Whole30- Day 26 and 27

Days of tiger blood and things changing.  Well, I've never been a 'tiger blood' kinda person, meaning I've never been a HIGH energy person. So I don't know what that feel like -even with coffee in me.

As for things changing, yes but it's not drastic because I haven't started exercising yet. Hard to do with pain but as it disappears moving around is much easier and you feel lighter on your feet for certain. Getting out of bed with dread is no more and my mood is better as well.

Day 26

Breakfast: Banana, bacon and raspberries
Lunch: Handful of nuts (was too busy planting in the garden to care)
Dinner: 1/2 Ribeye steak, 1/2 Japanese sweet potato, leftover roasted brocco-flower, grilled nectarines.

Have you ever had a Japanese sweet potato?  I hadn't.  I looks like a Russet but it messes with your mind when you eat it and it's sweet.  Bought a purple sweet potato today....that will appear soon.

Day 27

Breakfast: Eggs and sausage, onion and pepper hash (sooooo good)

Lunch: Leftover ribeye steak and sweet potato dinner
Dinner: Apple Pork Patties, Confetti Cauliflower, Strawberry Spinach salad

I don't know where I was going exactly with the pork patties....didn't want breakfast.  So I shredded one apple, handful of chopped onions and pepper....salt and pepper and cooked it @350 for 30 minutes.  Very tasty and very moist.  Great with some hot sauce on it!

Can't believe the first 30 is almost here...

Whole30 - Day 10 and 11

The hardest days? Feeling the most deprived?  I see my friends eating foods with gooey cheese and it makes me cranky!  I quit this Whole30 plan......APRIL FOOLS! Hahahahaa Yes, how ironic that day 10 (the first of the hardest day) falls on April Fools day and I had committed to make this for our team's pot luck luncheon....April Fool's Spaghetti and Meatball's...full of flour (cake) and tons of SUGAR (frosting, berries and doughnuts)!



I couldn't even eat the mashed raspberries because they were macerated in sugar. Did this absolutely kill me? Was I drooling? Was I squeezing my eyes in pain over this task?  Nope! If anything I hated getting the stuff on my hands because they were sticky and normally we lick them to get rid of the sugary substance off our fingers from time to time. And out of habit, I did once. I had finished a part one of making this cake and had leftover cake batter. When I filled some mini muffin cups a tiny splash of batter hit the muffin tin whose size actually resembled a ! Slightly bigger but small and I usually wipe this away so they don't burn on the pan and in went the barely battered finger onto my tongue!  I FROZE! I was expecting some pulsating pleasure to course through my veins as heroin addict feels as they release the rubber band to allow the forbidden liquid to flow on.  It didn't, so I quickly went over to the sink to wash out any of the .009 grams of sugar on that tiny dot before it had the chance to sink into a taste bud.

However, the oohs and ahhs I got from my co-workers was reward enough than any sugar rush I needed....my bowl was returned to me with only one cake slice and few meatballs left which indicated they enjoyed it!  I took the leftovers and divided it up to my little quartet of sixth graders who adoringly come to hang out with me after school any chance they get...Their eyes became big as those meatballs when I showed them the before picture here.  They were proud that they were able to help with the cake and the spaghetti part but the sauce and meatballs were done right before I left for the lunch so they couldn't see the finished product.

Day 10

Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs and 2 slices of bacon
Lunch: Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork  and frozen spinach, a few raw carrots and good handful of fresh strawberries.
Dinner: "Bangers and Mash" organic, sugar-free sausages (andouille and bratwurst) mashed potatoes and orange slices (Whole30 guest, my friend Jessica- who didn't REMIND me to snap a picture of dinner for my blog!!!)

So yeah, this is the leftovers heated up before my Brunch transformation.

Day 11

Dark and rainy this morning. I must have been exhausted from the week because my eyes did not pop open until 11:30 this morning!?!?!? That is fine, if sleep is what my body wants and not sugar...I will give in to it.

Br-unch: Dinner leftovers with two fried eggs on top and black coffee.

Dinner: Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork (recipe link above), sauteed zucchini, cilantro and dried tomatoes and sliced avocado.

Notations: A long week it seems, always after a vacation from school AND acclimating to a new food plan with work...AND a major milestone birthday....spells STRESSED....and that spelled backward is DESSERTS! Luckily I didn't feel the need to go there, no did I miss having cake on my b-day....(montone mantra...cake will not fall from the earth....it will still be here when you complete the plan Jenny....have faith, there is no last day of cake where it will cease to exist....even the stupid Twinkie reappeared after Hostess closed down -eww).

