Bacon | Manchego's Kitchen

i’m not really one for new years resolutions. i’ve come to terms with my complete lack of willpower. if anything, if i had a resolution this year, it would be to go easier on myself.

and maybe to post fewer pork recipes.

luckily, since i’m going easy on myself, we can start that resolution next week.

pork wrapped in pork. it’s healthy cause it’s on a plate with green stuff.

i made some questionable shopping decisions, and came home with brussels sprouts and red cabbage. cabbage two ways! sounds much more intentional that way.

i think i like cooking sides better than mains. is that weird? i know mark bittman would approve. i would resolve to post more side recipes, but they’d all essentially be the same: saute in oil, add a squeeze of lemon, insert in mouth.

back to the pork! it was a manchego’s kitchen christmas this year, and i ended up giving family members some recipes to take their gifts out for a test drive.

if i were a professional, i probably would have actually written those recipes . . . or, you know, at least tried all of them out. let’s just say i got a head start on my resolution.

i DID try this recipe. and it was a simple and yummy as i thought it would be. pork + thyme, wrapped in bacon? how can you go wrong?

the bacon-wrapping experience only turned out to be tricky because i didn’t read (slash ignored) the directions and went a little crazy with the thyme springs. over the pork! under the pork! thyme every where!

don’t be like me. remember that this isn’t a beauty contest. just put a couple of sprigs on top and wrap ‘er up.

or do be like me! go crazy! make a mess! who doesn’t love excess thyme?

alternatively, be smarter than me, and follow the somm’s suggestion of ditching the inedible sprigs and just use the fresh thyme leaves. sprinkle them on with the salt and pepper like a dry rub before applying the bacon.

this is a great recipe to use a cast iron skillet because you’re starting stove top, but finishing in the oven. there is something so satisfying about a cast iron skillet. they’re so heavy and old-timey. they do a great job of getting a nice brown crust on your meat or veggies.

i think i’ve said it before, but the magic of really nicely cooked meat is temperature. science! a nice, lean tenderloin needs a gentle touch. cook it until the center hits between 150 and 155.

so, go ahead. buy a meat thermometer. do it. buy a fancy one. buy a cheap one. use it. impress friends and loved ones.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Adapted from Real Simple

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 lb
A few sprigs of thyme
4 slices bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat cast iron skillet over medium high heat, add a glug of olive oil. Season pork with salt and pepper. Top with thyme to taste. Wrap with bacon. Brown wrapped tenderloin on all sides in the pan, a few minutes on each side. Transfer pan to oven and cook for about 15 minutes, until the thickest part of the tenderloin has reached 150 to 155 degrees.

Let pork rest. Slice and serve!

it’s chilly in dc. time for some chili!

sorry. couldn’t resist. but good night, it is cold here today. completely unacceptable.

this chili would be the opposite of that. healthy AND tasty. and if you have a half-eaten can of chipotle from last week’s chicken, you’re in luck.

little known fact – not only was i born in texas, i spent my fair share of time at chili-cook-offs. i’m pretty sure i was wearing gingham, cause my mom knows what’s what.

but really, chili is my dad’s thing. this is one of two culinary gifts from my father, the mad scientist. the first is peanut butter on waffles with pancake syrup. i have yet to be able to convince anyone of the amazingness of that combination, so maybe you have to grow up with it?

anyway. that man is serious about his chili. he got his recipe down to a very precise combination of spices. when i asked him for it a while back, he asserted that the ratios require that you create a very large quantity of chili spice, making it useless for the home cook. pre-katrina, his local nola restaurant used his crazy spice mix, and i think he used to give baggies of it away to the worthy few.

not screwing around here folks, not screwing around.

anyway, we’re moving ahead without you here, dad, with what i’m sure would be a pretty solid contender for the blue ribbon.

tomatoes. green chile and chipotle chilies. white beans. freshly ground cumin. hard to go wrong here.

and hey, look! i grew those peppers! last gasp of summer, there you go.

this chili is seriously good. it is nicely spicy and smoky from the chipotle and paprika, has a brightness from the green chile and tomatoes. the ground turkey gives it heft without heaviness. and the white beans, especially on day two, are just pillowy soft. i caught the somm fishing them out of the leftovers, the sneak!

and . . . because i can’t leave well enough alone, i also made cornbread. the sweetness balances the chili’s spice, and the smoky bacon brings it all together.

the zucchini? well, i was just intrigued to see if it would turn out as a proper cornbread or more like a quick bread. happily, this is a true cornbread, maybe just a tad moister, with lots of green goodness tucked inside.

this is a hearty bread, between the whole wheat flour, bacon and zucchini.

it also has buttermilk – and i cheated and added a bit of lemon juice to milk for a DIY solution – and browned butter. yum.

i baked it in a cast-iron skillet coated with the bacon (ok it was pancetta, but how girly girly does zucchini pancetta cornbread sound!!) drippings so it was infused with bacon flavor.

legit.

Spicy Turkey Chili

Adapted from Epicurious

2 canned whole chipotle chilies in adobo, finely chopped or pureed with a little water
2 18-ounce cans tomatoes, whole or diced (you may not use them all)
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoky Spanish paprika
2 pounds ground turkey
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
two 4-ounce cans mild green chilies, drained and chopped
2 teaspoons cornmeal
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream
Shredded cheese

Warm oil in a large pot. Add onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes until softened and fragrant. Add cumin and paprika and cook for another minute or so. Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink.

Add the chipotles, broth, seasonings, and tomatoes. Let simmer for about an hour. Add more broth if it gets too thick. Then add your bell pepper and green chiles and cornmeal and simmer for half an hour. Then add your beans. Continue to add more broth or tomatoes to keep the consistency as you like it.

Discard bay leaf. Serve with cilantro, sour cream and cheese on top.

This keeps well for a few days in the fridge.

Bacon Zucchini Cornbread

Adapted from Epicurious

6 slices (or more!) of bacon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large zucchini (about 10 ounces)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup medium-grind cornmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan until it gets a nutty brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool before adding eggs and buttermilk.

While butter is cooling, you can:

Crisp your bacon in an oven-safe skillet (cast iron will work really well, but you can use any type, or just use a baking pan greased with your bacon drippings). Remove and roughly chop bacon. Swirl drippings around to coat pan, discard excess.

Cut a few thin slices from your zucchini and reserve; shred the rest with a grater or cuisinart. Add to bowl with butter mixture and stir until well blended.

Mix the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cornmeal into a large bowl.

Add zucchini mixture; fold just to blend (mixture will be very thick).

Transfer batter to skillet and decorate with your saved zucchini slices.

Bake bread until golden and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes.

Eat with lots of butter and chili!

Manchego's Kitchen

it's his kitchen. i just cook here.

Category Archives: Bacon

bacon-wrapped pork

spicy turkey chili & bacon zucchini cornbread