A Busy Kitchen and Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

We had an amazing dinner made for us at home on Saturday night.  Two of our friends recently visited Thailand, and while they were there, they took a Thai cooking class.  Luckily they were willing to share the deliciousness they learned with the rest of us.

 

It’s can be a strange, foreign feeling, watching others take over your kitchen.  I’m usually pretty particular about how many people I’ll let in the kitchen while I’m cooking.  And by "pretty particular" I mean, just me.  This time, I wasn't doing the cooking, but taking on a sous chef position as well as guiding a few other people to where to find the tongs, bowls, pans, etc.  Needless to say, with four people cooking multiple dishes, the kitchen was a war zone when we were done.  So worth it, though.  

Our amazing, homemade Thai dinner.

Earlier in the week, I was in the kitchen with two beautiful pork tenderloins, and my trusty cast iron pan.  I really do love my cast iron pans.  Oh, and of course pork.  I love pork too.

You know what’s also great?  Reduced balsamic vinegar.  So tangy and slightly sweet.  

Let’s get to it.

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Prep: 20 minutes  Cook: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

2 – 3 lbs pork tenderloin

2 Tbsp duck fat, coconut fat, or bacon fat

Salt & Pepper

Sauce:

4 Tbsp butter (look for butter from grass fed cows, like Kerrygold brand)

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¾ cup bone broth

1 leek, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt the duck fat, coconut oil or bacon fat in a large cast iron pan over medium high heat.
3. Salt and pepper the pork tenderloin on all sides.
4. Sear the pork on all sides in the hot pan.  About 2-3 minutes per side.
5. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes, or until the pork has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
6. When the pork has come to temperature, transfer it to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.
7. Place the pan over medium heat. 
8. Carefully pour in the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan.  Using a rubber spatula, stir the vinegar to loosen up the meaty bits that have stuck to the pan.
9. Add in the leeks, garlic, and butter.  Continue to stir.
10. Once the butter has melted completely, add in half of the bone broth.  Continue to stir until the sauce has reduced by about half.
11. Add in the remaining broth and stir until the sauce has again reduced by about half.
12. Pour the sauce over sliced pork tenderloin, and be prepared to lick the plate.

Enjoy!

Suzie

Gelatin: The Jiggly Little Superfood

I spent most of last week sneezing, coughing and in general, feeling icky.  Colds:  They never come at a convenient time. 

When I’m sick, I think of a big bowl of chicken soup.   It’s supposed to be good for us, right?  But, why?  For most people, including myself, having a bowl of soup only involved opening a can and dumping the contents into a pot to heat up.  So what’s healthy about that?  Well… nothing really.  That idea of chicken soup helping you recover from the common cold, came from a time when soup didn't come in a can, but was made from scratch in the kitchen. 

Chicken soup made with homemade bone broth.

Bone broth is really what makes that soup so healthy.   Making broth, using traditional methods, provides us with minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus, and other trace minerals, as well as gelatin. We’re not talking about that little blue box of flavored powder, people.  We’re talking about that substance made from the connective tissue of animal meats.  Sorry, that didn't sound super appealing. 

Gelatin contains half of the 18 essential amino acids that are needed for survival.  The amino acid glycine, found in gelatin, supports the liver in removing toxins from our system.  It also improves digestion by boosting gastric juices and acids which are necessary for many digestive functions, including digesting protein.  Lysine, which is also found in gelatin, aids in the absorption of calcium and helps build muscle. 

Here are a few more awesome benefits of gelatin:

• Improves digestion
• Can help heal your gut
• Promotes relaxation and a good night’s sleep
• Helps joint recovery (this was a big selling point for me!)
• Can help improve cellulite and tighten loose skin
• Supports skin, hair and nail growth

You can get these benefits from your home-made bone broth (I follow this recipe) or gelatin from grass-fed cows. 

I use Great Lakes Kosher Unflavored Gelatin, from grass-fed cows.  If you want to make gummy snacks, you’ll want to use the red canister (here).  If you prefer to add your gelatin to smoothies, teas, or other beverages, you’ll want to use the green canister (here).  This one will not gel when it mixes with liquid.

Instead of reaching for that blue box on the shelf in the grocery store, consider changing it out for a healthier option.

Cranberry-Orange Gummies

Prep/Cook: 20 minutes  Chill: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 cup whole cranberries (fresh or frozen)

½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (I had Cara Cara oranges on hand, so that’s what I used)

½ cup water

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp orange zest

4 Tbsp gelatin (this one)

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, orange juice, water, and maple syrup, and heat until the berries open and start to release their juices.   Stir occasionally.  Do not let the mixture boil.
2. Remove from heat, and stir in the orange zest.
3. Pour the contents of the saucepan into a blender and blend until smooth. 
4. Transfer to a medium bowl or large Pyrex measuring glass.
5. Whisk in the gelatin, one tablespoon at a time, until dissolved.  (Note: you could add the gelatin in the blender and mix that way, but I've found that the gummies come out frothier that way.)  
6. Pour the gummy mixture into an 8x8 baking dish or silicon forms and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.  I used these cute little men for my gummies.  If you’re having a bad day, just bite off their heads.  Heal your gut while you get out a little aggression.  That's multitasking.

Enjoy!

Suzie

Resources:

Balanced Bites

NaturalHealth365

Weston A Price Foundation