Cuban Style Pork Tenderloin/Cuban Sliders

I made a pork tenderloin for dinner tonight, which made me realize that I never posted my Cuban Sliders from the Super Bowl. They are awesome and this pork is a tasty recipe all by itself or made into one of my favorite sandwichs of all time (see below for Cuban Sliders recipe). The key to the pork tenderloin is not to overcook it, I pull it when its at 148 degrees for medium (and yes people, pork can be cooked medium and you won't catch any diseases).

Pork tenderloins, Cuban style:
Adapted from a Rachel Ray Recipe

1 2/3 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin, 2 pieces, the average weight of 1 package, trimmed
Extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, for drizzling
1 small onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 limes, zested
1 large orange, zested
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili flake
1/2 teaspoon cayenne peper

Method:

Rub tenderloins with oil and combine the rest of the ingredients in a large dish. Coat tenderloins with rub mixture and let marinade for upto 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400. Heat large cast iron skillet over high heat. Sear tenderloins on all sides, about 2 minutes per sided. Slide skillet into oven and cook until internal temp is 148 (about 20-25 minutes). Remove from pan, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice on a bias and serve.

Tonight I opted to seared the tenderloins on one half of a preheated grill, then I killed the heat on that side and allowed them to finish on indirect heat until they reach 148. Its helpfull to have an oven thermometer for this method.

For the Cuban Sliders (makes 12):

1 recipe Cuban Style Pork Tenderloin
1 package of Hawaiian sweet bread (I used the dinner rolls for the sliders)
1/2 pound of smoked ham
1/4 pound of swiss cheese slices, cut into 4 squares (about the size of the rolls)
1/2 of mayonaise
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
Clausen pickle sandwich slices (halved)

Method:

Preheat 2 cookie sheets in a 400 degree oven. Slice the dinner rolls in half before seperating them. Mix together mayonaise and mustard. Spread mixture on both halves of the dinner rolls. Layer slider bottoms by adding, cheese, tenderloin, ham, more cheese, and a pickle. Finish with top buns and place sandwiches on one of the preheated cookie sheets. Place other cookie sheet on top and put a heavy object on top to press the sandwiched town. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until warmed through and cheese has melted.

Anybody making anything good for the game?

OU!!!!!!!!!!!!

GUY FEIRI IN THE NATI

Guy Feiri is literally 5 minutes away from my house filming D,D,D at a place called Terry's Turf Club! I'm famous!

Escarole and Orzo Soup with Turkey Parmesan Meatballs

I've been trying to buy one new vegetable everytime I go to Giant Eagle and incorporate it into a recipe. This week it was Escarole. Tastes pretty good, kind of like kale or swiss chard, but not as bitter and it holds up well in soups. Also chilling the meatballs before dropping them in the soup was a good tip that helps them stay together.

Makes 4 main-course servings.

Ingredients:

1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
12 ounces extra lean ground turkey
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 cups (or more) low-salt chicken stock
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
3/4 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole (about 1/2 medium head)

Whisk egg and 2 tablespoons water in medium bowl to blend. Mix in breadcrumbs; let stand 5 minutes. Add turkey, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper; gently stir to blend. Using wet hands, shape turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on baking sheet; cover and chill 30 minutes.

Bring 8 cups chicken broth to boil in large pot. Add carrots and orzo; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered 8 minutes. Add turkey meatballs and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chopped escarole and simmer until turkey meatballs, orzo, and escarole are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Rewarm over medium heat, thinning with more broth if desired.)

Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

General Urban's Chicken

I adapted this General Tso's recipe to be a little healthier than the original. Its not quite as good as the deepfried version, but pretty tasty and will satisfy your craving. If you add in some brown rice, it is certainly more filling than the original.

Serves:4-6
Prep: 15 min
Cooking time: 10 min

Ingredients:

2 T rice wine
1 T cornstarch
1/3 cup dark soy sauce, divided
3 t sesame oil, divided
3 3/4 cups cubed bonless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs if you want some flavor)
2 pieces orange zest, 1 inch each, minced
1/2 cup peanut or canola oil
2 t chili flakes
2 T fresh minced ginger
1 cup thinley sliced scallions
2 t sugar
steamed rice to serve

Method:

1. Combine rice wine, cornstarch, 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil in a large non-metalic bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. I also added some siracha. Cover and marinate for 1 hour.

2. Heat peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Use a slotted spoon to drain chicken from marinade then add to batches and stir fry for 2 minutes at a time or until cooked through. Remove from oil with previously mentioned slotted spoon and reserve in a bowl.

3. Drain all the oil from the wok, except for 1 Tablespoon. Reheat wok over high heat. Add ginger and chili flake, stir fry for 10 seconds. Return chicken to wok. Add scallions, sugar, orange zest, remaining soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir fry 2-3 minutes longer. Serve over steamed rice and top with sesame seeds and bean sprouts.

Chicka - Chicka - Chickpea Curry

Here is a healthy meal you have quick and easy (thats what she said). Set it and forget it. I also pan roasted some boneless skinless chicken thighs and added those on top and it was awesome. I would recommend basmati rice for indian dishes as well.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
This recipe is from Chile Pepper magazine.

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, pinced
1 piece (1-inch) fresh giner, peeled, grated
2 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 teaspoon groud cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons garam masala (see Note)
2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes with juices
Hot cooked rice Combine all ingredients except rice in a slow cooker. Cook on high 2 hours or on low 3 to 4 hours.



