A Simple Sunday Dinner

What can a sick person make for her family for dinner? Something that is first brined for maximum flavor before being seared and then roasted sounds perfect. And you might have noticed that this post is just a few days late, as I have been busy recovering from my common cold. But no matter; it was all good.

A while ago I had made a Bacon-Wrapped Maple Pork Loin that I declared was excellent and would be made again. Now seems as good a time as any to make good on that promise.

The brine was assembled and quickly cooled with ice cubes.

The thawed pork tenderloin was added to the brine. The bowl was then covered with plastic wrap before being put in the refrigerator for several hours.

Once the pork tenderloin came out of the brine and was patted dry, the silverskin was removed. Silverskin is not good eats.

Deviating (once again) from the recipe, I sauteed the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin in my cast iron skillet (did I mention that my dear mother-in-law got that for me for Christmas? Thanks!)

Once the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin was lightly seared, I carefully placed the remote digital temperature probe in the meat. This then went into a 400 degree oven until the internal temperature hit 130 degrees. At that point I took the pork tenderloin out, drizzled more maple syrup over the top before returning the meat to the oven. The thermometer was then set for 140 degrees. When the alarm went off, the pan was pulled from the oven and aluminum foil covered the pan.

After the meat had rested for 10 minutes, it was cut into slices. And remember, pink pork is not a bad thing, as long as the internal temperature is above 138 degrees. The temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests.

Some broccoli florets were tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. These roasted in the 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Yukon Gold potatoes were cleaned and cut into 3/4-inch pieces. These were lightly tossed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper before going into a 400 degree oven for one hour.

After 30 minutes, half a sliced shallot and two chopped slices of bacon were added to the baking sheet. This went back into the oven for the remaining 30 minutes.

The pork tenderloin was so moist and tender that no sauce was needed. My husband even came up and thanked me for dinner. Now, that's praise indeed.