I figured, making it 1/3 through and not wanting to quit after a long week.  Treat myself with non-food.  It was time to transition to spring by getting the pedicure so I can wear sandals, etc.  So, I talked Jessica into getting the SPA pedicure, which is longer, with massage and special scrubs, etc.  Her legs were hurting....my were feeling tired....we've been doing a great job on this....why not? We deserve it!  BTW, still no allergy medications being taken.

Feeling cheery, deary!

Pork Carnitas with Cilantro Tomatillo Sauce

Tasty Time! 
Plus-  New Season of Fun with recipe exploration as a AllRecipes.com Ambassadors AllStar.
This month's Sponsor is with Mazola® Corn Oil 

I have never made carnitas before.  Eaten them plenty.  When I saw the recipe said "pork shoulder" I remember seeing it in the store but I recall making barbecue with either ribs or butt portions.  Our store did not have any out.  I asked for a pound and they were happy to oblige.  The cost of it was rather inexpensive too!
My husband and I are taking a new outlook on eating.  I am currently doing NutriSystem to get my health back on track and my husband (who is a very athletic cyclist) is enjoying eating more vegetables because there are more now in the house instead of breads and cookies and cakes.  Lucky for me my cholesterol level is under the radar but cooking more veggies with heart-healthy Mazola® Corn Oil can help.  Click here for more recipes using Mazola!

Pork Carnitas with Cilantro Tomatillo Sauce 
from Allrecipes

1 pound pork shoulder

2 tablespoons Mazola® Corn Oil

1/4 cup chopped onions

1/2 teaspoon Spice Islands® Garlic Powder

1 tablespoon Spice Islands® Chili Powder

1/4 teaspoon Spice Islands® Chipotle Chile Powder

2 tomatillos, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

4 corn tortillas

1.  Cut pork into 1 inch cubes; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven. Add pork, onions, garlic powder, chili powder and chipotle chile powder; saute 3 to 5 minutes to brown the meat.
2.  Add enough water to barely cover pork. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to simmer an additional 45 minutes or until liquid has evaporated.
3.  Combine chopped tomatillos, tomatoes and cilantro in a small bowl.
4. Place an equal amount of pork on each tortilla. Top with tomatillo salsa.


Cook's Notes:
1.  I found the pork shoulder was marbled with plenty of fat.  I think in the future I would  cut off some of the fat to reduce the fat rendering.  It was swimming in fat when it was done.
2.  I find a lot of people do not like the flavor of cilantro.  I admit, it took me a long time to appreciate it.  I suggest chopping the leaves finely and add a little bit to develop it's taste.  Making this without cilantro really would be a crime.  Cilantro adds a lot of flavor....ease your way into it.
3.  I personally added more onions and green peppers to AMP up the veggies content to make this more heart healthy.

I am an Allrecipes Allstar brand ambassador (a voluntary position) and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com.  Products received from the advertiser are only used for experienced-based reviews on Jenny Mac's LipSmack.  The reviews, content, and opinions expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of JennyMac.  To learn more about the Allrecipes Allstars program visit, Allrecipes Allstars.
#AllstarsMazola

LipSmack this,

Organic Sausage Patties

Lately, we have been consciously removing the processed foods from our diet.  Since I do so much reading about farming practices, food processing and food additives, quite honestly it's SCARY.  In conjunction with getting rid of eating 'convenience' I've been also buying organic meats (as well as other products).  I've been shopping at Trader Joe's since our decision and the grocery bill each week has NOT been more from buying only organic.  Actually it's been less!!!  Go figure.
It's going to take some time to get rid of the stuff we have in the cabinets but we feel this would be good to 'ease' our way into this lifestyle without cleaning out the pantry and having a WHOPPING first shopping bill.  Anyhow, here's a simple and tasty recipe I'd like to share with you:

Homemade Breakfast Sausage
adapted from Paleo Comfort Foods

1 lb ground pork
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped (if you use dried, use half the amount)
1/4 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped (if you use dried, use half the amount)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (I grated mine fresh)
1/2 tsp. cayenne

Take ground pork and mix with all the ingredients.  Form 2 inch patties.

Heat skillet over medium heat.  Place patties in skillet and cook until browned, the flip over and continue to cook until fully cooked through.


