Pork Tenderloin With Balsamic Vinegar / Mustard Marinade


1/2 cup veg oil

1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

2 TBS Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 TBS Guldnen’s Spicy Brown Mustard
2 pound Pork Tenderloin

Dissolve the  steak seasoning in the vinegar.  Add in the oil and combine.

Put a pork tenderloin in a plastic storage bag, add the mixture, squeeze out the excess air and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Leaving the residual marinade on the roast, place the meat in a 500 – 600 degree preheated grill (use the upper rack if your grill has one) and roast until the internal temp is 135.  

Remove and let the roast rest for 5 minutes.

Tenderloin Tip:  These roasts come with both a thick and thin end.  To keep the thin end from becoming over cooked fold it back against the roast towards the thicker end and secure with two tooth picks.  

Note: Beyond the usual mashed potatoes and corn sides I decided to make a sandwich instead that consisted of two hearty slices of toasted home-made white bread, a bit of mayo on the bread (both of them) and a thin slice of Manteche cheese on both the top and bottom.  The roast was thinly sliced and mounded as I like.  I suspect that most any cheese that goes with pork would be a winner.   


(This is not my recipe)

Great Homemade Burgers

 Click on Photos to Enlarge

When was the last time you made a really “great” burger at home from either a frying pan or your backyard grill?  Well, probably never.  What I suspect is that you have been trying to make a great burger from the mystery meat sold at your local grocery store and incorporating a bunch of unnecessary ingredients to the meat just to make it taste good.  And beyond the meat, I bet your technique has contributed greatly to maybe an okay burger but not one that comes close to rivaling the ones that you have had at a decent restaurant.  And I don’t mean Burger chains!

Well, it’s not all that difficult to make juicy and tender burger at home and I will explain.

There is no better beef than freshly ground beef.  And to do this you will need a meat grinder and a chuck roast.  That’s about it.  Or, you can buy a chuck roast and ask the butcher to grind it for you.  That said, I suggest that you wait until they are on sale or buy a nice USDA Choice Chuck Roast from Sam’s Club, Costco or the like.  

After you grind the beef, make sure that you distribute the fat evenly throughout.  The most important recommendation that I can make is to make sure that you handle the ground beef as little as possible.  Over handling ground beef will make it tough.  Also, home-ground beef does not resemble the stuff that you buy in the grocery store.  For instance, the grinding plate that I use is perfect for everything from burgers, to ravioli filling, to Italian meatballs, etc.  But you may like a different grind.  

When forming burgers, gently, but firmly form the meat into patties that are a bit larger than the diameter of your bun. I suggest that you do not smooth the surfaces of your burger until they resemble a hockey puck.  In a perfect world you would want your burger to have nooks, crannies and rough edges that crisp up during the cooking process which add a wonderful flavor.  Besides, they provide a nice place for your topping, such as cheese, to reside.  

Also, I think that taking burgers directly out of the refrigerator and onto the cooking surface choice is a better way than cooking them at room temperature.  The reason that I say this is that what I’m looking for in a great burger is a nice crispy flavorful exterior with a tender and juicy interior and a longer cooking time provides this important dimension.   

Important Note: Because home-ground meat is very “loose” vice the glob that you are probably accustomed to, extra care must be given on the grill or in the frying pan.  That said, once you have laid the burger on the cooking surface do not, repeat, do not make any attempt to move the burger until it no longer sticks to the cooking surface.  This is usually when the burger is close to being fully-cooked on the first side.  

I know that there has been a lot of of talk about applying a salty seasoning on your burger.  It has been my experience that it will serve you well if you season the meat with salt and pepper before you form the burgers.  I say this because applying seasonings on a burger is completely different than seasoning a steak since you are probably going to add a few condiments that already contain a degree of sodium.    

The BonaVita Coffee Brewer

In the past few years I have gone through two Cuisinart coffee makers with “thermal” carafes but I was never happy with the taste of the coffee even when using Duncan Doughnuts (DD) coffee.  The first came with a built-in grinder and the second did not but it was fully programmable.  It never came close to the real thing.  

I recently bought a no frills BonaVita coffee maker as a result of a recommendation from Cooks Illustrated.  I bought the more expensive stainless steel carafe version that is glass-lined.  Other than its simple on/of switch with an automatic shut-off feature; that is it!  Like I said, it is a no frills coffee brewer. 

I bought it through Amazon for about $150 and it arrived two days ago.  As soon as I got it I ran a pot of simple water through it just to be sure that it was operating properly.  The next day was its real trial, an 8 cup pot of DD’s Coffee.  In about 6 or 7 minutes the coffee was finished and piping hot.  

