Pork Tenderloin with Herbs

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat (about 2–2 1/2 lbs.)

2 T kosher salt

2 C warm water

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 T brown sugar

1/2 C ice cubes

2 T lemon juice

3 T butter sliced into 6 pats

Spice Mix:

1 T EACH chili powder, garlic powder

1 t EACH salt, onion powder

1/2 t smoked paprika

1/4 t pepper

Herbs to add LATER:

1/2 t EACH dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano 

Optional to make gravy:

1-2 t cornstarch with 1 T water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay two long pieces of foil on a baking sheet – these will be used to fold up each tenderloin separately.  Or use a skillet with a lid.

In a 4-C measure, mix salt with warm water until dissolved. Whisk in apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and ice.  Transfer to a gallon-size freezer bag, and add the pieces of pork. Brine for exactly 20 minutes then remove pork from brine. (The pork  can become mealy if left in the brine any longer.)  

Meanwhile, combine all of the Spice Mix ingredients (not the "Add Later Herbs") in a small bowl. 

RINSE pork and pat very dry. (Discard baggie and brine.) Evenly rub pork all over with spice mix. 

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When oil is very hot and just smoking, add pork tenderloins, you may need to work in batches. Sear each side of pork until golden, then transfer to foil or leave in skillet if using the skillet for baking. 

Evenly sprinkle tops of pork tenderloins with remaining herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme) then rub into pork.

Evenly drizzle each pork tenderloin with one tablespoon of lemon juice (2 tablespoons total), then top each tenderloin with 3 pats of butter. Bring up the sides of the foil to completely enclose each tenderloin. Or place cover on the skillet.

Bake at 400 degrees F until pork registers between 145- and 150-degrees F (63 and 65 degrees C) at the thickest part of the tenderloin, 15-25 minutes depending on thickness. This means the pork will be juicy and slightly pink in the middle. To check the temperature, carefully unwrap the foil, then wrap it back up if it needs to continue baking. 

When pork is done, loosen foil or open lid slightly (so steam can escape) and let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve with accumulated butter sauce in the bottom of the foil.

Optionally, you can make a gravy with the liquid instead.  Pour into a small saucepan and heat.  Mix cornstarch with water and add to the hot liquid.  Stir until thickened.

https://carlsbadcravings.com/best-baked-pork-tenderloin/

Twice-Cooked Pork Tenderloin

1 boneless pork tenderloin, about 1 pound

 Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons butter, extra virgin olive oil, or a combination

¼ cup marsala or white wine

¼ cup cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice OR Dijon mustard

 Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish, optional

Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat; when heated, add 2 tablespoons butter and/or oil. When butter foam subsides or oil dimples, add meat (cut in half to fit pan, if necessary). Brown it well on all sides, for a total of 4 to 6 minutes. Turn off heat, remove meat from pan, and let it sit on a board. When skillet has cooled a bit, proceed.

Cut meat into 1-inch-thick slices. Once again turn heat to medium-high, add remaining butter and/or oil and, when it's hot, add pork slices to pan. Brown on each side, about 2 or 3 minutes each. Turn heat to low and remove meat to a warm platter.

Add marsala or wine to pan, turn heat to high, and cook, stirring and scraping, for a minute. Lower heat slightly, add cream and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in lemon juice or mustard, then taste and adjust seasoning. Serve meat with sauce spooned on top, garnished, if you like, with parsley.

Original recipe from here.  

Danish Pork Chops

This is a recipe given to me by the mother of one of my students when I taught in Germany.  It is always so GOOD, but a little on the rich side.

2-4 tablespoons butter/olive oil
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 small-medium onions, sliced < 1/4"
4 boneless pork chops, > than 1/2" thick
6-8 slices bacon
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 cup half and half cream

Optional: applesauce to serve on the side

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Sauté mushrooms and onions until onions brown slightly and mushrooms have released their liquor.  Remove to a bowl.  Brown the pork chops in oil on both sides.      Place the pork chops into a baking dish.  Cook bacon until crisp and drain on paper towel, then crumble or chop.

