Maple Syrup Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

Jan 14 2014

It was another 40 deg. day here; I should have smoked something but I really need to use some out of my freezer first. It’s going down to 23 tonight then not getting much over that through the week-end with some snow.

I took my dog for a bath & haircut this morning. While he was getting clipped I went to a local restaurant for breakfast. I had two eggs over med., two sausage patties, some crispy hash browns, two slices of wheat toast and a half order, 5 slices, of fried mush. I ate it all but a slice of toast and I was full!

I didn’t need any lunch and didn’t have my supper until 7:00 pm. I offered to make the wife a pork tenderloin sandwich but she does not like the same thing the second day, spoiled! She ate some other left overs and I made my own.

I used some of my leftover olive oil from poached fish to toast a bun and fry the tenderloin. The olive oil does not smell like fish was cooked in it but has a great flavor of garlic and herbs. I topped the bottom half of the bun with some Lowensenf mustard, the tenderloin, a slice of Kerrygold white cheddar and it went under the broiler to melt the cheese. I had some of my curtido, S.A. sauerkraut on the side.

I am not that crazy about my curtido, it has some nice heat but the oregano comes through as too much for me. Now the sandwich was the most tender and delicious tenderloin sandwich I ever fixed. I don’t know whether it was the maple syrup brine or the meat. I am hoping it was the brine so I can replicate it again!

Maple Syrup Brined Pork Tenderloin

Jan 13 2014

I was glad to get back out cooking on my smoker today. I had made the brine yesterday and got the tenderloins in brining at 3 am. They would brine for 12 hours.

It was a nice 40 deg. day with a little breeze. I took the time to clean some cooking equipment I had left under the smoker dirty. I washed down some of the bird doo roosting birds had left behind and hung two bags of mothballs  and two CD’s; hoping to keep the birds away. I cleaned the grate and filled the hopper with Cookin Pellets 100% hickory and was ready to cook.

The cyropac tenderloin was actually two small ones in a neat roll. I took them out of the brine at 3:00pm and tied to keep in an even sized roll. I seasoned them with some Penzey’s Cajun seasoning. They went in the fridge on a rack until my 4:30 cooking time. I wanted them done by 6:00pm.

I can’t use the temp read out to cook by on my new Ortech controller so I use my Maverick ET 732 to monitor the grill level and meat temp. I got them on my preheated Traeger at 4:30; I did them at 250 deg. for 45 minutes. I went to 300 deg. for 20 minutes and then 350 deg. for the last 25 minutes for a total of 1 ½ hours to get 145 deg. IT in the tenderloins.

Just after I put the tenderloins on I baked a small take home and bake baguette to have. I took out enough potatoes, Ore Ida wedges with olive oil and sea salt, and nuked them for a minute to thaw.

They went in a wire basket and on the smoker for the last 45 minutes.

When the tenderloins were done I turned the smoker down and left the potatoes in. I tented the tenderloins with foil and did my veggies, Green Giant carrots, broccoli and cauliflower in cheese sauce, for 8 minutes in the microwave.

I brought the potatoes in, sliced the meat and served with bread and butter. The tenderloins were some of the best I have done, moist and fork tender; like eating pork filet mignon. It will make a good sandwich tomorrow for supper. There was a definite maple syrup taste and the Cajun seasoning complimented it. I would have liked a little more maple syrup taste, maybe a longer brine the next time or brush on some maple syrup and sear at the end.

Printable Brine Recipe

Brine Ingredients

The brine

Tied and seasoned after the brine

All done

Ready to slice

Sliced

My Plate

Philippine Spring Rolls and Stir Fry

Jan 12 2014

It has been warmer 40 deg. weather since the deep freeze but sure doesn’t feel like it. It’s been breezy so it’s a damp cold. I still have not got back out on my smoker but will tomorrow. Plans over the week-end did not work for cooking out but getting ready now to put a pork tenderloin in to brine overnight.

Saturday night the wife and I had leftover creamed chicken over toast, fried canned potatoes and a veggie, she had peas and I had corn. Tonight our son had to work so told the daughter in law to come down and we would have some of the Philippine ladies spring rolls and a stir fry.

I had 4 each of the chicken and pork spring rolls thawed; some left over yellow rice and a bag of Green Giant baby, peas, snap peas, carrots and Thai corn for the stir fry. The grandson loves the baby corn. There was not much prep to do. The first time I fixed some of the Philippine ladies spring rolls I just did the chicken and deep fried them. I did these on a rack in the oven at 425 deg. F for 13 minutes and then turned for another 8 minutes. I did the stir fry while the spring rolls were in.

The stir fry was more like a skillet cook, used left over olive oil from my poached fish. I did the baby veggies first and then added the rice. I served it with the Philippine ladies sweet sauce, Mae Ploy’s sweet chili sauce for the spring rolls and soy sauce for the stir fry. I had the pork spring rolls with Mae Ploy’s and some soy sauce over the rice and veggies. We all liked it; I liked the deep fried spring rolls better but the wife said she liked the baked better.

My Plate

Olive Oil Poached Sea Bass

Jan 10 2014

I am still doing indoor cooking after the freezing weather we had last week. This looked interesting so thought I would share it. Looking for something different to cook I watched a video on food52.com on how to poach fish in the oven in olive oil. I had two Barramundi filets frozen. They are sea bass but sound a little more exotic if you say I am having Barramundi!

I searched on olive oil poached fish and looked at several recipes. You can do this with about any fish but Halibut seems to be the most popular. The recipes were either baked at 250 or 275 deg. F. and the times varied from ½ hour to 1 ½ hours for 1 inch thick filets.  I followed the video on food 52 pretty close. My filets were about ¾ inch thick.

I preheated the oven to 275 deg.

