Roast Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Quinoa Salad

As seen on Chef Alli's Farm Fresh Kitchen, Thursday, December 26, 2013, WIBW 13 News This Morning Segment, sponsored by Kansas Farm Bureau.  

1 pork tenderloin, approx. 1 lb.

Sauce
1 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. spicy brown mustard
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Quinoa Salad
1 cup uncooked quinoa, any color
2 cups vegetable or beef broth
2 cups spinach, loosely packed, chopped
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (or substitute 1/4 cup dried cranberries)
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
2 oz. crumbled feta

Sear tenderloin off on all sides and place onto a foil-lined baking sheet; place tenderloin into a preheated 425 degree F. oven and roast until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.  Remove from oven and cover pork with foil to rest.  Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, combine sauce ingredients and simmer over low heat until sauce is reduced by about half and slightly thickened.  In a large sauce pan, cook quinoa in broth until tender; let cool slightly, then stir in spinach, pomegranate seeds and pecans.

Slice tenderloin into medallions; place prepared quinoa salad onto serving platter, placing pork medallions around salad.  Brush medallions with warm sauce; top quinoa salad with crumbled feta.  Serve at once.

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Pork Tenderloin with Goat Cheese-Stuffed Dates and Raspberry Chipotle Sauce

As Seen on WIBW 13 News This Morning, Dec. 13, 2012
Chef Alli's PORKTASTIC Holiday Giveaway Sweepstakes Segment

Recipe from www.PorkBeInspired.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes prep, Cook Time: 45 minutes cook

3 oz (about 1/3 cup) rindless goat cheese, at room temperature
16 pitted dates, split lengthwise (but not cut in half)
2 1-pound pork tenderloin, rinsed and patted dry, silverskin and fat trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons mesquite seasoning

Sauce: 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
3/4 cup tawny port
1 cup raspberry chipotle sauce

Cooking Directions:

Tenderloin:
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Place goat cheese in a sandwich bag, press into the corner and snip off the end to make a piping bag. Pipe cheese into the dates. Cut each tenderloin lengthwise, almost, but not quite through. Stuff each tenderloin with filled dates and secure with crosswise loops of butcher’s twine. Brush tenderloins with the oil and season evenly with sweet mesquite seasoning.

Bake 15 minutes. Flip tenderloins and continue baking until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145 degree F, about 20 to 30 minutes more. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes.

Sauce:

While the tenderloins are roasting, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Add port and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid is syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add raspberry chipotle sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and keep warm.

To Serve:

Remove butcher’s twine and carve each tenderloin crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spoon equal amounts of the sauce onto 6 dinner plates, divide pork evenly, and serve.

Serves 6

Slow-Cooked Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce

Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com

2 lbs. boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup Asian sweet chili sauce
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2-3 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup scallions, chopped, for garnish
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, chopped, for garnish

Coat the slow cooker with non-stick spray; add pork, chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic in the cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until the pork is fork-tender and shreds easily.  Remove pork from the slow cooker and dice or shred.  Add the peanut butter to sauce in the slow cooker and stir to combine.  Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and toss to coat evenly in prepared sauce.  Serve in shallow bowls over warm rice, topped with scallions and peanuts.  

Serves 8

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Coconut-Crusted Pork Tenderloin Lollipops

Recipe from www.PorkBeInspired.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes prep, Cook Time: 25 minutes cook

1 pork tenderloin, (about 1 pound)
1 cup sweetened coconut, shredded
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Apricot jam
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
ground black pepper
12  6-inch wooden skewers

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread coconut on baking sheet. Place in heated oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring halfway through baking.

Meanwhile, place honey, jam, ginger and garlic in blender container. Cover and blend until well mixed.

Rub tenderloin with oil; season with salt and pepper. Prepare a medium-hot fire in covered grill. Grill tenderloin, over direct heat for 5 minutes or just until entire surface is brown, turning occasionally. Adjust grill to indirect heat; generously brush entire tenderloin with honey-apricot mixture. Cover and grill over indirect heat for 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F., brushing generously with additional honey-apricot mixture halfway through grilling. Transfer pork to cutting board. Loosely cover with foil; let rest for 10 minutes.