There is little doubt that this coffee was just as good as what you would get at DD and the carafe kept the coffee piping hot for two hours before I finished the drinking it.  I’m convinced that it would have kept the coffee hot for much longer.

I suspect that what I had been doing in the past was making coffee, but now I’m brewing great coffee.  

Highly Recommended 

For additional product details click on the photo.

Spiced Roasted Chicken Breasts

    Spiced Roasted Chicken
    2 chicken breast halves (for recipe that follows) or even a whole chick but adjust spice proportions accordingly
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Pat chicken dry. Stir together spices, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and rub evenly all over chicken. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in an ovenproof heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to middle of oven and roast chicken, skin side up, until just cooked through, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add water to pan and deglaze over high heat, scraping up brown bits. Pour pan juices over chicken.

Using a digital temp probe I roasted the breasts to 160 degrees. Oh Yeah!  Done perfectly…moist and juicy.  Try it, you’ll like it for sure!

Idahoan Real Premium Instant Mashed Potoates – Product Review

Okay, Okay, I can see your eyes rolling. Instant mashed potatoes?

Well, not everyone has the luxury of having the time (or skill believe it or not)  to prepare proper mashed potatoes.  There are many things that are going on in our lives and having to make a side dish that takes more effort or time to prepare than your main course on a weekday evening just ain’t gonna cut it.  The nasty instant (dehydrated) potato?, blasphemy you say! 

I may not be totally crazy (although the jury is still is still out on this one) but there is at least one, the only one that I know of, that is pretty damn good of the instant persuasion and it is the Idahoan REAL Premium Mashed Potatoes that I used to buy at Costco long ago in 3.24lbs containers.

For what ever reason, Costco stopped carrying this product but may still may carry some of the Idahoan potato product line but I’m happy to announce that Sam’s Club has them.

In short, they taste pretty good by themselves but I have been known to add in some sour cream in lieu of some of the milk, blend in some well-cooked cauliflower, or cheese.  Just follow the directions.  It is that easy.

Also, instant mashed potatoes can also make a good sauce thickener if used in small quantities.

Click on the photo for additional information.

Canned Tomatoes For Sauce

This is a special and very important tip for ALL tomato-based sauce recipes that I have previously posted. 

As you know, quality cooking ingredients are what separate excellence from mediocrity and can make meal preparation that much easier.  By this I mean to say that by starting with quality ingredients it is  easier to produce the wonderful fruits of your labor.  

That said, I have found that whole peeled tomatoes of the San Marzano variety are more to my liking. Quality tomato products may not be available in the aisles of your favorite wholesale food club or in your local grocery store where a variety of domestic brands can be found.  Absolutely,  some are better than others and that is why I suggest buying Carmilina brand from Amazon.  These tomatoes are simply outstanding! 

Pots & Pans- The Dilemma

The purpose of this post is to make a sound recommendation based on the wide variety of pots and pans that I have used during the past 35 years.  This is what you should consider a living document so please check for additional recommendations. 

I suppose that all of us want to purchase a set of pots and pans that will serve us well.  For some that may be the longevity of the item or how it performs in the kitchen.  But for me, I wanted both and I kept buying and buying but was never quite satisfied.  But after many trials and tribulations I found an exceptional combination of cookware that should cover just about all of your basic cooking needs that are high in quality but won’t break the bank.

A few months back I purchased a set of stainless cookware from Costco.  The item is the 13-piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set item# 402582 by Kirkland.  This is a 5-ply copper bonded cookware set that costs about $180.00.  After using this set I can say that it is an exceptional value.  While some of the component parts are a bit small I found that they performed admirably.  Everything from the handles to the base is professionally crafted.   http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11503441

That said, the Kirkland 402582 set is incomplete.  As I stated above, some of the component parts lack the size to equip your kitchen with the essentials e.g. there are no “stick free” pots or pans included.  However, adding the Nordic Ware Restaurant NSF 4-piece Skillet Set- item# 537990 for about $80.00 you will have just about all of the bases covered for stove top cooking. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11590047.

Here is another “must have” for the kitchen basics.  It is the Kirkland Signature 6-quart round enameled cast iron Dutch Oven.   It is absolutely wonderful making stews, tomato sauce and the like.  Use the Kirkland pot that is included in the 13-piece stainless steel 5-ply set as described above to cook your pasta and you will have it all…almost.

