For the better part of two weeks I had been dreaming of a nice cool day that would
not only be a good day for spending time outside with the grill but also allow one to have the appetite for some hearty food. That day arrived on Monday with the projected high to be in the low 80's in the afternoon and an overcast sky with a cool breeze in the morning. I've had some grill time during the oppressive heat in late July and early August but it has mostly been wings and burgers. I already had the basis for a plan and it started with Spinach, Mushrooms and Fontina Cheese. When I first started thinking about these ingredients it was with the intention of stuffing chicken breasts. but the 105 degree afternoons were stronger than my urge for stuffed chicken breasts. With the temperature down 25 degrees the stuffing urge reemerged as Stuffed Pork Tenderloin.
After a run to the local market I had settled on the stuffing ingredients. I will use Baby Spinach, Shiitake Mushrooms, Fontina Cheese, Yellow Onion and Garlic. After having Fontina Cheese on a couple of occasions I had determined this was something I needed to work into a dish at some point. This seemed like the perfect opportunity since the other dishes I had it in, had spinach as well.
There are occasions when I do everything necessary to make a recipe have all the flavor it can possibly have. On those occasions I will use at least one thing that will make a cardiologist cringe, and sometimes multiple things. You or I, should not eat these things on a regular basis but when you are making a meal that is special to your heart, forget the cardiologist for that one meal. Along those lines I decided I needed some bacon fat to brown my veggies and wilt my spinach. It will make all the other ingredients in the stuffing be, the best they can be. I chopped five slices of Hickory Smoked Bacon and will brown them up and render the fat. I will not be using the bacon in the dish but I will be using the fat and the magnificent goo that will form on the bottom of the pan.
Once the bacon is removed from my pan I add an equal part of a good Olive Oil to make this a heart healthy dish! I brown my Onion for approximately 5 minutes at a medium temperature and then add the Shiitake Mushrooms. In the last couple of minutes I add a mixture of finely Chopped Garlic and Minced Garlic. I add the garlic last to prevent it from burning.
Next I add 12 ozs of fresh Baby Spinach. I will cook this for just a few minutes with the lid on to sweat the spinach and wilt it good.
One of the nice things about this meal is the amount of pre preparation that you can do. It works great for when you are having guests because everything being used in this meal can be prepared in the morning or early afternoon. With everything prepared the total cook time for the meal will be 50 to 60 minutes with a minimal amount of attention necessary. I butterfly my two tenderloins and give them a good beating with the bottom of a small cast iron skillet. These tenderloins are approximately 1.4 lbs each and are a very affordable cut, running $6 to $7 each. I will lay the tenderloins out on parchment paper and stuff, roll and tie. I start by layering the Fontina Cheese and leave a border at the bottom to make the final turn go smoother and seal the tenderloin as good as possible. I put a nice layer of the cooked stuffing over the cheese (try to avoid my usual mistake of over stuffing) and it is ready to be rolled and tied. If you have a cooking partner this is a good time to utilize them to help in the tie up.
With both tenderloins stuffed, I wrap them in plastic wrap and send them to the refrigerator. I will work on my sides now. I take an assortment of mixed new potatoes (Red, Yukon Gold and Fingerling) and cut them into varying shapes. I put them in a zip lock bag adding a mixture of 1 tbs melted Butter and 1 tbs Olive Oil. I sprinkle with Rosemary, Thyme and Parsley and then work the bag until I have good distribution of the herbs. I will leave these in the bag at room temperature until they are needed.
My other side will be one of my favorites. Fresh Asparagus that will be bundled with a slice of Prosciutto. I take 5 or 6 Asparagus spears and wrap them with a piece of Prosciutto that I have doubled over for strength. What I love about this technique besides the flavor, is the ease of turning it on the grill and the ease of serving for guests. I drizzle the bundles with Olive Oil and they are ready when I am. I've got everything prepared for the meal and I have a good two hours to relax outside on this beautiful afternoon before I start cooking. It seems like the perfect time to enjoy a glass of wine and listen to some good music.
I have prepared the grill for two cooking zones, one for hot direct cooking and one for indirect cooking. I will initially place the Tenderloins directly over the hot fire to produce a sear on the meat. I will give it a couple of minutes on 3 of the sides and not sear the seam side. Once my sear is on I will move it off the coals to the indirect side to finish the cook. All the while the glory of this 80 degrees and a breeze is not escaping me. After the summer we have had, this feels nothing short of spectacular. The smell of the grill, a glass of good wine and hanging out with my wife and son make this an A+ day.
Everything has come together very well and the timing is perfect. I turned the oven off and the potatoes are waiting in a warm oven. The Tenderloins have come off and have been tented and resting. While the Tenderloins finished cooking on the indirect side of the grill I threw my Asparagus Bundles on the hot side side of the grill and turned them after 4 or 5 minutes going a total cook time of 8- 10 minutes. I want a few char marks for that great flavor but don't want the Asparagus to wilt. My first impressions are, everything looks good!!
While everything is resting my wife suggests that we eat in the sun room. At that moment I was admiring the evening sky with pastel blues and the sun casting a pink tint on the underneath of passing clouds. I thought absolutely, this is a great day to eat outside!
The Stuffed Tenderloin had everything the human eye could ask for as I removed the tent and cut into it. The juices were flowing, the color was excellent with snow white pork and a slight pink ring around the edges produced by the grilling process, and the stuffing was colorful and bound by the Fontina Cheese.
I paired the meal with a 2008 Estancia Pinot Noir. The rule of thumb will usually say white pork pairs with white wine. In this case with the earthiness of the Spinach and Shiitake Mushrooms and the earthy, nutty, buttery taste of the Fontina Cheese, the Pinot Noir was an excellent match. The Asparagus had a collage of flavors with the saltiness of the Prosciutto, and the charring from the grill, balanced by the Olive Oil. It was crispy but tender and cooked perfect by my standards. The potatoes were crisp on the outside with a warm center and a nice assist from the Herbs and Olive Oil, Butter mixture. This was a meal I was very proud of. I will keep it on file for several reasons. First and foremost the food was excellent, it will work well for a formal meal for guests or informal with outdoor dining as we did and finally, the timing of this meal is perfect allowing early preparation, easy time lines, and relaxation for the cook.
It was a perfect day for me. I got to take a stroll through the produce market and the meat market, spend some prep time in the kitchen, spend time in the beautiful outdoors, spend time with family and prepare dinner for loved ones. I finished my evening sitting outside listening to the sounds of the music I've grown up on. My wife eventually came out and turned the music off after midnight and allowed me to finish my nap in my chair on the deck. What a great day and evening! Until next time, I hope you all take the time to treasure every day, treasure your loved ones and really love all the aspects of life that you like but take for granted. See you guys and gals next time.
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