I put a layer of sliced lemons on the bottom of my cast iron skillet.

Placed the filets on top and sprinkled with some Hawaiian red sea salt

They set about 10 minutes then covered with half EVOO and half ELOO.

They say to use EVOO but I am not a fan so cut it some, and liked the result.

I added 3 crushed garlic cloves, two thyme sprigs and more salt.

I preheated on the stove top just until it started to boil.

Then in the 275 deg. oven for 28 minutes.

Tip: one way to tell if it’s cooked through without cutting it open is if you see little white bubbles on top of the fish. You can see them in the one photo.

I let the skillet set while I dished up the Zatarain’s yellow rice I had ready and put some of the olive oil in seasoning for bread dip. My wife had fixed herself a salad, I was going to have a side of my S.A. Kraut but in the hustle of serving I forgot. We thought the fish was great, flakey and moist. It didn’t soak up any of the oil just what was on the outside and it gave it good flavor.

This is an easy way to fix fish for a healthy meal in between some good BBQ. It took about 3 cups of oil but they said it does not take on the fish taste and to strain and save it. It will last a week in the fridge. Use it to cook with or make salad dressing.

Note: EVOO, extra virgin olive oil; ELOO, extra light olive oil

Ingredients

Fillets on sliced lemons

Oil and seasoning added

Done and ready to serve

My Plate

My Curtido done fermenting

Jan 03 2014

My cortido, (curtido), South American style sauerkraut had set in my fermenting crock for 21 days for a full fermentation. It looked good; no scum on the top and it had a nice pinkish red color. I had read up on it and found the traditional is pickled in pineapple vinegar and sometimes made fresh like our vinegar based coleslaw.

I had a little scum on the top the first four days that I skimmed off but after that it stayed clear. After the seventh day I left it covered until done. I had to add water to the seal every couple of days due to evaporation.

I ended up with 4 ½ quarts and stored in the fridge to cure a few days. I did a taste test and not really sure I will like the stuff; it might be better after setting a few days. My fermenting book that had the recipe I used called for three to seven day fermentation so it actually might be better with a shorter fermentation.

In South America it is usually served with Pupusa’s; much like Mexican arepas only thicker and stuffed with cheese, pork, and loroco. Loroco is an edible herb and the flower buds are pickled. All I could find is it is a little like capers. The curtido and Pupusas are served with tomato sauce.

Link to the starting of my curtido

New Year's Smoked Ribs and Kraut

Jan 01 2014

I have been eating pork and kraut on New Year’s Day for about 30 years; a German tradition thought to bring good luck. The pork because it forages for food moving forward and does not look back; the sauerkraut is thought to cleanse the body and soul to start the New Year. It does tend to clean the body!

The past few years I have also included black eyed peas, a southern tradition, in honor of my southern cousin Margaret. She said one year the family was traveling on New Year’s Day; they were all hungry but her father had to stop at five restaurants before he found one that had black eyed peas. He had to have his black eyed peas on New Year’s Day!

I had already smoked a rack of pork back ribs to use. I got the pork & kraut on about 11 AM. A layer of sliced onions, two crushed garlic cloves, a bay leaf, grey sea salt and crushed black pepper. Then a layer of the cut up ribs, a quart of my home made sauerkraut topped with what was left of the rib rack. I poured a bottle of Leiny’s Hoppin Helles beer over all. I started on high for about an hour then went to low.

Through the afternoon I took the ribs out after 4 hours to cool some and pull the meat off to add back. I made some mashed potatoes and in another Crockpot to hold. I cooked the spaetzel and added it to the pork and kraut about 4:30. All I had to do is slice some crusty bread and heat up my seasoned black eyed peas at 6:00 for supper.

My wife usually makes her Knopfles, German drop noodles but didn’t want her to stand and do them. The next best German style noodles I have found are Bechtel spaetzel, they have Farmer’s style and Bavarian style. I get them at Meijers grocery.

Our son had to work so the daughter in law and grandson ate with us. We all had the pork and kraut over mashed potatoes, the wife did not have black eyed peas! That is some great comfort food for the winter.

A layer of onions

A layer of ribs

Kraut and more ribs

Spaetzel and black eyed peas

Ribs ready to remove meat and add back to pot

Spaetzel cooked

Some crusty bread

My plate and side of peas

New Year's Eve Surf and Turf

Dec 31 2013

It’s now the first day of the New Year and I am a little sluggish. Maybe I over did the bourbon! I have my pork and kraut on for today’s good luck meal. I am glad I had the ribs already smoked.

I usually try to have a good supper to ring out the Old Year, steak, shrimp, lobster or a combination. I had some beef tenderloin steaks from Sam’s Club that had some nice marbling so I knew they would be good. I had about a pound of shrimp left to use; a baked potato and a green salad would top it off.

I baked some of Walmart’s garlic knots early and would warm them in the oven to serve. We like our baked potatoes with a potato rod inserted, baked at 350 deg. for 1 ½ hours. You end up with a very crispy potato skin to eat after eating the inside.

I got the potatoes in baking and the last half hour I did the steaks and shrimp. I rubbed a small dab of olive oil on each side of the steaks then seasoned them with a little dried garlic flakes, grey sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I seared them in a hot skillet for 3 minutes on each side and then in the 350 deg. oven for 10 minutes topped with a pat of gorgonzola chive butter.

I seasoned the shrimp with a little sea salt and Penzey’s Cajun seasoning and sautéed in butter and olive oil about 5 minutes. I popped the garlic knots in the oven for the last 5 minutes, and served it all. The steaks were just right for my wife and a little rarer than our daughter and I like, but they sure were good! My wife said the best I have done.

Garlic Knots

Grey sea salt

Potatoes with rods

Seasoned steaks

Searing

In the oven

Shrimp

Rare steak

My Plate