Posts tagged ‘Kosher salt’

Feb 16

I’m not a Chef, but… (Installment 4)

A Loin of Tender Pork

Pan seared Niman Ranch Pork Tenderloin with a Sriracha and honey pan sauce reduction served with sautéed green beans and baked sweet potato.

First thing is first, wrap a couple of sweet potatoes each in tin foil and bake at 350 degrees in the oven for a little more than an hour. I should have put them on a baking sheet, because the sugars and other juices from the potato leaked out, smoked up the oven, and it was a quite a mess.

Trim and skin the pork tenderloins of the silver skins and excess fat. This really isn’t necessary, but its not too difficult after a few tries. Kosher salt and pepper each side and allow them to come to room temperature. With a little bit of olive oil in the pan, I carefully had to fit all 12 inches of pork tenderloin in a 9 inch pan. Just take your time and sear top and bottom for about 5-7 minutes.

After searing each pork tenderloin, place them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes depending on your preference of doneness. Allow to rest, covered with tin foil for 10 minutes.

Head back to the stove to start the sauce by deglazing the pan with 16 ounces of chicken stock and scraping all the burnt bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add about two table spoons each of Sriracha and honey and let it reduce by half. One of my dinner guests recommended that I should have let the sauce reduce more, but I was getting hungry, it was getting late, and I didn’t want to wait any longer.

Snap the ends off the green beans, and put them in a sauté pan with some lime juice, olive oil, Kosher salt and black pepper on medium high heat for about 6-8 minutes. I like my veg al dente. If you prefer yours a little softer, turn the heat a little lower and cook for a little longer.

Oct 13

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I’m not a chef, but… (Installment 1)

We really want to relate to the at-home cook/chef/dishwasher/vacuum cleaner/grass cutter (well you get the point), so this post begins a series of what we cook at home. Our own David Lynn (Meat Angel Badge #08171981) is not an official chef by trade and title, but a pretty damn good cook to say the least. Our “I’m not a chef, but…” series will relay some of Dave’s experiments, successes, failures and moments of pure awesomeness in his own kitchen. So enjoy and good luck replicating Dave’s artwork in the kitchen (he’s really good at dicing veggies and uses an extraordinary amount of pepper – oh, and he LOVES to talk to anyone or anything within 15 feet).

Airline Chicken Breast with Sweet Potato Fries and Zucchini

Easy, healthy and quick enough for a weekday and if it weren’t for the ridiculously ugly blue plate, and I’m not talking about the mayonnaise, fancy enough to cook for that someone special you’re trying to impress. Pan seared Airline chicken breast with home-made sweet potato fries and sautéed zucchini. Absolute worst part about this meal, I only got to enjoy one glass of wine during the preparation when I really wanted two.

First, rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry using paper towels. Kosher salt and black pepper each side and allow to rest until reaching room temperature. In a large fry pan, pour about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and sear each side for about 6-7 minutes on medium high heat. Finish cooking the chicken in the oven for 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees or until done.

Next, sweet potato fries are easier when you leave them unpeeled. Chop the sweet potato in half; slice thin, and then again as pictured. Toss them in a bowl with kosher salt, black pepper and olive oil and spread out on a sheet pan. Save that bowl, you’ll use it for the zucchini. Bake the sweet potatoes in an oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until desired consistency and texture.

Zucchini, it’s pretty much good any way you slice it, literally. Cut the ends off, half, half again, slice into strips, then dice as pictured. Toss in the same bowl we used for the sweet potatoes adding kosher salt, black pepper and olive oil as needed. While the chicken is resting after being pulled from the oven, toss the veg into a non stick pan on medium high heat until tender. Pour on to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.