After a long day Saturday, we got down to business with some good ol' Southern cookin'. You know the food was good through my clever use of apostrophes here. But seriously...
In any case, fans of the blog now know that Vanessa has taken over most of the cooking duties during the week, as my job now has me coming home quite a bit later. As she has picked up the slack, she is wanting to know about more cooking techniques. And though this pork recipe is written for the oven, we went ahead and threw it on the grill.
The meat came out tender and delicious, with a little zip. Perfect along with the Mac and Cheese, which is always a favorite.
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Recipe By: Matt and Ted Lee - Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Serving Size: 4
Summary:
Becoming a certified barbecue judge requires a rigorous three-hour course of study, but we stuck with it and received our diplomas from the Kansas City Barbecue Society. We needed certification because we'd been invited to judge the prestigious Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbeque and weren't about to turn down the opportunity.
The first principle of barbecue is that nothing is called barbecue (or BBQ or bar-b-que) that has not been cooked for a very long time using wood smoke or coals for heat. In other words. we may get our diplomas revoked forgiving the name "BBQ" to pork tenderloin that has been seared, then roasted in a gas oven.
We'll risk it for this recipe (and one or two more in this chapter), which was inspired by the datil peppers we encountered in the Florida panhandle. The datil, a cousin of the habanero, was brought to Florida in the late 1700s by Minorcans who settled around St. Augustine. Traveling in the area today. you still find a few farmstands and kitchen "factories" turning out hot sauces and pepper jellies, sausages and pilaus, with datil peppers. Like a habanero or a Scotch bonnet, a datil is searingly hot, but it also has a soaring, aromatic flavor that most folks claim to be indescribable. Since we're in the business of pinning it down, we'd say it has hints of smoked bergamot tea and orange peel.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup bourbon
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 datil pepper or habanero chile, blistered over a burner or in a hot, dry skillet, then seeded and minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2x3/4 lbs. pork tenderloins
1/4 cup sorghum molasses or cane syrup
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Directions:
In a shallow bowl, combine the bourbon, water, vinegar, ginger, chile, and garlic. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Remove the pork from the marinade; brush off any excess and pat dry. In a small saucepan, boil the marinade over high heat until reduced by one third, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the sorghum molasses and ketchup and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Brush the tenderloins lightly with oil and season them with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sear the pork over high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast for about 12 minutes, or until cooked through, turning the meat in the sauce. Transfer the pork to a work surface, cover with aluminum foil, and let stand for at least 5 minutes.
To serve, thickly slice the meat across the grain and serve with any remaining sauce.
Notes:
VARIATION - Fiery Pork Tenderloin with Sour Orange and Honey Glaze
In place of the bourbon, sherry vinegar, ginger and garlic, use 1 cup SOUR ORANGE SAUCE (page 528) in the marinade. Then substitute 1/2 cup honey for the 1/4 cup sorghum molasses and 1/4 cup ketchup.
KILLER LEFTOVER - Fiery Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
Refrigerate leftover barbecued pork and sauce. Reheat the following day in a skillet or a microwave oven and serve on a toasted hamburger bun.
WHAT TO DRINK: A zesty Sancerre (made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes)from the Loire Valley, or a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, with enough fruit flavor to balance the mix of spices and peppers that infuse the tenderloin.
Macaroni and Cheese
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Recipe By: Matt and Ted Lee - Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Serving Size: 12
Summary:
In a chapter on vegetable dishes? Of course! At public schools throughout the South and in meat-and-threes we frequent (cafeterias built around meals that offer a choice of meats and three side dishes), mac 'n' cheese is always considered a vegetable. In our house it is, too.
How to make a great macaroni and cheese? One, high-quality cheese, and two, lots of it. In this recipe, we drench the macaroni in a cheese sauce made with extra-sharp cheddar and bay leaf Then we layer the sauced macaroni with more extra-sharp cheddar and slices of Swiss cheese for good, gooey measure.
If you have access to an aged Gruyere, substitute it for the Swiss, because it adds an appealingly funky character. But there's plenty of charisma already in this macaroni and cheese, so feel free to incorporate any of the brands of Swiss cheese you find at the supermarket, such as Cracker Barrel or Boar's Head. Either way, you won't be disappointed.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
3 bay leaves
6 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 lb. Gruyere or Swiss cheese, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Pour 2 quarts water into a large stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and reserve in a large bowl.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat until frothy. Add the flour and cook, stirring continuously, for 3 minutes. Add the milk, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt, increase the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. about 10 minutes. Add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it is completely melted. Turn off the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir gently but thoroughly so that it is evenly distributed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread half the macaroni and cheese (about 4 1/2 cups) in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole and flatten into an even layer with a spatula or wooden spoon. Sprinkle half the remaining grated cheddar cheese over it, then place half the slices of Swiss cheese on top. Spread the remaining macaroni and cheese in the casserole, scatter the remaining cheddar cheese over it. and top with the remaining slices of Swiss cheese. Bake on middle rack of oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes. If desired. transfer to top rack for last five minutes to gently brown the top.
Serve immediately, and -as you would with greens, with okra or any other southern vegetable, really -pass a cruet of Pepper Vinegar (page 518) at the table.
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Recipe By: Matt and Ted Lee - Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Serving Size: 12
Summary:
In a chapter on vegetable dishes? Of course! At public schools throughout the South and in meat-and-threes we frequent (cafeterias built around meals that offer a choice of meats and three side dishes), mac 'n' cheese is always considered a vegetable. In our house it is, too.
How to make a great macaroni and cheese? One, high-quality cheese, and two, lots of it. In this recipe, we drench the macaroni in a cheese sauce made with extra-sharp cheddar and bay leaf Then we layer the sauced macaroni with more extra-sharp cheddar and slices of Swiss cheese for good, gooey measure.
If you have access to an aged Gruyere, substitute it for the Swiss, because it adds an appealingly funky character. But there's plenty of charisma already in this macaroni and cheese, so feel free to incorporate any of the brands of Swiss cheese you find at the supermarket, such as Cracker Barrel or Boar's Head. Either way, you won't be disappointed.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
3 bay leaves
6 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 lb. Gruyere or Swiss cheese, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Pour 2 quarts water into a large stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and reserve in a large bowl.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat until frothy. Add the flour and cook, stirring continuously, for 3 minutes. Add the milk, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt, increase the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. about 10 minutes. Add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it is completely melted. Turn off the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir gently but thoroughly so that it is evenly distributed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread half the macaroni and cheese (about 4 1/2 cups) in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole and flatten into an even layer with a spatula or wooden spoon. Sprinkle half the remaining grated cheddar cheese over it, then place half the slices of Swiss cheese on top. Spread the remaining macaroni and cheese in the casserole, scatter the remaining cheddar cheese over it. and top with the remaining slices of Swiss cheese. Bake on middle rack of oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes. If desired. transfer to top rack for last five minutes to gently brown the top.
Serve immediately, and -as you would with greens, with okra or any other southern vegetable, really -pass a cruet of Pepper Vinegar (page 518) at the table.
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