till the pork comes to room temperature (about 20 minutes).
Heat a large dutch oven on the stove over medium heat.
While the pork is marinating, cut the pears in quarters lengthwise. Cut out the core and the stem and then halve each quarter. Peel the shallots and cut them into quarters as well.
Place the pork into the hot dutch oven and let sear on each side for a couple minutes per side.
Toss the pears and shallots in the remainder of the oil mixture.
Add them to the pork and put the entire thing in the oven.
Roast together for about 3o minutes or until pork reaches desired doneness (I prefer slightly pink which is around 135F).
If the pears are not fork tender, remove the pork and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Remove the dutch oven and set aside the pears and shallots.
Put the pot back over medium-low heat and pour in the wine, stirring to pick up the flavors from the bottom.
When the wine has reduced slightly, stir in the balsamic.
Season with salt and pepper if needed and pour over the pork and pears.

Unfortunately the photo I took did not turn out as well as I would have hoped. I was too busy entertaining and enjoying myself to stop and take a good photo. However, I assure you that the meal was delicious and will also look wonderful to serve to friends and family. Enjoy!

For a printable recipe click here