Brush tenderloin again with honey-apricot mixture. Coat tenderloin in coconut, firmly pressing coconut on pork. Skewer with lollipop sticks or bamboo skewers, from the top straight through to the bottom, at 1/2-inch intervals. Slice between sticks into lollipop-shaped pieces. Pat edges of “lollipops” with remaining coconut, if necessary.

Makes 6 appetizer servings.  

Recipe courtesy of Bob Blumer, The Surreal Gourmet

Nutrition:   Calories: 251 calories, Protein: 17 grams, Fat: 9 grams, Sodium: 180 milligrams    cholesterol: 50 milligrams   Saturated Fat: 6 grams, Carbohydrates: 28 grams

Happy New Year!

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Honey and Sage Rack of Roast Pork

As Seen on WIBW 13 News This Morning, Thursday, December 20, 2012

 

Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes prep, Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes cook

2 8-rib pork loin racks, center cut, chine bone off (Frenched)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh sage, snipped

 

 

Season pork racks with salt and pepper. Place each rack in roasting pans with bones facing up and sides not touching. Roast at 350 degrees F. for 1 to 1 1/2 hours (20 minutes per pound) until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 145 degrees F. Remove roast from oven; let rest about 10 minutes. Stir together honey and sage. Brush honey mixture onto roast after removing from oven. 

Serves 16

Note: For serving, two roasts can be positioned with bones interlaced as in photo.

Nutrition:

Calories: 230 calories
Protein: 31 grams
Fat: 7 grams
Sodium: 95 milligrams
Cholesterol: 90 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Fiber: 0 gram

 

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

 

 

Cranberry Apple Pork Tenderloin with Quinoa

1 tsp. grapeseed or canola oil

1 pork tenderloin, approx. 1 lb., seasoned to taste with salt and pepper

Cranberry apple chutney, recipe follow below

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooking directions follow

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil until sizzling, then add tenderloin and brown off on all sides.  Remove from skillet and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast tenderloin, uncovered, in oven for approx. 15-20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees at the center.  Cover tenderloin and let rest for 10-15 minutes before carving into medallions.

Cranberry Apple Chutney

2 lbs. honey crisp apples (3-4 large), peeled and cored, cut into 1-inch chunks
¼ cup splenda or sugar
2 Tbs. maple syrup
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 ½ tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place apples in a large sauce pan with ¼ cup water, sugar, syrup, cinnamon, salt and cranberries; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cover pan and cook for 15-20 minutes or until apples are tender and sauce is thickened.  Uncover pot and mash mixture just until pulpy; stir in lemon juice.

Quinoa

1 cup water
½ cup orange juice
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well

Bring water and orange juice to a boil in a large saucepan. Add quinoa, bring back to a boil and cover, cooking over medium heat for 12-15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all the liquid.  Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. 

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Simply Saucy Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin

Recipe from www.Porkbeinspired.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes prep, Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes cook

4 pound boneless center-cut pork loin roast, (untied), fat and silver skin trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 to 9 slices bacon
1 cup barbecue sauce, purchased

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to plate and cool for 10 minutes.
3. Wrap bacon slices vertically around pork roast; do not overlap bacon. Tie lengthwise and crosswise with kitchen string to hold bacon in place; tuck loose ends of bacon under string. Place on a rack in a roasting pan, tucked-bacon side down.
4. Roast on rack for 15 minutes. Turn pork over and reduce temperature to 350ºF and roast for 15 minutes. Remove rack and return pork to pan, tucked-end side up. Roast, turning occasionally until bacon is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast reads 145ºF, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Skim fat from pan juices, leaving browned juices in pan.
6. Add barbecue sauce and preferred ingredient (*see below) and bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring to loosen browned bits in pan; simmer 2 minutes.
7. Remove strings, carve pork, and serve with sauce.

Serves 10 6-oz portions

*Preferred Ingredient

• Savory: Whisk 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard into the sauce.

