there are days when i lament the male/female dynamic

If I had a little more free time and a lot more drive, I would write this woman a letter a day explaining why she is shitting on everything my grandmothers ever worked for.  

she called it opera pork, and she was dead on

My lovely friend paid me a visit, and I repaid that kindness with a meal.  This time of year, when we are all deep-kissing the cold, cold lips of fall, I am inclined to roast a beast in the oven.  This night it was the pig kind of beast, more specifically the tenderest of loin.  

So, one of my favorite cookbooks is the Jimtown Store Cookbook, which has enabled me to feed several mouths to great success.  I messed with the recipe a little, but not much. 

Citrus Glazed Pork Tenderloin (nods to Jimtown)

2 lb pork tenderloin
juice of 5 or six oranges
juice of 1 lemon
two garlic cloves, microplaned or grated fine, or crushed, or manhandled roughly
a good heaping Tbsp. of grated ginger
2 tsp dijon (I used grainy, because I eat that out of the jar I love it so much)
2 Tbsp oil (grapeseed, olive, hell, sesame?)
1/4 cup soy sauce
salt and pepper to your taste

Marinate the tenderloin anywhere from 1-12 hours in the marinade.  I only let it sit for an hour, but I massaged it a lot.  I was bored.

The original recipe is all about grilling, but it is COLD here now, and I am no griller.  So, preheat your oven to 400 F; while that comes to temperature you can sear the loin in a cast-iron pan over high heat so that it is brown all over, roughly 3-4 minutes per "zone".  Pork zone.

When you have browned it, line a baking sheet with parchment and bake that thing for 8 minutes.  Baste it with the remaining marinade, and bake for another 8 minutes.  In the original recipe they suggest reducing the marinade and using it as sauce over the pork when served.  I did that, but frankly I think I just wanted what was already on the thing, no more, no less. 

This will produce delectably moist, fall-apart-y pork.  YUM!  Eat it with your loved ones! 

But did we have vegetables?  Yes, we sure did.  I made a cauliflower puree and kale salad with currants, pine nuts and shaved peccorino romano.  I suggest you do the same.  Cavolo nero is my favorite vegetable at present moment.  I don't know who couldn't love that stuff.

For desert my gorgeous friend and I split a Twix, then went out to an amazing hip hop show. 




 

what will and will not be

I will write about food, not lame stuff.

I will write about music of all kinds.

I will often post videos of stand-up that I love.

I hope this does not suck.  I will try.

Mitch Hedberg 2004 Just For Laughs gala