Cook's Notes:

1.   These absolutely rendered so little fat from cooking.  Those 'tubes' of sausage we used to get were mostly WHITE in color for the meat instead of red/pink.

2.  The fresh sage was KEY in giving it a breakfast sausage taste.

3.  These can be made and frozen to pop out for breakfast makings any morning or weekend.  Other than the size of these puppies, it was no more complex than making hamburger patties.

4.  These were so less SALTY as well.


K-man loved these, he was surprised that I made these instead of old stuff we used to get.

Enjoy!

Sausage, Egg and Biscuit Casserole...

For Dinner? Yes!!!! Why do we feel the societal conformity that eggs, sausage/bacon and biscuits must be eaten for breakfast only and if we eat them for dinner that somehow it is weird or breaking some rule? Is the 'breakfast police' gonna break your door down saying "I'm sorry ma'am you are violating the law by eating waffles, pancakes or eggs for dinner!" LOL. Even though I had eggs for dinner growing up we still regard eggs for dinner as some guilty pleasure. Like eating cookies would spoil our appetite before a meal. So silly, isn't it?

I found this recipe in Cuisine Magazine . It's a magazine solely of recipes with no ads.
I tweaked a wonderfully sinful sausage and egg casserole I think you'd love.



Sausage, Egg and Biscuit Casserole
adapted from Cuisine Magazine by JennyMac Lipsmack

1 lb. sausage or bacon
7 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
8 biscuits (canned, leftover homemade ones that are a bit stale, frozen, bakery, what you like best)
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 7X11 baking dish with nonstick spray. Brown sausage or cook bacon until brown/crispy. Transfer to paper towel to absorb excess grease.

In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper.

Split biscuits in half and layer bottoms in greased dish. Sprinkle sausage/bacon over biscuits and top with 3/4 cup of cheese. Cover with biscuits tops and pour egg mixture over top.

TIME to make a decision.... EAT this NOW or tomorrow morning?

Eating now.....Bake for 30 minutes or until eggs are set (165 degrees) and no longer jiggly. Cover with cheese and cook for another 10 minutes. Let casserole stand for 10 minutes.

Eating tomorrow.....Cover with foil. Place and bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes until eggs are set. Uncover and place on 3/4 cup of cheese or until melted.

DELISH!!!!

Cook's Notes:
This dish also came with a sage gravy recipe. Any white sauce is butter, flour and milk or cream (depending how rich you want it) but I really felt this recipe was PLENTY rich and didn't really need it.
I was right, plenty moist, rich custardy eggs with cheese....a rich white sauce just made my arteries feel threatened to close.
K-man was OVER the moon with this tasty dish. I felt so guilty from eating it that I felt we should be eating some salad or fruit with it. K-man shook his head and said "just gimme TWO!"

No ordinary buns for this pork BBQ!!!

Pepper Jack Rolls Baby!

I've been a fan of the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes book and have made my own bread a few times. Yummy! I used the Vermont Cheddar Bread recipe (page 106) as my springboard idea.

Pepper Jack Rolls
adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. granulated yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
6 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup white cheddar powdered cheese
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 egg, beaten

1. Mix the yeast, salt and sugar with the water in a 5 quart bowl (I used my lidded non air tight food container that I store my dough in).

2. Mix in the dry ingredients, grated cheese, powdered cheese and pepper flakes without kneading, using a spoon. You can use a 14 cup food processor with a dough attachment but mixing this dough directly in the container was just fine.

3. Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial use, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days.

5. When baking rolls, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off dough pieces roughly equal portions (about the size of a plum) Shape each one into a smooth ball. Allow them to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 40 minutes (or just 20 minutes if using fresh unrefrigerated dough).

6. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone placed on the middle rack Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

7. Just before baking, coat with beaten egg and stick a few jalapenos on top.

8. Slide the rolls directly onto hot stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm.



Here is one of the final rolls in relation to the place size. Ginormous! Honestly too much bread for me. I think I overestimated my size of plums. LOL. Although K-man was ecstatic about his man sized pork BBQ sandwich!







I could have probably put more pepper flakes in the dough as you can BARELY see the pepper. The bread wasn't a cheesy as I thought it would be. Although bread was fluffy and tender. The crust held up GREAT to the smooshy BBQ inside.

AWESOME!

But when you still have BBQ left and a bit of dough what do you do to restyle your dinner?