• Spicy: Stir in 2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos chilies (nacho slices), drained and finely chopped, into the sauce.

• Fruity: Stir one 8.25-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained, into the sauce.

• Smoky: Stir in 1 or 2 minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo into the sauce.

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Crown Roast of Pork: Tips for Choosing and Roasting

Crown Roast of Pork is truly one of the most magnificent of all holiday entrees, an absolute show-stopper for your family dinner.  Not only is it elegant, it's EASY to prepare and serve as long as you've got a little savvy know-how:

Choosing and Roasting a Crown Roast of Pork (CROP):

1.  Place your Order Ahead of Time for This Specialty Roast.
Make a visit to your butcher and specifically tell him that you want a CROP created from two complete rib racks, chine bones removed, bones 1 through 8 of each rack frenched, then both racks tied together to form a perfect, round crown.  You will then have 16 ribs, enabling you to serve 16 guests a beautiful piece of pork loin.

2.  Lose the Chill and Don't Forget the Beauty Rest.
When you are ready to prepare your CROP, be sure to remove it from refrigeration about an hour ahead of when you want it to go into the oven.  A full CROP typically weighs about 12 lbs., so it's a BIG hunk of meat.  Letting it set for that hour or so will allow the meat to lose it's chill and this beauty rest ensures that your CROP will cook not only a little quicker, but much more evenly as well. 

3.  Find a Seasoning Assistant.
When seasoning your CROP, it works best if you've got an extra set of hands available to help you with this process.  Place the crown on it's side on a large sheet of foil.  As one person holds and turns the roast, the other can work to get the seasonings down into all the crooks and crannies of the CROP to ensure even application and flavor. 

4.  Roast like a Pro.
Position the oven rack into the lower third of the oven, leaving about 2-3 inches of headspace between the CROP and the broiler element.  I like to crank my oven up to about 450 degrees F., place my CROP onto the rack and then turn my oven back down to 350 degrees - this really gets things cookin'!

5.  Use that Instant-Read Meat Thermometer!
After about 2 hours into the roasting process, begin taking the internal temperature of the CROP, checking in several places to be sure the meat is up to temperature throughout.  Insert the probe of the instant-read thermometer into the eye of the meat between the bones at the interior, checking for an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.  (about 18 minutes per lb.)  When this area registers 145 degrees F, continue to roast the CROP an additional 20-25 minutes longer, then remove from the oven.

6.  CROP Carving
After removing the CROP from the oven, use two large spatulas to transfer to a large cutting board; tent CROP with foil and give an additional 20 minutes beauty rest. To carve, clip and discard the kitchen twin that holds the CROP in the crown shape, then slice down between the bones.  Serve with a drizzle of sauce over the top along side your favorite holiday side dishes. 

See?  It's easy and elegant - just like I promised!

Here's the recipe jlink for the Italian-Herbed Crown Roast of Pork that I presented on WIBW 13 News This Morning today:
http://chefallis.blogspot.com/2012/11/italian-herbed-crown-roast-of-pork.html

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Italian-Herbed Crown Roast of Pork

As seen on WIBW 13 News This Morning, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012

Italian-Herbed Crown Roast of Pork
(Recipe for Chef Alli's Cranberry Walnut Dressing Follows Below)

Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com

Prep Time: 10 minutes prep, Cook Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes cook

Ingredients:

Italian-Herbed Crown Roast and Pan Sauce:

1 16-rib pork rib crown roast, (about 8 pounds)
2 tablespoons dried Italian herb blend
Salt and pepper , to taste
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine, preferably Italian
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 to 6 pieces
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the pork in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with the herb blend and generously season with salt and pepper. Roast until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (check towards interior of crown), about 2 1/4 hours (about 18 minutes per pound).

Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain roasting pan and discard liquids; place pan on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add broth and wine. Bring to boil; cook, scraping up browned bits, until liquid reduces to 2 cups, about 12 minutes. Reduce to simmer; add butter, stirring until butter melts. Whisk in cornstarch mixture; cook until sauce thickens, just a few seconds. Remove from heat; whisk until smooth. Strain if you like; season with salt and pepper.

