Chili-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin (Sous Vide)

Happy President's Day!

Just took the Adorable Monster out for his morning jaunt and fed him his kibble (poor thing doesn't eat human food). I may hit the farmer's market this morning and maybe do a little shopping with some friends. Dinner is still up in the air—any suggestions?

Was thinking of maybe making mussels and fries. Yum yum yum.

In the meantime, here's one of my favorite sous vide recipes I've made using my Sous Vide Supreme—Chili-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin. This dish was inspired by the restaurant Salt's Cure in Los Anegeles, which does a killer chili-rubbed braised pork shoulder over stone ground grits. I decided to cook a version of it with pork tenderloin and cooked sous vide, although this recipe could easily be made with conventional cooking methods as well.

I served it with an Apple-Ginger Relish (recipe here) and over stone ground grits. It can be plated individually, or served family style as I did for New Year's Eve.

Chili-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin (Sous Vide)

Serves 2 people
Prep time: 15 minutes; Sous Vide Cooking Time: 2.5 hours
Gluten-free; dairy-free

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin (cut into two pieces/logs)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 pats of butter
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (for searing)

Directions

1. Fill the Sous Vide Supreme with water and preheat to 135-140 degrees, depending on desired degree of doneness (135 = medium rare and my preference, 140 = medium).

2. Meanwhile, rub the pork chops with the chili powder, salt, and pepper. Place each piece of pork tenderloin into a separate plastic bag with a pat of better. Vacuum seal both bags.

3. Once the Sous Vide Supreme has reached the proper temperature (hint—filling it up with hot water will help it heat up faster), place the pork tenderloin bags in the water bath, making sure that the meat is submerged and that the bags are not touching each other. Cook the pork tenderloin in the Sous Vide Supreme for about two hours to reach pasteurization (though it can stay in longer).

4. Remove the pork tenderloin from the Sous Vide Supreme and cut open the bags to remove the meat. In a saute pan, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Quickly, sear the pork tenderloin on all sides until nicely caramelized (about 1 minute per side). Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

5. To plate, layer the slices and top with the Apple-Ginger Relish. Enjoy!

Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin with Mediterranean-Style Cous Cous

Aloha, Divas!

I'm back from a family trip to Kauai—what a stunning island! One of the most spectacular places that I've ever visited. Prehistoric almost.

But I am happy to be back in (smoggy/hot) LA. Now if only it would cool off. It's the end of September right? October is just around the corner? Why is it 90 freaking degrees?!

Lately, I fantasize about two things. Air conditioning and winter.

But hopefully today will be slightly cooler.

If you read my blog, then you know how much I love my Sous Vide Supreme. I can cook perfectly cooked, lusciously tender meat every time. It's also a great way not to use my oven (which heats up my whole house). This time, I did natural beef tenderloin, which is fabulous sous vide.

I simply salt and peppered it, cooked it for two hours (vacuum sealed), and then seared it. I served it over a Mediterranean-style whole wheat cous cous studded with chickpeas, grape tomatoes, red onion, parsley, cumin, and lemon. The resulting dish was clean, light, and of course...

Delicious!

Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin with Mediterranean-Style Cous Cous

Serves 2 people
Cooking time: 2 1/2 (including sous vide time)
Dairy-free

Ingredients

2 fillets beef tenderloin (about 4-5 ounces each)
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Mediterranean-Style Cous Cous
1 cup whole wheat cous cous, cooked per package instructions
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 medium red onion or 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the Sous Vide Supreme to 130 degrees for medium rare.

2. Season the steaks on both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper. Vacuum seal each steak into its own bag. Place them in the Sous Vide Supreme so that they aren't touching. Cover and allow to cook for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Once the steaks have finished cooking, remove them from the Sous Vide Supreme and cut them out of their bags. Quickly sear the steaks for a minute or so on each side in the grapeseed oil, until nicely browned. Allow to rest before slicing.

3. Meanwhile, to make the cous cous, combine the cooked cous cous, tomatoes, chickpeas, parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. Toss well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. To serve, spoon the cous cous on a plate or in a wide-bottomed bowl. Top with the slices of beef tenderloin. Garnish with lemon slices or fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!