Sunday, 4/11/2010

Just realized, again, that today is Sunday. And, although I am sad that the weekend is ending, I am pleased to say that it concluded with a delicious meal. It even included a salad;) Here's what I made: Pan Fried Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Red Pepper Bacon Sauce, Caesar Salad, and Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies.


PAN FRIED PORK TENDERLOIN

1 pork tenderloin- cut and flattened
flour
kosher salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
vegetable oil

Cut tenderloin into 1/2 in slices. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter, place a slice on it, and fold plastic over the pork. Using a meat mallet, flatten the slice of pork until it is approximately 1/4" thick.

Dredge each piece in a mixture of flour, salt, and peppers.

Heat oil in a medium pan (don't use non-stick). Put pieces of pork into the oil and leave alone until slight browning occurs. Turn and leave alone until slight browning occurs and pork is cooked through. You may need to do this step in batches. Move cooked pieces onto a paper towel covered plate until ready to serve and keep warm.

The pork was tender and moist, but lacked the crispy outside I hoped for. Next time I might try leaving more of the flour on or dunk the pieces in an egg bath before dredging in the flour.

ROASTED RED PEPPER & BACON SAUCE

1 1/2 cups jarred roasted red peppers, drained (10-ounce jar)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper

1. Puree red peppers, tomatoes, oregano, cayenne, wine, and oil in food processor or blender until smooth.

2. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes (took me longer). Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from pan and return to medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add red pepper mixture to skillet and bring to simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until flavors meld, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream and half the bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

I found this sauce recipe in a magazine- not sure which one. Credit goes to Patricia Lohrey of Port Ludlow, WA. It was intended to be a pasta sauce. We tried it with spaghetti a couple months ago and loved it! Seemed like it would go well with the pork tenderloin I had in the fridge. I ladled some of the sauce onto the plate, placed a couple pieces of pork on top, a little more sauce and then sprinkled with the remaining crisp bacon.

The caesar salad was one from the store...everything included. I just add more parmesan cheese and black pepper.

And, the Butterscotch Oatmeal cookie recipe came straight off the butterscotch chip bag. I started making them earlier this year when I realized it gave an option to use either vanilla extract or orange zest as flavoring. The orange zest gives them amazing flavor. Much more interesting than vanilla. They are now a household favorite!