Slice the roast. Serve with the pan sauce on the side.

Yield: 16 servings

Nutrition per serving (Serving is 1 rib/chop and pan sauce)

Serving Suggestions:

Feel free to change up the pan sauce by using white wine instead of red. You can also swap the Italian herbs for your favorite dried herb blend.
Serve with Sausage and Parmesan Dressing.

Nutrition:Calories: 370 calories
Protein: 61 grams
Fat: 15 grams Sodium: 320 milligrams
Cholesterol: 125 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 5 grams
Carbohydrates: 3 grams

Chef Alli’s Cranberry Walnut Dressing

½ cup unsalted butter

1 Tbs. dried parsley
¾ tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 lb. cubed bread or cornbread, dried or toasted
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 cups strong chicken broth, divided use

In a large sauté pan over medium low heat, bloom spices for a few seconds, just until fragrant.  Add butter to saute pan and melt, stirring to incorporate with spices; add onions and celery and cook until tender, approx. 8-10 minutes.  Stir in raisins, cranberries, walnuts, and bread cubes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place dressing into greased baking dish; pour 2 cups broth over all and toss to incorporate. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, adding more chicken broth during baking time if needed. Remove cover during last 10 minutes of baking time.

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Bacon-Pork Chops with BBQ Glaze

Bacon-Pork Chops with BBQ Glaze

Recipe from PorkBeInspired.com

Prep Time: 5 minutes prep, Cook Time: 20 minutes cook

4 6-ounce boneless top loin pork chops, cut 1-inch thick
1 teaspoon coarse salt
4 slices bacon, preferably maple-flavored
4 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1/2 cup lager beer, (or non-alcoholic beer)
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup chicken broth, reduced-sodium

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Season pork with salt. Wrap bacon around the edges of the pork and secure with a wooden toothpick. Mix together barbecue sauce and beer.

Heat oil in ovenproof large skillet over medium-high heat. Stand chops bacon side down in skillet, leaning against the side of pan if needed. Using tongs, in sequence, turn and stand chops along bacon-wrapped edges to lightly brown bacon, about 3 1/2 minutes (allow about 45 seconds to brown each section). Place chops, wide flat side down, in skillet and cook until underside is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Turn chops over. Spread equal amount of barbecue sauce mixture over top of each chop, letting excess run into skillet.

Place skillet with chops in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Transfer each chop to a dinner plate and let stand while making sauce.

Meanwhile, pour out fat from skillet, leaving browned bits in skillet. Heat skillet over high heat until hot. Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, and boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Top each chop with a spoonful of sauce and serve hot.

Makes 4 servings

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with roasted potato wedges or smashed sweet potatoes.

Nutrition per serving of pork and glaze.

Nutrition:

Calories: 350 calories
Protein: 51 grams
Fat: 11 grams
Sodium: 1120 milligrams
Cholesterol: 130 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 7 grams

Big Daddy Patty Cooks Dinner: Pasta Fagioli

Pasta Fagioli

½ lb. Italian sausage, crumbled (or use regular pork sausage and add 1 tsp. Italian seasonings in addition to spices listed below)

½ lb. lean ground beef, crumbled

½ onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

28 oz. Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

14 oz. can dark kidney beans, undrained

2 cups strong beef broth

2 Tbs. tomato paste

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/8 cup freshly minced parsley (or sub 1 tsp. dried)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

½ lb. penne pasta, cooked according to pkg. directions

Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded

 Sauté sausage, ground beef, onion, garlic, oregano, and thyme in heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat until meats are browned and cooked throughout; crumbling with spatula; drain fats. Add tomatoes and kidney beans with juice, broth, tomato paste, cayenne pepper and parsley; season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.  Simmer over low heat for 40-45 minutes, adding more beef broth if needed.  (Should be the consistency of a very thick soup)  Serve fagioli over warm bowls of pasta topped with parmesan.