BBQ Pork Rolls!

The dough that remained after making 6 ginormous sandwich rolls was just enough to cut into 6 small circles. Using my greased TEXAS sized muffin tin....

Place a handful of green onions on the dough about 1/4 cup BBQ on the onions. Pull up dough around the filling and place in greased muffin tin dough edges down.

Throw a few slices of jalapenos around the dough in the muffin tins. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and put tin on the stove to let dough rise enough to fill up the muffin cups.

Bake for 20 minutes until brown. Serve with chilly coleslaw...sprinkle a bit of chili powder on top of it to compliment your BBQ rolls. Pickles, some extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping and PERFECTION!

BTW, making your own Pork BBQ is very easy too!

Bake a Pork Butt according to package directions. Rubbed with favorite dry BBQ dry rub (mine was 6 lbs and it took about 4 hours). Stick a fork in the roast until when twisted is falling apart. Remove from pan and put on plate and let cool until able to tear apart with a fork. Add your favorite bottle of BBQ sauce to pork shreds. DELICIOUS!

Made enough for 4 HUGE sandwiches, 6 pork rolls and package of BBQ for two more average sandwiches for the freezer for a quick dinner another night!

Oink!

I need something easy...

Stick a fork in me, I'm done. How can a 4 day work week seem sooooooo long? Cuz it was the first week back to school. By Friday, I was wiped. It's a combination of two things:

Your body trying to adjust to working again after being off for two months.
Millions of things coming at you like popcorn machine.

I am very organized and I DO NOT like things sprung at me last minute that I am required to do where someone ELSE dropped the ball. Grrrrrrrr. Someone handed me an team activity we were supposed to do for the next two periods.

JennyMac - "When are they passing out the material for the team bonding activity?"
Other teacher in charge of relaying team stuff to me- You were supposed to get them from ____.
JM- I read the team leader's email that the stuff was coming, all week I heard/saw nothing, now you tell me I had to pick stuff up- 45 minutes before we are to do it?
OT- Didn't you get the email?
JM - "Um, no."
OT - I assumed you were on the list to receive these emails.
JM - Don't assume, its the beginning the of school year.
OT - I guess as your 'team buddy' I should have checked...
JM - (walking away) "I have a class waiting on me..."

45 minutes later, kids are clamoring around in room wondering...."what are we doing"..."can I open my new locker"...."when are what starting"....teacher comes running into my room...."I emailed you the instructions, did you get my email?"

JM -(I am thinking WTF!) What? I was TEACHING!!! OMG.

By the way, did I mention that I have had NO AIR CONDITIONING since last spring? Didn't get fixed over the summer. I got a fan to help the circulate the hot air that the kids bring in more of...When the fan is on high....I can't hear the kids very well and I am saying 'what?' every 5 minutes. Teachers come to my door and ask me questions...I can't hear from the fan 'what?'....I am speaking to the kids they can't hear either....I have to speak louder....my throat is getting sorer and hoarser by Friday......

First week, each day my FACS classes change. First day...I lost 17 kids in an 8th grade class, I was down to 7. Reason, some PE class had 105 kids....they needed to fix that. (and we didn't notice that during inservice week, why?) Second day, few kids new....few kids left. Next day one kid added, other classes stayed the same. Everyday a change of some sort. So you can see why it's so frustrating to not be able to start my curriculum. Then I have kids who missed the day of my class expectations....sigh.

See why I didn't post this week? I was so exhausted each day, when I came home it was all I could do to check my personal email. I barely had time to check my school email while @ work. Calgon take me away!

So this week I needed easy. I did make something easy. It was delicious. But it was only until I got some extra shut-eye on Saturday that I had the energy to post it for you. LOL.

Easy Pork Mole
4 servings

1lb pork tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces (this is about one of the two 'loins' in a package)
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1 square semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 tsp instant coffee
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 can (15 0z) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups hot cooked rice
2 green onions, chopped for garnish

Cook meat and onions in dressing in large pot on medium-high heat 10 minutes or until meat is browned and onions are crisp-tender; stirring occasionally.

Add next 4 ingredients, stir until meat is evenly coated.

Stir in tomatoes, simmer on low heat 15 minutes or until meat is done. Top with green onions. Serve over rice

Pictured here is NOT cooked rice but cooked Orzo pasta....just as yummy. This was also just as yummy the next day as school lunch leftovers for the flavors blended even more! Those pork tenderloins just melt in your mouth! The next time I see them buy one, get one free at the store I am stocking up!!!