Layer the reserved onions and mushrooms on top of the pork chops.  Next put the bacon and then the parsley on top.  Pour the cream over all.  Bake for about one hour or until tender.

Sauerkraut Pork Chops

Tim, this is for you and anyone who enjoys German food.

When I was student teaching in Arizona, my supervising teacher would talk about this delicious meal she would often prepare.  I finally asked for the recipe.

  

2 large jars sauerkraut,* rinsed and drained      4-6 pork chops

½ chopped onion                                                          1/2 cup flour mixed with

2 Tbsp brown sugar                                                                  salt, pepper, and

2 Tbsp bacon fat                                                                        paprika

1 can of water                                                                   1/2 cup sour cream

Serve with mashed potatoes

Mix sauerkraut, onion, brown sugar, bacon fat, and water in a 4 qt pot.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 ½ -2 hours.  (This makes the sauerkraut very mild and even some of those who think they don’t like sauerkraut may eat this.)

After about an hour of cooking, flour the pork chops.   Brown both sides in a little oil in skillet.

Drain the sauerkraut well.  Place into a 9 x 13 inch casserole, then put the browned pork chops on top.  Cover and bake  for about 1 ½ hours.  Pork chops should be fork tender by this time.  Remove them to a platter, drain liquid from sauerkraut and mix in sour cream.  Serve alongside pork chops with mashed potatoes, using the sauerkraut like gravy.

*It tasted best with the canned stuff from another era.  Choose a sauerkraut you like, whether it is in a jar or the fresh style from a deli.

Kalua Pork/ Carnitas/Beef brisket

This is a dish I learned to make when I took cooking classes shortly after moving to California. 

• 4-7 pounds pork butt or shoulder roast**
• salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees or use the HIGH setting on a crock pot. Wrap the pork well in heavy-duty foil, and seal completely. Place in a roasting pan or crock pot.     
Bake in preheated oven until an internal temperature of 160 degrees F is reached, about 5-7 hours. Alternately, in a crockpot, on high setting for 7-9 hours.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly before shredding using two forks.  Meat should fall apart.  If it doesn't return to heat source for another hour or so.  (There will be a lot of fat.  I remove all of it, or as much as I can.)  Sprinkle the shredded meat with salt and pepper to taste. 

This will make a lot, but that's what I want.  I portion it into freezer containers, to be used later for carnitas.  

For Carnitas:  Place defrosted meat into frying pan, and heat.  We like it to be a little crispy.  Serve with tortillas and Mexican condiments to make burritos.


**This method also works for beef brisket.  You can slice the brisket like a roast or shred it for barbecued beef sandwiches.
      You can even do corned beef like this, but bring it to a boil in a pot of water and simmer for about 30 minutes.  (This will remove some of the saltiness.)  Then wrap in foil and cook as above.

Sausage, Potatoes, and Onions

A common topic at school during lunchtime was what we had made for dinner the night before.  One of the teachers often talked about this dish, and brought in the leftovers. 

Proportions are approximate and adjustable to your tastes.  But it’s always a yummy dish!!  Really good on a cold winter night.  Or a cold summer night, as the case may be, here in Monterey.

3-5 medium potatoes, peeled or not, and sliced less than ¼ inch thick

2-3 medium onions, sliced thinner than potatoes

1-2 pounds sausage (Italian, breakfast, or a mixture)

Make 2-3 layers of potatoes, onions, and sausage in a 9 x 13 inch pan or baking dish.  It helps to make it in a container larger than you plan to fill it, so you can easily toss it around.  But it also shrinks down a lot.  Remove any  casing  and break up the sausage into small bite-size pieces. 

Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes.  Toss around every 15-20  minutes.  Uncover after another 30 minutes, so everything can brown some.  Bake until

sausage is cooked through and potatoes are tender. (Plan on about 1-1 1/2 hours to bake.)

I've even made this on the grill when we had no electricity.