Grilled Pork Tenderloin

We had some great friends over for dinner the week we were trying to get ready for a bunch of dogsitters, so I was in need of a low stress meal that could be made on the grill. I wanted to aim a little higher than burgers and dogs, so I picked up a pork tenderloin at the farm. I was going to make a bourbon marinade someone suggested, but failed to note that it was supposed to marinate for 12 hours prior to grilling. With two hours to go before they arrived for dinner, I had to improvise. It turned out pretty good, but probably could have done with a longer marinade. I served this with a variation of the veggies in foil, some corn on the cob, and tomatoes with basil and olive oil. We ended the night with some vanilla ice cream with fresh peaches and then I soundly beat the pants off of everyone at 500 Rummy. (Are you practicing, KT?)


Grilled Pork Tenderloin
1 tenderloin (around 1.5 lbs)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tblsp chopped garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
Put all ingredients in a ziploc bag and squish around to make sure the tenderloin is well coated. Let rest in the stove for at least 2 hours. Heat grill to high. Sear pork over high heat, then reduce to medium low. Cook for 15-20 minutes and then check internal temperature. Pull pork from grill at 155 and let rest. Temperature should reach 160 while resting. Slice and serve.

Veggies in Foil

This is a great side dish for any grilled meal. I made it to accompany chicken breast marinated in raspberry walnut vinaigrette. Try that once. Tasted delicious, but it was kind of, umm, pink. Anyway, onto the veggies...


Veggies in Foil
3 cups chopped veggies (I used pattypan squash, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a banana pepper, and some weird sweet orange peppers)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
couple of shakes of tabasco sauce
Mix together all ingredients and let sit for 20 minutes. Wrap in a foil pouch with a small opening at top to vent. Cook over high heat on the grill for 15-20 minutes.

Pesto Steak and Smashed Chive Potatoes

Last night I pulled a steak out of the freezer with no plan. I also have a basil plant in my garden that has turned into something of a monster. I decided to put them together and see how it went. I got a bit lazy with the pesto because it was getting late and I had a baby and a husband to feed. And what goes better with steak than potatoes?!

(Measurements are estimates. I'm not big on measuring when I cook.)

Pesto Steak
four single serving pieces of skirt steak
1.5 cups basil
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Salt and pepper steak and place on hot grill pan. Cook for four minutes on each side to medium. While the steak is cooking, put the basil, cheese, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender and combine. Add olive oil as necessary to reach a paste consistency (or whatever consistency you like). Serve steak topped with a generous dollop of pesto.

Smashed Chive Potatoes
6 medium potatoes - skin on (I used a mix of red and russet)
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped chives
salt

In a large saucepan, boil potatoes in salted water until they fall off the fork when poked. Drain and return potatoes to saucepan. Add butter, milk, and chives. Smash to desired consistency (I prefer a lot of chunks).

I served this dinner with a tomato fresh from my garden and fresh mozzerella. As a side note, I realized while we were eating that this dinner was totally local (well, I guess mostly local because of the salt, pepper, and butter).