Seriously make this, it's easy and very flavorful! BTW, thanks for listening to my rant....It will be better next week. I bounce back fast! LOL

Enjoy!

Same dish, different country

I found the recipe to these Asian meatballs and kept it immediately. YUM....but other than serving them for a appetizer what could I do to make them dinner?

Of course I tweaked! Keeping with the Asian theme, I put them on soba noodles, created a simple sauce....and TADA

Asian Spaghetti and Meatballs (Asian Meatballs with Soba Noodles)
adapted from Lisa of Cutting Edge of Ordinary who got it from Life's Ambrosia

Cook's Notes: Fry these meatballs if you want a crispy golden brown outside with a tender flavorful inside. If you would prefer to bake them, I would recommend drizzling them with a little olive oil before cooking them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until cooked through.

1 ½ pounds ground pork
½ cup finely minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dried cilantro or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
1 egg, beaten
2 serrano peppers, minced
½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon fish sauce
¼ cup of oil (if frying)
1 package soba noodles (usually found in the Asian section of your grocery)
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp. corn starch
veggie of choice (I used fresh green beans as seen in pictures)

Soy Garlic Dipping Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Short drizzle sesame oil
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat the oven to warm setting. In a bowl combine all the ingredients except the oil. Mix well. Roll into 20 meatballs.

If frying: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry meatballs in batches until they are golden brown on all sides and cooked through. About 8 to 10 minutes total. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Transfer cooked meatballs to the oven to keep them warm while you finish cooking the remaining meatballs. Keep the pan with oil and brown stuff stuck for next direction.

Prepare your soy dipping sauce in a custard cup and set aside.

Prepare the soba noodle according to the directions. While the noodle are cooking I added the green beans to cook with them. Drain into colander when your noodles/beans are cooked.

Heat up pan that you used for the meatballs. Add your cornstarch, stir around and pour in chicken broth. Use a wire whisk to mix up the chicken broth, cornstarch and to incorporate/dissolve those tasty brown bits left from the meatballs. Heat until thickens. Dilute sauce with more chicken broth if desired. Add back noodles/beans to coat with sauce. Don't be alarmed if sauce starts to disappear into noodles. That's okay...they are soaking up FLAVOR!

Taking your tongs...put generous pile of noodles/bean onto plate. Swirl tongs so the noodles look pretty. Top with your Asian meatballs, put cup of dipping sauce on the side and serve some oranges on the side. PERFECTION!

K-man and I actually started drizzling the soy dipping sauce all over the meatballs, noodles and beans for the flavor of it all was fantastic! Thanks Des and Lisa! What a hit!

Enjoy!

Are sure you know what to do with those two pieces?

I remember when I first cooked pork tenderloin....

"Oh cool, they give you two pieces in the package. I will cook one and save the other for later."

NOT!

Do you also know about the 'silver skin'?

When you take those two piece there is one distinct patch of silvery areas that are incredibly 'stuck' on the flesh. Many of you may just ignore it, cook it, eat away and just spit out these 'weird' chewy areas when you eat them. Cuz chewy stuff happens when you eat meat, right?

NOT!

With a knife (pretend you are a surgeon) and take the knife point and go right under the silver skin (in the middle of it) and move along the blade (either to the left or right) until the knife comes out from the silver skin. Now take that cut piece and slice right under the silver skin the OTHER way until that section comes off. Keep doing this until this 2 inch by 4 inch silver skin section is gone. And yes, you will have to do it for the other piece too. LOL

Hey, I am really sorry I don't have a pictorial for you to see me taking off the silver skin....but you have no idea how hard it is to have slimey hands, wash, dry, SNAP. Get next position, wash hands, dry, SNAP! It's a royal pain. I know some of you pros out their have tripods or a willing spouse to help you out but I cook on my schedule!

So let's get started shall we?

Pork Tenderloin*

1 pork tenderloin (don't get those already flavored, ugh too salty for me)
butcher's twine
your favorite grilling rub (I used 'southwest' today)
chipotle chili powder (it's hot!)
your pepper of choice (these are cubanelle)
*make sure your pre-made rub is low in sugar or sugar free cuz your meat will burn more!

