Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Cream Sauce

Garlic.  Cream.  Yum.


Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin, 2 - 3 lbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
6 cloves roasted garlic, creamed
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine spices with olive oil. Rub over the meat and place the tenderloin on a sheet tray or small roasting pan. Cook until the temperature registers 155 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 20 minutes or so.  Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice into 1/2 inch slices.

While the pork is roasitng, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Blend in flour, salt, pepper. Add the garlic and cream and heat until the sauce boils, stirring constantly. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  Spoon sauce over pork slices and serve.  Enjoy!

Poached Chicken Breast with Tarragon Cream Sauce

I know it will come as quite a shock that I'm posting a chicken recipe, since I've declared my apathy toward chicken many times on this blog. However, I have to concede that if you take the time to cook it properly, it can be good.

This is a recipe I learned in culinary school and I took step by step pictures of the method, as you could apply this to any type of protein (it is particularly good with chicken or fish).

Yield: 2 entree size portions

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, bonelesss and skinless
2 ounces butter
Salt and white pepper, to taste
2 ounces dry white wine
12 ounces chicken stock
1/4 Bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
4 ounces heavy cream
2-3 fresh tarragon sprigs

Directions:
Choose a pan that will just hold the breasts when they are placed close together. The pan should basically be just big enough to hold the chicken without crowding it, but not much bigger.

Rub the bottom of the pan with a bit of the butter, reserving the rest. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then arrange them in the buttered pan. Add the white wine, stock, bay leaf, and fresh tarragon.

Cut and butter a piece of parchment paper into a circle, with a small hole in the middle. Cover the chicken breasts. Bring the liquid to a simmer and then reduce the temperature to low to poach the chicken.

In a small separate pan, make a blond roux with 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside to cool.

The chicken should take about 15-20 minutes to poach. Watch the color changing; once the chicken pieces have turned entirely white, they will be nearly done. When the chicken breasts are cooked through, remove them from the pan and set aside. Thicken the liquid with the roux. Add the cream. Simmer and reduce to the desired consistency. Strain the sauce (or just remove tarragon and bay leaves) and adjust the seasonings to taste.

Serve each breast with sauce, garnish with bay leaf or a sprig of fresh tarragon.
Enjoy!

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

This is a pretty simple recipe for a sweet & smoky BBQ sauce.  If you want to use this as a starting point, you can add additional seasonings, pureed fruit, a few tablespoons of honey, change up the spices, etc.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white vinegar

3 tbsp liquid smoke
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Add ingredients to a bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the spices are distributed.  Use this to marinate chicken, shrimp, or serve as a dipping sauce.  Store in the fridge or freeze for later use.