Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin

My dad gave me a lovely little pork tenderloin the other day. I wasn't sure how I would season it. I'm not a big fan of pork, so I wanted a marinade strong enough in flavour to help me "overcome" the pork thing. On the other hand, J loves pork (and just about any other meat in existence), so I had to make something that would delight his palette as well. This is what I came up with. Adapted from a Canadian Living recipe. Serves four.

A tenderloin is a long, skinny, and (as the name implies) tender cut of meat from an area between the animal's rump and ribs. For those of you who are scientifically inclined, Wikipedia states that "the tenderloin refers to the psoas major muscle anterior to the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae, near the kidneys." Since it is the least-used muscle in the animal's body, it is the most tender. It literally melts in your mouth. You might even be able to cut it with a butterknife after it's cooked. If you're counting pennies, watch your local grocery flyers, and scoop up a few of these when they're on sale. They keep in the freezer very well.

2 pork tenderloins
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 - 2 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger, to taste
1 - 2 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic, to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large Ziplock baggie. (Alternatively, mix marinade ingredients in a small bowl separate from the pork, and use two-thirds to marinate the pork and save the other third for serving.) Marinade the tenderloins in the fridge for at least half an hour, and up to a day.

Preheat a flame- or electric-grill to medium-high heat. Place marinated tenderloins on the grill - save the marinade juices for basting. Grill for at least ten minutes per side, or until desired doneness is reached. Baste tenderloins for the first few minutes of cooking. When tenderloins are done to your desire, remove them from the grill, place them on a cutting board, and tent them with foil. Let the meat sit for 5 minutes to calm down before slicing the tenderloin in thin, 1/2-inch slices. Serve with skin-on mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus (and the extra marinade you might have set aside).

I wanted to speed up my cooking time because I was using an indoor electric non-stick grill. So I "butterflied" my tenderloin - that is, I sliced it along its entire length, about halfway through, and opened it up, thus making it flatter. It quickened my cooking time, and it was just as juicy, tender, and delicious! Plus, the marinade settled into the "V" formed by butterflying it - and made it extra saucy. Drool.

Peach BBQ Ribs

I like to eat something sweet with my pork. Whether it's bacon, sausages, ham, or ribs, I feel that pork just isn't complete without a sweet element. In this recipe, I use in-season peaches to sweeten the BBQ sauce. This recipe needs to be started well in advance, so consider starting this recipe the day before you plan to serve the ribs.

Sauce:
2 large peaches, chopped (I left skin on)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 c. BBQ sauce (use your favourite)
1/4 c. beer
1/4 c. ketchup
1 Tbsp. grated fresh garlic
1/8 c. maple syrup

Mix all of these in a large mason jar or other suitable closed container. Let it sit for as long as possible to let the flavours meld and mingle - overnight is ideal.

Ribs:
Rub your rack(s) of ribs in salt and pepper. Wrap your ribs, bone-side up, in a double layer of tin foil and braise at 325 F for about 1.5 hours (or until cooked through).

At this point, the ribs can be refrigerated, so you can prepare the sauce and cook the ribs the night before, and then slow-cook the ribs the next day.

Slow Cooker:
Place ribs into your slow cooker in any way they fit, and cover them with the peach BBQ sauce. Pour enough beer into the slow cooker to cover the bottom. Cook on LOW for 8 - 10 hours, and serve with more BBQ sauce.

It will fall off the bone! You will need lots of napkins. Enjoy!

Sauerkraut Stew

This is a delicious slow-cooker meal, inspired by Oktoberfest. Filled with kraut, browned pork, sausage, potatoes and carrots, it is hearty and heart-warming. This is one of my own creations.

Since this is a stew, play around with ingredients. This is not a set-in-stone recipe.

Marinate your pork: I used pork chops, but you can use any tasty cut. The tough bits will break down almost completely in the slow cooker anyway. Cube the pork into bite-sized chunks and marinate in a bowl, overnight, in worcestershire, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic.

- Saute 2 - 3 pounds of marinated pork, cubed, in butter until brown on all sides. Dump in slow cooker.
- Cut up 6 Oktoberfest sausages. I used mild. I'm sure spicy would be yummy too. Add to cooker.
- Add 1 large jar or can of sauerkraut (your favourite kind, I used wine-fermented), juice and all, to pot.
- Add diced carrots, cubed potatoes (I prefer skin-on), a diced onion.
- Add generously, to taste: worcestershire sauce, salt, spices (rosemary, thyme, sage, pepper), mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, red wine vinegar.
- Add heaping tablespoon full of beef bouillon, dissolved in 1 c. hot water.
- I like to make this dish a little bit sweet to balance the "sauer": a few tablespoons of sugar (or maple syrup), or cut up an apple.


Stir everything up, and cook it on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 10 - 12 hours.

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, and with some nice rye bread.