Serve the curry over the hot cooked rice.

Burger Time

Burger Goodness

Hard to beat a good burger. I like mine thin and cooked in a hot pan, more surface area to get all nice nice. I use a 3-1 ration of 80/20 Chuck to 90/10 Sirloin mixed together. Chuck is definitely the way to go as far as a nice burger, but the sirloin adds a little in the flavor department. I get about 6 thin burgers from a pound and a third of total ground beef. I season the outside liberally with salt and pepper and just a touch of garlic powder. I get my pan just about as hot as I can get it and about 3-5 minutes a side should do it. American cheese is my favorite burger cheese. It melts nicely and doesn’t over power the burger. Brown up the bun a little in the burger pan and BOOM- Burger. Don’t forget those kosher pickles and oven fries. And go for a double if you’re crazy. I’m crazy. Word.

Mexican Pork Chops

Apparently it was a pork weekend but I just kind of made this up and it turned out well. I call them "mexican" because I breaded them in crushed up tortilla chips (we always have the bottom of the bag that can't be used) and it gave the pork chops a mexican taste. The chips gave it a great crust.

I pounded out the pork chops into half inch thick pieces and seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dipped in flour, egg wash, and then covered in the crushed tortilla chips.

In an iron skillet, bring oil to medium high heat and cook each pork chop about 3 to 5 minutes per side until they have a nice golden brown texture on each side. Add sour cream and salsa on top and enjoy.

Ingredients:

4 pork chops (boneless)

Tortilla Chips

Flour

2 Eggs

salt

pepper

garlic powder

sour cream

salsa

Pork Spare Ribs with Cider Vinegar Sauce

I decided to make spare ribs this weekend with a dry rub and cider vinegar sauce. It turned out well, the rub and sauce could be used for pulled pork also if you wanted to use pork shoulder. I added the dry rub and let it marinate overnight. Then I wrapped the ribs in foil and cooked on 300 degrees for 3-4 hours (until they are tender). Make the sauce over medium heat, mix ingredients, continue to stir until it comes to a boil and cook on low for about 10 minutes.

Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse salt

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Add pan drippings for flavor

Caprese Salad - Redesigned

Thought this was an interesting way to serve a caprese salad.

http://www.thepartydress.net/?p=2833

Beef Carpaccio

After finding out we were hosting a wine and cheese party last night, I decided I needed to add a little more protein at the party. While thinking of what meats I could provide, I thought back to all the Good Eats episodes I've seen and decided to try something I've never attempted; Beef Carpaccio. Now some people might debate if this actually counts as "cooking", as there is no real cooking involved, but I decided if I also posted the recipe for my favorite vinaigrette, it would count as an entry on this blog. As a side note, raw beef is awesome and I now love arugula.

Ingredients
8 to 10 ounces beef tenderloin (I bought a 1/2 lb prime fillet Mignon)
4 handfuls arugula
Your favorite vinaigrette (see below)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Shaved Parmesan
Directions
Wrap the tenderloin in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, unwrap the tenderloin and thinly slice the beef into approximately into 1/8 to 1/4-inch pieces. Lay out sheets of plastic wrap and place each slice onto the plastic. Place in a circular fashion, so when you pound the meat, it will form one thin disc. Top with another piece of plastic and gently pound the meat with a meat mallet until paper thin. Repeat until all of the meat is sliced and pounded. Divide the meat evenly among 4 chilled plates. Serve with greens tossed with vinaigrette, salt, pepper, Parmesan and a drizzle of Olive Oil.


Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Sherry Vinegar (red wine vinegar also works)
1 T lemon juice
1 T honey
1 T Dijon mustard
1.5 t Worcestershire sauce (or the pick-a-peppa sauce from my rootbeer wing recipe)
1 small clove of garlic
1/2 t dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients except oil in a bowl and start whisking. Slowly stream in oil until emulsified. (store in fridge for up to 10 days.)

Tilapia with Chili Lime Succotash

Tilapia with Chili Lime Succotash

Been making this little dish for awhile, it’s a pretty simple light meal with some good flavors. The Biggs by us always has tilapia that is fresh and usually only about $6.99/lb. I believe succotash has to have corn and lima beans, or maybe just corn. Anyway…

Ingredients

2- Tilapia Filets

1/2- Onion

1/4- 1/2 – Red bell pepper

2- Cloves Garlic

¾- Cup of Frozen Corn

½ Cup frozen baby lima beans

1 tbls- butter

About 1 tbls- flour

Chicken Stock

Paprika, Cayenne, Cumin, and Chili powder to taste

½ Lime

Cilantro

EVOO

Salt and Pepper

Procedure (Chili Lime Succotash)

1. Saute the onion and bell pepper in some EVOO
2. Add in the garlic for a few seconds, then add the corn and lima beans, sauté for a few minutes, then season with the spices, and sauté for another minute or two.
3. Add the butter and dust the mixture with the flour, cook together for a few minutes then add about ½ cup chicken stock, maybe a little less. Stir to combine and let simmer uncovered for 5-10 mins, until the lima beans are tender.
4. Finish with a squeeze of lime and some chopped cilantro during the last minute or so of cooking.

Procedure (Tilapia)

1. Fish, seasoning, EVOO, Pan, 10 mins.
2. Serve on top of Chili Lime Succotash.