Aaahhh, I knew the aura of peace and organization wouldn't last. On the upside, everyone is so tired from starting school and after-school activities that everyone is asleep by 7:30. On the downside, that includes the grownups in the house...
Which brings me to the conversation I had with myself Tuesday night.
"Self," I said, after dinner was eaten, the kitchen was cleaned up, the kids were bathed, read to, and tucked in, the mail was sorted, the toys were picked up, "You really ought to do a little preparation for tomorrow night's dinner."
But I was sooooo tired and all I wanted to do was collapse on the couch and watch a tivo'd Closer, flip ambivalently through a catalogue, and then go to bed, so I did my best to ignore my inner voice. However, she's nothing if not persistent.
"Self," I said, a bit more sternly this time, "It will make things much easier on you tomorrow if you do just a little prep work tonight. And then you'll have something to blog about."
Fine. In a fit of sheer willpower, I made myself go into the kitchen and put together Ina Garten's pork tenderloin marinade. SO WORTH IT. It took me less than 15 minutes from start to finish (including getting out all the ingredients and then cleaning up after myself), and when we came home Wednesday afternoon it was ready and waiting. Quick to cook, and absolutely delicious. I served it with lima beans and rice. Here you go:
Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin
1 lemon, zest grated
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
Good olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.
To cook: either grill on medium high heat until the thickest part of the pork reaches 137 degrees (this is what we did last night and it took approximately 20 minutes), or brown on all sides in a large saute pan and then finish in the oven (you can leave them in the same saute pan) at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes (I haven't tried doing them in the oven).
Happy eating!
