Thursday, January 14, 2010

Dressing up leftovers


On Christmas Eve my family has a midnight supper every year. Before the meal we all form a circle, hold hands and each one of us tells what that year meant to us, then we say a prayer, hugs are exchanged and it is our thanks giving moment.

And on the next day we have leftovers for lunch... For this meal only the rice was fresh. I dressed up my plate with golden strings (egg noodles) that were previously trimming the turkey. The meat was pork tenderloin that my sister-in-law's mother cooked for us, also for the Christmas Eve supper. Traditionally Brazilians have pork for holiday meals.

The pork loin is so easy to make. Instead of baking in the oven, cook it! With the juices that come out you can make the gravy.

1 pork tenderloin (about 2 pounds)
Salt (use 1/2 tablespoon salt for each pound)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, cubed
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime or orange
2 tablespoons oil or extra virgin olive oil + 2 for cooking
2 cups water

For the gravy:
1 tablespoon each: catchup, mustard, soy sauce
1/4 cup prosecco or dry sparkling wine (champagne)
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup mushrooms

1) Season pork loin with salt and pepper, pepper, onion, garlic, lime/orange juice and 2 tablespoons oil or olive oil. Marinate for about 2 hours or overnight.

2) Place 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add meat and brown it well on all sides, for about 6 minutes. Reduce heat, add 2 cups of water and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, adding more if needed.

3) Remove tenderloin to a platter. Stir in gravy ingredients to pan. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened, adjust seasoning. Serve meat with sauce spooned on top and rice as a side.

3 comments:

Abby said...

What a nice tradition! And I wish we Americans had pork at the holidays instead of, say, turkey. (Not a fan am I!)

Alisa said...

Looks delicious Cris! This is one of the reasons why I love reading your posts!Keep em comin!

Tangled Noodle said...

Although it's been nearly a month since New Year's Day, I still love reading about the foods that people served. Your dish looks delicious; I know that pork is considered a 'lucky' food to eat for the New Year in Asian cultures and even your rice is shaped in a lucky circular shape. It looks like you are in for a very fortunate year! 8-)