Writer's Block. And Pork!

Today is the Friday before Memorial Day weekend and I decided to bless the office with my presence (I know, I know, you're welcome).  Appears that I'm the only one.  This place is a dead zone...completely silent.  Which is unfortunate for someone like me who lacks an indoor voice but also likes to gossip.  So since I have to sit here in silence during lunch, I started getting excited that I could have some quiet time to work on the blog.  But I can't think of anything funny or witty to write about!  No good stories come to mind.  I can't even think of anyone I feel like making fun of today, including myself.  Blasphemy!  I guess I'll have to talk about food, which I KNOW is the purpose of this blog, but as you probably know, I usually get going on quite the tangent.

Anyway, I love pork tenderloin more than life itself.  There are a million things you can do with it and its so flavorful and juicy.  Unless you over-cook it, which I tend to do at least 30% of the time.  I always get scared because they say that undercooked pork can quite literally kill you, and I'm not quite ready to die.  I mean, who would keep up this blog if I were gone?  And who would "forget" to empty the dishwasher?  And my husband would probably starve to death if I weren't around (or eat only fried chicken and weigh 500 pounds).  So sometimes I over-cook the pork and then get real sad because its so much better when cooked properly (go figure).  The pork pictured below is an example of this travesty.  It LOOKS good, and it TASTED good, but it was a bit dry.  Le sigh.  I'm posting it anyway, though, because I still recommend that you make it, and cook it according to the directions instead of how I did it (which was to INTEND to take it out at an internal temp of 140 but instead get distracted by Real Housewives of Orange County on DVR and leave it in for 10 minutes too long).  If you've ever seen RHOC, you'll know how this can happen.

But I digress.  I served this with my world locally household famous honey couscous (I also added crumbled goat cheese this time, and you should too) and roasted asparagus.  You should also drink Pinot Noir with this meal.  Because, well, isn't just about anything better with Pinot Noir?  I think so too.

Enjoy!

Sweet-and-Spicy Pork Tenderloin
Source: Prevention

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄8 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1 pork tenderloin (11⁄4 pounds), trimmed of visible fat
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon minced garlic
11⁄2 teaspoons hot-pepper sauce

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly mist a small roasting pan or ovenproof skillet with olive oil spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the cumin, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, allspice, garlic powder, and chipotle pepper.

Rub the pork evenly with the olive oil. Then rub evenly with the spice mixture until coated. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the honey, garlic, and hot-pepper sauce. Whisk to mix. Set aside.

Set a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot enough for a spritz of water to sizzle on it. With an oven mitt, briefly remove the pan from the heat to lightly mist with olive oil spray. Place the pork in the pan. Cook for 1 minute per side, or until browned on all sides.

Transfer to the prepared pan. With a basting brush, evenly coat the pork with the reserved honey mixture. Roast the tenderloin in the oven for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center reaches 140°F and the juices run clear.

Remove from the oven. Cover the pork loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Holding a knife at a 45° angle, cut into thin slices. Serve immediately.