With silver skins removed. Sprinkle on your chipotle. I wanted just a lil heat on the inside with the peppers (cubanelles aren't hot- taste like those chiles you get in a can)
Cut peppers and lay in flat side of one of the tenderloins.
Notice how one end of tenderloin is NARROW and the other side is FATTER? This is WHY you have two of them.

Make a cubanelle sandwich with your pork tenderloins. Making sure one narrow end is on top of the fatter end of the pork below. Conversely, the fatter end of the top will hover over the narrower end of the pork on the bottom. GET IT?

Now cut a LONG piece of twine.

Tie a square knot on the end. WHAT? You didn't remember knot tying from scouts? Shame! Left over right, right over left. Rocket science, right?

Take remaining twine and run under the meat keeping a loop on top for you to catch.

Loop long end. Pull so the sections are firm enough to HOLD the meat, not cutting into it. Repeat for a couple of sections.

If you get really good you will back and forth making sure the loops are going in the opposite directions to support the tightness. BAH. Do it how over you can at this point. You aren't a profession butcher, so don't sweat it.

Tie a knot when you reach the end.

See? Mine isn't perfect either but you know what?...the peppers aren't coming out so I done good!

Roll baby roll! Sprinkle on your favorite pre-made rub. Make sure you get all sides. Rub gently so you don't work the insides to slide out.

Gallon ziplic bag with 2 Tbsp oil. Lay this bag flat and rub your hand all around INSIDE the bag to coat it with oil. This will make it easier for the pork to get inside the bag AND makes it easier to coat the tenderloin as well.

All done. Slip this puppy in the fridge and either prep your other stuff for dinner or relax until grill time.

Turn grill on high to heat up grate. Place pork tenderloin on grill and turn down heat to medium. Continue cooking and rotating sides to evenly cook your meat. Use a thermometer to check the center. You want your pork to be either medium well or 160 degrees (depending on how yours works) Mainly so the juices run clear (for those who don't have a thermometer). This may take 20-30 minutes depending on your grill heat.
Sorry with no pix. K-man was grilling while I was prepping the rest of dinner. I can't be everywhere! LOL




Slice up you pieces to however thick or thin you want. It's ok if the sections come apart. It's all good!

Slight pink, in the center.

And juicy. Now if you didn't TIE these together. One end would be HORRIBLY dry and over cooked by the time the center was perfect. You COULD use one and fold the ends and do the tieing this to make one SMALL roast so it would cook evenly. BUT I only want to do this tying thing ONCE. ya dig?

Hope some of you learned something new! Every piece from end to center was absolutely melt in your mouth tender! By the way....save this for a weekend cookout....not something you wanna do before work and cook when you get home - no way. This is for when you have the time. Enjoy my peeps!

Who loves ya Baby?

I loves me some baby back ribs!



We "splurged" for the 4th and made some ribs for the grill....

HAHAHAHAHA! Can you believe it? You can spend like $19.99-25 for a full rack of ribs in the restaurants! Total SCORE!

Here's the process for you to see then followed by the recipe:



Gather up your spices in a bowl to make rub.











It's okay if you don't have some of those dried herbs as long as you have the fresh stuff...it's all good.










Make sure you really give the meat a rub down to release all those oils from the herbs into the meat!








Place in heavy duty foil, wrap it up in the fridge until you are ready to grill!







Herb-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs

2 T. smoky paprika
1 T. salt
1-1/2 T. black pepper
1 T. chipotle chili powder
1 T. garlic powder
2 T. dried thyme (I didn't have any, so I used fresh...LOL)
Rack of ribs

In a small bowl, mix all your above ingredients. Rinse ribs and pat dry. Rub mixture over both sides pressing so it sticks. Wrap rack in heavy duty foil. Store in fridge up to one day ahead. Bring to room temperature before grilling.

Bake @ 250 degrees for 2 hours. (no worries about making the kitchen hot....we went to the movies and it smelled heavenly when we got back!) Baste meat side of ribs with favorite barbecue sauce and carefully place meat side down onto to hot grill. Baste underside of ribs with sauce as well. Cook just enough to char up sides the way you like them.

Cook's Notes: Of course, barbecue purists would scoff at this procedure. They want low and slow on the grill over charcoal and basting all the while. Well, if you have the time for that....great. I for one don't always have the time to babysit something on the grill AND honestly cooking something like ribs on the grill (we have gas) uses up a LOT of propane. So if you have the time and want to use a lot of propane/charcoal....my point here is the RUB is fabulous! We loved it!