It is I (or we!) the triumphant! Returning to you from an abnormally long hiatus. Turns out this adulting thing can kind of take over your life and make you forget things like your hopes and dreams.
It has come to my attention that there is a lady (I assume a lady???) who has (I shit you not) adopted a cat, named it Butters (maybe, at least that's this facsimile's stage name), and purchased the domain name for Cooking with Butters. It's not me. I haven't the slightest how someone who apparently has so much web-based knowledge (her page is admittedly nice looking, though unattended for the last year or so...) could not be creative enough to come up with her own concept, but, alas- there are now two "Cooking with Butters" out in the universe. To be fair, I myself have not been as attentive to this page as I could have been over the last two years or so, so I suppose I should be flattered that my concept was apparently so appealing as to be stolen by someone else.
I'm working hard to get back into things that have given me a lot of joy over the years, and learning to balance my work life (which in itself obviously gives me lots and lots of joy!) with my personal life and my numerous hobbies that have frankly become more and more neglected as I come home more and more exhausted. I'm starting with my blog, and my endeavors into food in general!
As I take this time to re-explore my own interests, it has become abundantly clear that I am passionate about meat (*crickets chirp*). Between my salmon smoking (stay tuned as we build a new smoker this summer- I've officially run two charcoal grills right smack into the ground. On a related note, if anyone has access to a two drawer file cabinet in need of a home, hit me up!), and my somewhat time-consuming and abrasive habit of re-butchering anything that I purchase at the grocery store, I'm just truly interested in carnage in general.
Thankfully, grilling season is finally upon us! We've had an unforgivably long and disgusting winter during which it was so horribly cold and wet, we hardly left the house at all, and the BBQ, at a whopping 50 feet from the back door, could've just as easily been in Siberia, so it's been a minute since we've really just toasted the crap out of anything. The last week it's finally warmed up enough to venture one furry (yep) leg out from the comfort of my love seat, so I took the opportunity on Tuesday to make this delightful pork tenderloin.
Speaking of re-butchering, these $4 pork tenderloins from Walmart (yes, you get what you pay for) are often somewhat of a crapshoot. This one was absolutely perfect! Just the right amount of fat cap, two pounds of perfect tenderloin. You'll need:
2 lb. pork tenderloin
Italian seasoning
Smoked paprika
Salt and cracked black pepper
Olive oil
For the herbed potatoes:
2 cans of whole new potatoes
2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
Olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper
1 and 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Grillin' skillet (or similar thingy)
Start by coating the tenderloin in the olive oil, then liberally rub with the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and paprika (light on the paprika). Heat your grill to 450 degrees, clean grates and rub with olive oil. Sear each side of the tenderloin, then turn heat down to 325, and take off of direct heat, leave for 25 minutes, turning halfway through, or until meat has reached an internal temp of 145 degrees.
For the potatoes: Drain liquid from cans, put potatoes in bowl, coat liberally with seasoning and olive oil (reserve mustard for later). Toss until they are coated evenly. Place in grill pan over high heat, stir occasionally until they develop a brown crust on both sides. Remove from heat, place potatoes in bowl, add mustard to bowl, and toss until the potatoes are coated.
I don't have a finished product photo- we gobbled it up way too fast, but here is a prep pic, complete with a glass of rose, my grilling beverage of choice as of late.
In closing, it's good to be back, my lovelies! Stay tuned for all sorts of delightful culinary hijinx as the cat takes back the internet!
XOXO
