I love the show
Good Eats. Alton is a wealth of food knowledge and know-how, and I dig the way he focuses on technique versus recipes. I love that he wants to teach viewers the "whys" of cooking. He really emphasizes that a particular method can be applied to a host of recipes, not just one. Oh, AB...I am a fan!
Sadly, I always forget about AB's dishes. Often when I watch
Good Eats I think, "Gee, I need to make that (insert dish here)", but then I never do. We actually DVR the show, so I watch it frequently. I really don't know why I always blank on trying to recreate some of his food. It is really quite the question mark! Well, Tonight is the night. We watched his pork tenderloin show a week or so ago, and I quickly bookmarked the recipes. This dish looks both easy and tasty. Really, can you go wrong with marinated then grilled meat???? Probably not. I am not sure what I am going to serve this dish with yet, so I will have to think about it and update you later. Yum! I love grilled food, and I am looking forward to this meal.
Grilled Pork TenderloinRecipe adapted from Alton Brown, 2009;
foodnetwork.comIngredients:1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin.
Place lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic powder in a small, lidded jar and shake to combine. Pour half of the marinade mixture into a 1-gallon resealable bag, add the chipotle pepper, and move around to combine. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing as much air as possible and place in a container to catch any leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through the time. Place the remaining marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Remove the tenderloin from the bag and allow to sit at room temperature while preparing the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.
Fill a large chimney starter with natural lump charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is ashy and white, approximately 30 minutes, dump the hot charcoal onto the lowest grate of the grill and spread into an even layer using extra-long tongs. Place the cooking grate back on the grill and cover with the lid; heat the grate to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and place in the center of grate. Discard bag with marinade. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
Remove the tenderloin from the grill and place on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded at the edges to create a basket, and pour on the reserved marinade. Wrap tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
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Here is one of the side dish that I made to go with our pork. The other was saffron rice with some kidney beans mixed in (normally, I use black beans...but I was out).
I bought some globe artichokes at
Sprout's and thought I would try something new with them. I have only cooked artichokes once before; I stuffed them with cheese and bread crumbs (a Giada recipe). I wanted something decidedly easier, so I scoped this recipe out on
RecipeZaar. I had everything on hand and the instructions were pretty clear; which made dispatching the artichokes a little easier. I must confess, artichokes are a little intimidating to clean. They are still a little foreign to me. Also, they are a lot of work to eat. However, I think they are worth it. They are so delicious I don't mind putting in a little elbow grease.
Garlic ArtichokesFrom:
Recipezaar.com/Recipe #61382 by Geema Ingredients:2 large globe artichokes (1 lb each)
1 lemon, cut into quarters
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup white wine or water
5 tablespoons butter, melted
your favorite hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
Directions:1.Cut off the stems of the artichokes.
2.With a sharp knife (I find a serrated knife works well) cut off the top 1/3 of the artichoke.
3.Immediately rub the cuts with a lemon quarter, squeezing a little juice on the cuts to keep it from turning brown.
4.Now cut each artichoke in half through the stem, from the top to the bottom.
5.Use a spoon and/or a knife to completely remove the hairy choke and all the prickly purple leaves inside the artichoke.
6.Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan.
7.Add the garlic and saute over medium low heat to flavor the butter.
8.Arrange the artichoke halves cut side down in the pan.
9.Saute for about 5 minutes or so, until just lightly browned.
10.Add the wine and the seasonings.
11.Reduce heat to very low, cover the pan, and let cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.
12.CHECK THE PAN AFTER 9 OR 10 MINUTES TO BE SURE THERE IS ENOUGH LIQUID IN THE PAN TO PREVENT BURNING.
13.ADD MORE WINE IF NEEDED.
14.Test the doneness of the artichokes by piercing with a fork.
15.It should penetrate easily.
16.Serve the artichoke halves with the rest of the melted butter in a small dish and flavored with as many dashes of hot sauce as you like.
17.Dip the leaves and the delicious heart in the butter and enjoy.
Jen's Notes:Here are the notes from the recipe:
Be careful to keep enough liquid in the braising pan so the artichokes don't burn. 
The Result:Both of these recipes were awesome! Seriously, the grilled pork tenderloin was probably the best application that I have ever tasted. The husband and I could not get enough of it. It was both cooked and marinated perfectly...the flavor was indescribably good. AB
is THE MAN!!!! I would highly recommend trying the pork recipe post haste.
The artichokes were also great. Again, easy (for artichokes) and delicious. Yum! I will make both these recipes again, without hesitation!!!!!
