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Black Pepper Seared Pork Tenderloin

I don’t eat a lot of traditional American-style meals where there is a meat dish, a starch dish and a salad.  Instead, I find myself preferring dishes where I can put all the vegetables, meats and starches into a single dish.  That might be one reason I recommend a lot of Asian recipes and Italian recipes – then I can make stir fries and pastas to my heart’s delight!  Every so often, however, I’ll crave a cut of meat.  As I often do when this happens, I reached for some pork tenderloin.

I’ve already extolled the virtues of pork in my previous entry on Roasted Pork Tenderloin w/ Prosciutto, so I won’t belabor the point.  Suffice it to say, pork is delicious and undervalued.  Eating Pork Tenderloin is like  buying Amazon and Apple stock in 2002 – one day everyone will want want a piece of it, but until then, relish your insider knowledge.

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Grilled Italian/ Balsamic Asparagus and Portabello Mushroom

For my vegetarian friends, or those who just like to eat a bit more healthier, this is a quick and simple Italian Balsamic marinade that imparts great flavor to your vegetables.  This recipe makes for a great appetizer or side to a heavy day of grilling – it’s a nice change of pace if you’ve been making nothing but meat.

As you can see, I am quite partial to asparagus – after all, it’s finger-friendly!  Portabello can be a bit more complex, but can also make a great finger food when it’s sliced right.  Plus, I highly recommend portabello mushrooms in sandwiches.  You can take any leftovers here and put them into a sandwich for a delicious addition.

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GIANT Burger

At first glace, you’d think this GIANT burger was the result of meticulous planning and an extra large appetite.  But you’d be wrong.  This GIANT burger (yes, it has to be in all caps) was the result of too much food and not enough voracious friends.  After having made 3 lbs of burger meat at a weekend barbecue, I still had about 1- 1/2 pounds left.  And what should you do when you have that much meat left?  Make a GIANT burger, of course!

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a giant bun to cradle this patty with, although we did throw around of the idea of using two medium sized pizzas as buns.  Great idea, but terrible for your arteries…

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Chicken and Pineapple Skewers w/ Chimichurri

Now that you know how to make Chimichurri, how about a recipe to pair with it?  Readers of my last post know that the perfect pair for Chimichurri is Asado!

Full disclosure – this is not a traditional Asado.  Traditional Asado includes eclectic meats like morcillas (blood sausage), chinchulines (Pig intestines), and mollejas (thymus, pancreas).  However, more common meats such as flank steak, pork chops, and chicken thighs work wonderfully when simply flavored over the grill.  And, of course, don’t forget your side of Chimichurri!

Because I didn’t want to marinate the meat, but still wanted to give it some sweetness, I used pineapple.  And because my friends wanted to watch their health, I used chicken breast instead of chicken thighs.  It’s a tradeoff, since the extra fat of dark meat would have made the flavors a little richer.  Aside from the pineapple, I used a bit of salt and pepper and a dash of chili powder to give the skewers a little kick.

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Chimichurri

The scent and taste of food is unique in its ability to revive old memories.  As soon as I catch a whiff of certain scents or taste the first drop of a childhood treat on my tongue, I’m always transported to the environment that I associate most strongly with the food.  And for me, chimichurri is reminiscent of warm nights filled with asado and cervezas by the parilla (grilla).

Chimichurri is a parsley and garlic-based sauce as important to South and Central American grilled meats as teriyaki for Japanese, yogurt sauce for Middle East/Mediterranean, and bbq sauce for the American South.  No grilled meats is truly complete without the sauce.  And, since I’ve posted some meat recipes, I thought sharing a chimichurri recipe would be the perfect accompaniment.

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Seared bacon-wrapped tenderloin steak

Steak seems to hold a special place in our hearts.  For all the talk about the detrimental health effects of red meat, there is a mountain of books promising ways to lose 10 pounds while not giving up your steak.  And although beef can have devastating ecological effects, “sustainable” high-end steak houses are now opening at a pretty steady clip.

American media is replete with steak imagery too.  As Mad Men reminds us, the model 1950s housewife served steak to her family.  Your favorite cigar-chomping hero, crime boss, union representative, or CEO loved to throw back a nice porterhouse.  The steakhouse often remains the fallback choice for out-of-town friends and family as well as the place to take out clients.  And the 72 oz steak is the subject of many a food contest, a challenging but momentous goal for any brave enough to take on the challenge.

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Rosemary Roasted Potato Slices

Rosemary roasted potato slices are a great starchy side to stews or other hearty foods.  Also, I love making potato slices if I am already making something in the oven, because it’s so convenient to pop a few potato slices in.  These rosemary roasted potato slices are also very similar to the potato wedges that you can sometimes find in the hot deli at the supermarket.  In my case, I served them with the Boeuf Bourguignon I made last week.  Delicious!

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Turkey, Salami, and Pesto Sandwich on French Bread

I don’t think I’ve written a single entry on sandwiches, but they probably make up 75% of my lunches.  Not all of them are this elaborate – I’m still a huge fan of the stalwart, reliable PB&J.  (Yes, this may reflect on my mental age or maturity.)

In general, sandwiches are so straightforward that I feel like an entry is almost cheating.  But, when I was thinking about sandwiches, I realized that there are a few useful things that I’ve discovered over the years.

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Pesto Baked White Fish with Rotini

Now that I’ve broken in my food processor with hummus, I figured I should try making pesto.  Unfortunately, I ended up running out of time to make a fresh batch of pesto for this recipe – I promise to make it in the near future!  Fortunately, I did happen to have a little bottle of pesto in the fridge in case of emergencies.  Pesto emergencies are rare, but in this case, the symptoms were severe: hunger and a hankering for basil, pine nuts and garlic in olive oil.

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Boeuf Bourguignon

Finally, the time is here!  The main attraction – Boeuf Bourguignon!

Yes, as a food-obsessed person, I saw Julie and Julia.  And while I can’t say I’m partial to Julie Powell, Julia Child (Merrill Streep) was fantastic!  Inspired by her constant fawning over Boeuf Bourguignon, I decided to find out for myself if this dish was really as good to eat as it is fun to say.  With my cast iron pot in hand, I planned to follow the original Mastering the Art of French Cooking version, which is easily obtainable online.  However, after reviewing my trusty How to Cook, I made a handful of adjustments that I’ll detail below.  I then invited a handful of friends over to witness and taste either my triumph or failure.  It was a high-risk experiment!

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