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More meat and mustard

Again, it’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine!), so I splurged again on a meat cut I rarely get: pork tenderloin.

Mostly I got it because I liked last week’s recipe so much that I felt like there had to be a good recipe that used Dijon and mixed it with pork tenderloin. I was right and happy to discover that Food & Wine had one, as did many others to varying degrees of difficulty.

I finally settled on the one that also included paprika and also Dijon, and not much else.

Dijon and paprika pork tenderloin ingredients.

I thought about trying to figure out a way to also make vegetables in the same skillet like last week, but I really just wanted to spend more time being anxious and horrified about the world today. So, I opted for easy. No problem to fit 1 lb of pork tenderloin (halved) into my skillet, and then just use a sheet pan to roast some veggies to serve on the side.

The recipe technically called for 2 lb of pork tenderloin but that’s still a little too rich for my blood, even in the end times; plus, you make some good veggies on the side, and 1 lb still serves 4. I still used the full amount of the rest of the ingredients; I like a strongly spiced meal, what can I say?

Again, it’s super simple in these times when your mind might be elsewhere, and this way, you can serve it with whatever you like. My choice this time (after supporting my local co-op) was romanesco and fingerling potatoes with garlic and lemon. But you do you.

Cooked to perfection.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • ~1 lb. pork tenderloin
  • 2 T. Dijon mustard
  • 2 t. smoked paprika (I mixed 1 t. each of smoked and hot, but adjust for your tastes)
  • 1 t. salt
  • 2 T. olive oil

Directions 

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the Dijon, paprika, and salt. Rub the mixture on the pork. Halve or cut the tenderloin as necessary so it all fits in your skillet, preferably as little as possible.

In a 9- or 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the tenderloin (halves), and cook until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes.

Use tongs to flip the pork, and then transfer the skillet to the oven.

Roast for about 15 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 135 degrees. Transfer to a cutting surface, and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Slice the pork, and serve with preferred veggies or side dish, and enjoy!

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End times call for good steak

I had originally planned for this to be my obligatory spring is here post, but things have changed.

While I had almost balked at springing for a good New York strip for this springtime recipe I found from Bon Appetit, I am now quite glad that I ultimately decided it was worth the cost, as it’s one of the few remaining joys left in a pandemic.

Also, it turns out that good steak is pretty damn good.

Steak and spring veggies ingredients.

The recipe allowed me to skirt the difficulty of fitting everything in my little skillet by searing the steak to perfection and letting it rest while the veggies cooked in the same dish. It all ultimately comes together when you place the steak (sliced) on top and drizzle on the Dijon mustard sauce, but it’s much easier than trying to stir it all together at the same time.

Plus, with peas, asparagus, and spring onions, it’s perfect for springtime.

Oh, and during these very stressful times, it’s also relatively simple and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients that keep you in close contact with people for too long at the grocery store.

All in all, pretty freakin’ worth it.

Ignore the dystopian hellscape, dream of steak.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. boneless New York Strip steak
  • 5 cloves garlic, divided, 1 grate and 4 thinly sliced
  • ⅓ c. Dijon mustard
  • 1 T. red wine vinegar
  • 1 t. honey
  • ¼ to ½ t. cayenne pepper
  • ⅓ c. + 3 T. olive oil, divided
  • 1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced and divided
  • 1 (10 oz.) bag frozen peas
  • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions 

Pat the steak dry and season with salt and pepper all over. Let rest while you prepare the Dijon mustard sauce.

Whisk together the 1 clove of grated garlic, mustard, vinegar, honey, cayenne, ⅓ c. olive oil, and 1 T. water, in a medium bowl to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat a 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Rub the steak with ~1 T. olive oil, and cook, turning every ~2 minutes, including some searing on edges, until medium-rare, so that a thermometer reads 120 degrees, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer steak to a plate to rest.

Heat remaining 2 T. of olive oil in the same skillet, reducing heat to low. Add the slices of garlic and all but 2 T. of the spring onions, and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add the peas and a splash of water, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring regularly, until the asparagus is just tender, another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Slice steak and layer on top of the vegetables in the skillet. Drizzle some of the mustard sauce over the steak and top with the remaining spring onions.

Serve with any additional mustard sauce as desired, though be careful not to overdo it, and enjoy even in the end times!

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Mustard mashup with smashed potatoes

Week two brings another test of what my little Le Creuset can hold.

And once again, I turned to Jamie Oliver’s wonderful “5 Ingredients” cookbook. So, I know, I know, I keep going on about it, but this week especially demonstrates how versatile and useful it is. Because, scandal, I used way more than 5 ingredients in this list. In fact, I mashed up two recipes, and then still added more. I’m calling it a mustard chicken mashup.

Mustard chicken mashup ingredients.

In doing so, I also tested the limits of the 9-inch braiser.

Tl; dr, I might have gone a tad overboard, but it all still worked out.

If you have a 10-inch skillet, this will be fine; if you are using a 9-incher, perhaps do scant amounts or stir very carefully.

As its name suggests, this recipe has some mustard and chicken. It also has some veggies, some cream, and Worcestershire. I stole the carrots and Worcestershire sauce from a 5-ingredient beef recipe that also called for mustard, but the chicken recipe sounded easier, and creamier.

And aside from some careful stirring, it all worked out really well. My only regret, actually, is that the stone ground mustard was rather mild and I had hoped for it to be stronger. If you love mustard like we do, I recommend getting a stronger mustard or mixing stone ground and Dijon mustards. I liked the way the stone ground looked mixed with heavy cream, but I wanted more of a kick.

Other than that, it was a perfectly wonderful and quick two- to three-serving dinner, especially when served with the smashed potatoes my sweetie made in our new Instant Pot. I also thought about serving it with rice, but potatoes were perfect; plus, then I get to have a mashup and smashed potatoes.

Easy as pie, but tastes like creamy mustard. Noms.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. chicken, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 carrot, thinly chopped
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 oz. Brussels sprouts
  • ⅔ c. heavy cream
  • ½ c. water
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 T. stone ground mustard (or to taste)
  • Pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil

Directions

Add some oil to your Le Creuset (or 9- to 10-inch skillet), and stir in the carrot, onion, and Brussels sprouts. Cook over medium heat about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to slightly soften. Add the chicken slices, and cook another 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken is mostly cooked through.

Then, add the mustard, cream, water, and Worcestershire. Add pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, and then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens slightly into a sauce and the chicken is cooked through.

Season with additional pepper or mustard as desired. Serve with smashed potatoes or rice, or on its own, and enjoy!