But what about a really nice batch of fried chicken?  Well I don’t have to tell anyone from the South that fried chicken has to be cooked in a cast iron pot or some resemblance thereof.  For fried chicken or for a variety of other meals it is hard to beat the Logic Cast Iron 10 CF2 pot/pan.  I say this because it is kinda between a pot and a pan.  It is kinda wide and kinda deep, perfect for frying chicken or roasting a whole chicken with the lid on.  I use it for both.  It is not expensive at all and will last dang near forever with a minimum of care.  Mine is the 10 CF2 and I prefer it to using the enameled pot as described above because I can get the same number of chicken pieces in it but using less oil.      

The Under-appreciated Pot Roast (Braised)

I am writing this on Christmas Day 2010. This is the time of the season for the traditional meals such as ham or an expensive rib roast or maybe a turkey. But for me, turkey was served on Thanksgivings Day, ham is, well lets just say that it makes a real nice sandwich with your favorite cheese. 

But Christmas is not only a season for celebration but it the time for comfort food as well. One of the best is the pot roast served with mashed potatoes, green beans or even the all essential macaroni and cheese. http://barrsoltis.blogspot.com/2008/09/edys-macaroni-cheese.html

http://barrsoltis.blogspot.com/2008/05/mashed-potatoes.html

I think that most of you have experienced a dried-out pot roast at least once in your lives and this may have turned your eye from this wonderful dish. And if you did, then all I can say is….too bad for you.  But it is your fault.  That’s right, pot roast is made from from a boneless chuck roast which is a tough piece of meat that requires several hours of cooking.  But unlike its name, this piece of meat cannot be roasted as its name implies, certainly not like a standing rib roast. So if you don’t cook it properly it will continue to be an under-appreciated piece of meat.  but if you properly braise your post roast it will be steamed to perfection! 


Moving onto a really beefy flavored piece of meat:

Yes, I know what you are thinking, serving a pot roast to friends and family for a holiday meal seems less than imaginative and quite frankly, on the cheap. But, when cooked properly, it emanates one of the most beefy flavored meals ever.

Cooking a wonderfully juicy and powerfully flavored pot roast is quite easy. And what makes it such a great holiday choice is that you can make it a day ahead and it will be even better better when served the next.  See note below.

Ingredients:

Beef Chuck Roast – you decide on the weight but at least 3 lbs.
Veggie oil
Water
3 Tbs Beef Stock or Beef Base (I prefer Better Than Bouillon brand)
3 Bay leaves
Garlic, several cloves of fresh or dehydrated
A bunch of carrots (in ½ inch lengths)
At least 2 large onions (quartered)
1 lb mushrooms

The Process:

Brown the roast on all 4 sides in a large pot with a few table spoons of veggie oil at high heat.

Prepare the beef stock with the garlic and garlic (can’t have too much) and bay leaves.

When browned, add enough beef broth to at least the center point of the roast or even better to 2/3 to the top of the roast.

Cover with the tight fitting lid and/or foil and place in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees.  After 2 hours, top the meat with your vegies.

About 1 hours later, or when the blade of a knife slides easily through the meat with no resistance remove and place it on a cutting board and the veggies to a bowl (loosely cover both with foil) . 

Let the fat rise to the top of the broth in the pot and skim.  One way to skim the fat from the broth is to place paper towels on the top of the broth to soak-up the fat that floats to the top. Remove the grease soaked paper towels with tongs.  

Thicken the gravy with Wondera, a slurry or corn starch, adjust for flavor  and add back the meat and veggies, warm and serve.

Note:  There are foods that just get better with age such as sauces so I suggest that you cook your pot roast dinner and save the meat and veggies in a separate container from the liquid reserve, let cool and refrigerate.  Hours later, you will notice a fat layer on top of the gravy that can be easily removed with a large spoon or even a spatula .  

Return the reserved liquids to a pot to heat and thicken to taste.  Then add back the meat and veggies to warm and that’s it.  

Enjoy!

Storing Bacon For Future use

Okay, you just went to the grocery store or to one of the wholesale houses and purchased a pound or even a few pounds of bacon.

That’s nice, but when you need just a strip or two you end up having to cut open the bag and peeling off just what you need; but what about the rest?

Well, I wish that I thought of this but I did not, someone else did.  So, after you bring home the bacon, open the packages and take a little bit of time to separate each slice and roll it from end to end. Place each rolled slice into a freezer bag and of course, place in the freezer.

So, with that said, whenever you need a slice of bacon or even four or six, just snatch them from the freezer bag and let them defrost.

Pretty simple process I must admit.