Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin

 You know a recipe is really good when you forget to take a picture of the yumminess. I made this last week and it was so good. I don't do pork tenderloin very often but I think this recipe will be getting put into rotation from now on. On first taste you get the sweetness from the brown sugar but it's not overpowering and then as you finish the bite, the pepper kicks in on the back of your tongue. I loved it. It was husband approved as well so that is an added plus.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin

1-1.5# pork tenderloin

2 T Olive Oil

2 T Dark Brown Sugar

1.5 t Ground Red Pepper (Cayenne)

1 t Garlic Powder

1 t Onion Powder

½ t Paprika

1 t Salt

½ t Cracked Black Pepper

⅛ t Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Trim any extra fat and silver skin from tenderloin. Mix spices and liberally coat all sides of the tenderloin.

In a hot large non-stick skillet (best if you use one that can go directly into the oven) heat olive oil. Add tenderloin (Note: if it is too large, simply curve the tenderloin to fit the pan) and sear the first three sides for 2-3 mins. If you are using an oven safe skillet, place it in the oven once turned to the final unseared side. (Note: The heat of the pan will sear it while it started to cook in the oven.) If using an non oven safe skillet, sear the remaining side and transfer to a roasting pan. Cook in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees at the thickest part. For about 15 mins. Let rest for 5-10 mins.

Slice and enjoy!

NOTE: The new standard for pork is an internal temperature of 145. It’s not rare or even medium rare. It’s got the barest hint of pink and helps the pork to stay juicy and tender. The tenderloin can be a dry piece of meat and easy to overcook. Which is why it is so important to let it rest. Resting meat allows for the juices redistribute throughout the meat. Ever had a really good steak or pork chop that just oozes all this juice the moment you cut it? That is what happens when you don’t let the meat rest. And then the actual meat is rather dry as a result. Not good eats. I also pull my tenderloin out at least 5 degrees below the 145. As it rests, the residual heat of the meat and the pan will continue cooking the meat. This is another reason to let it rest and helps it from becoming overcooked.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Yes this happened tonight. It was so yummy. Seriously one of the best things I have made in a long while, which is saying something as I’m a pretty damn good cook. This adventure started last weekend when I was grocery shopping. Pulled pork sounded really good to me and in Sacramento there isn’t a whole lot of choices when it comes to BBQ. The one really good place is a good 30 mins away and pricey. Not that I mind paying for good food…but let’s see what I can come up with. So I find a really nice pork butt roast or a Boston Butt roast as it is sometimes known and start to plot.

A little bit about pork butt…it’s not the behind! Seriously. That is where most cured and/or smoked hams come from. The pork butt or Boston butt cut comes from the top part of the shoulder. The rest is considered the picnic or shoulder roast. The Boston butt cut is preferred for pulled pork because it has heavy marbling (which means juicy yumminess) and overall a more tender and not a stringy. It works really really smoked, grilled low and slow or as I did used my crock pot. And this recipe is good for just regular pulled pork. You don’t have to make them into sandwiches. It can stand up on it’s own. Trust me. It’s that damn good.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches
3-4# pork butt roast
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1⁄2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 onion chopped
8-10 hearty buns

Note: You will hear various opinions about removing the fat cap or not on the roast. I don’t. Why? Because if done right, the fat will melt into the meat making it juicy and yummy. Now if it’s too thick, feel free to trim it back some but I highly recommend on leaving some of it on. Trust me on this.

Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl. Massage the seasoning mix all over the pork roast until it coated fully. Heat a pan on high, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Sear all sides of the pork roast in the pan. Put the chopped onion in the bottom of the crock pot and place the pork roast on top (fat cap up). Deglaze the pan with a cup of water and the liquid smoke. Pour the juice over the pork roast. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until fork tender.

Remove the pork, drain juice (reserve some) discard onions (or you can shred them into the pork like I did). Shred and return to crock pot. Add a little bit of juice just to keep it moist.

Stack the pulled pork on buns, add bbq sauce, coleslaw and pickles. Enjoy!

Hand Me Down Recipes

Do you have any hand me down recipes? You those that seem to get passed down from generation to generation? I have a few of those in my family passed down from my grandma. I think one of the best things about them are the stories that my grandma and mom told me in regards to those recipes.

You see...my grandma grew up very poor in the mountains of Northern California. So every recipe comes with a story about how resourceful or in my grandma's case how conniving she was. Hey this is a woman at the age of 7 would pour warm water down snake holes and wait by with an axe so she could chop their heads off in order to sell the rattles. See what I mean?

One of the recipes that I absolutely adore are stove top ribs. It's a quick and easy recipe and the ingredients are fairly inexpensive. It's easy to make a little or a lot of. Throughout the years I've adjusted and tweaked the recipe to suit both my and my husband's taste. Every friend I have made this for have loved it as well. My poor husband never has a chance at the leftovers. MINE! I do not share them. 

Since I don't have children, I don't have anyone to pass these recipes down to along with the stories so I'm going to share it with you.

Stove Top Ribs

1 - 2 pounds of Country style pork ribs (I prefer boneless. You can use beef if you really wanted but the sauce is more suited to pork ribs.)

1 29 oz can of tomato sauce

1 T of mustard

1/2 t of Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t Mexican oregano

Maple syrup to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the ribs into large bite size pieces, liberally season them with salt and pepper (lemon pepper is a nice little variation to use as well). Cooke them over medium heat until 3/4ths of the way done.

While meat is cooking, combine the tomato sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings in a large bowl. Give it a good whisk to combine. Now comes the syrup. Add as little or as much as you want. I do suggest to add it in small quantities. I make mine slightly on the sweet side because I find the seasonings as it cooks will balance it out.

Take a dutch oven with a lid. After draining the grease from the ribs, add them and the sauce in the dutch oven. Cover and let simmer for a minimum of one hour, stirring occasionally. This will allow the ribs to braise in the sauce and literally become melt in your mouth tender. The longer you let it simmer the more tender they will be and the thicker the sauce will become.

Traditional we serve it with either mashed or baked potatoes and a side of vegetables along with biscuits. I always spoon extra sauce onto my potatoes. So yummy!

Guess what I'm making for dinner tonight?