Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Veggies

I’d like to share with you a pork recipe that I tried yesterday. This was my first time ever cooking a pork tenderloin. For those who already know then please excuse my ignorance, but did you know pork tenderloin and pork loin are two different types of meats? Tenderloin is actually a smaller muscle than the loin and lies beneath the larger loin. The tenderloin is much tenderer than the loin, hence, tenderloin. So anyways, since it is autumn and all, I wanted to try an “autumny” recipe with pork and apples.

I found a really simple recipe on foodnetwork dot com. I pretty much followed the recipe exactly. The only addition was adding about ¼ cup of red wine to make the sauce in place of apple cider (since I didn’t have any). You could add about ¾ cup chicken broth also, but I didn’t and the sauce was still very tasty. I also didn’t have any celery and don’t care too much for celery so I didn’t add it in. I took out the meat at 150 degrees and let it sit. There was no blush in the middle but the meat was still very tender and moist. I think this would be a good recipe to make for a small dinner party. You definitely will need a good size pan that can also go in the oven.

Adapted from foodnetwork.com
Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Veggies
vegetable oil
olive oil
1 (2-pound) boneless center cut pork loin, trimmed and tied
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
3 carrots cut into about 2 inch chunks
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 apples peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ red wine
2 tablespoons mustard
salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large ovenproof skillet heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Season the pork loin all over generously with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Sear the meat until golden brown on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a plate and set it aside.
Add the onions, carrots, garlic, herb sprigs, and 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet. Stir until the vegetables are browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced apples, then push the mixture to the sides and place the pork loin in the middle of the skillet along with the juices. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the loin until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 140 to 150 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cover it loosely with foil.
To make the sauce:
Arrange the apples and vegetables on a platter. Discard the herb sprigs. Return the skillet to med-high heat and add the vinegar scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits at bottom of pan. Add the wine and let the alcohol cook off for a few minutes. Take the skillet from the heat and whisk in the mustard, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
Remove the strings from the roast and slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Drizzle the sauce over the meat.

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Suong Kho:: Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Spareribs

While they have that saying, “Traditions are meant to be broken,” I strongly feel some traditions are meant to be kept. Growing up in America as an immigrant in a relatively big family, as a child I always wanted to become more modernized and “Americanized”. I shamelessly pushed away my roots and wanted so bad to have the life of the typical “American” girl. I wanted my own room, at least my own bed. I wanted to wear shoes in the house. I wanted a matching bed set, with matching pillow cases and sheets- not those big furry blankets that put me to shame when my friends came over (I now believe these furry blankets are the most comfortable and warm blankets ever). I wanted to speak English to my parents. I didn’t want to use chopsticks. I wanted to use forks and spoons. I didn’t want to use bowls. I wanted plates.

No, there was nothing wrong with me wanting to adapt to the American culture, but there was something terribly wrong with me not accepting my own. Fortunately for me, as I became older, I realized how important my culture was to me. As I became more and more appreciative of my parents, I became more and more accepting and intrigued with my own heritage. After years of struggling with my culture and wanting to keep it in the dark, I am beginning to see my Vietnamese culture in a new light- and it is a radiant light!

Speaking of traditions and culture, one of the most traditional and nostalgic thing for me is a Vietnamese dish called “suon kho”.  It reminds me of my childhood, my parents and my home. It is basically pork spare ribs in a caramelized sauce (I know Izz, you don’t eat pork, that’s too bad hehe). When I moved away from my parents, I knew I had to learn to make it. Once I did learn the basics of the dish, I couldn’t believe how easy it was. Suon kho is traditionally served along with “canh” or soup such as canh bau (opo squash soup) and a nice bowl of steaming hot rice. Ironically, I’m not sure if this is the traditional way of making this. I found the basis for this recipe on a food forum a LONG while back so I don’t remember who posted it and I can’t seem to find the forum again so I can’t give credit to who posted it (sorry!).

Suon Kho - Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Spare Ribs

1.5 lbs of pork spare ribs, cut down the meat between the bones to have little pieces

2 Tbs brown sugar

1 shallot minced

1 Tbs garlic minced

1 pinch red pepper flakes

2 Tbs fish sauce

¼ cup water

1 Tbs olive oil

First rinse the pork and pat dry.

In a medium skillet on medium high heat, add olive oil, let pan heat up then add meat. It should make a sizzling sound so that you can get a nice browning on the ribs. Once all the meat is browned, add the sugar and 1 Tbs of the fish sauce and stir to incorporate. Continue cooking and turning the meat after about 2-3 minutes add garlic, shallots and pepper flakes. Continue cooking and turning the meat so it doesn’t burn.

Lower the heat to medium low and add the rest of the fish sauce and mix. Continue cooking. Once sugar caramelizes and meat looks nice and brown (close to burning) add the water and stir. After a while you should get a nice sauce. Total cooking time of the pork will vary depending on how big the pieces are. It took me about 20-30 minutes to cook the meat all the way. Garnish with green onions and serve!

Canh Bau – Opo Squash Soup

I actually found the recipe for this soup on recipezaar and it was the most authentic recipe I could find. 

Opo is a great vegetable to eat [and to say :)]. This is the first time I’ve cooked with it but it’s very easy to prepare. You can use it for soup or sauté them with some garlic and olive oil. Its subtle taste makes it very easy to manipulate into whatever flavors you like.  Best of all it is nutritious! Here are some more information on opo squash.

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