When the weather (finally) gets cooler here in the South, there's a mad dash to create some homey, autumny food. Especially since we've just endured about 5 months straight of blistering, hot, steamy, humid bliss that we like to call "Splummer". I wonder if Spring and Summer will ever be two distinct seasons again? Anyway, it's just not fathomable to consume warm, toasty, brown, orange, red, stewy and homey food until the sweat beads on one's brow have officially retreated for the year.
Enter the cranberry...Neil loves cranberry juice. So, I had a pork loin roast in the freezer and decided it was time to create a Fall supper. I found this recipe online.
My pork loin was only about 2 pounds, so I cooked it for 30 minutes, basting every 10. Let it rest and it was perfectly cooked. Paired with wild rice & steamed green beans (as you can see) and I think it was a great cool night supper. Even though she helped me cook, Vivian proclaimed "I don't care for it," so she ended up with leftover ribeye from the fridge.
As I posted before, I'm still learning to comfortably use big cuts of meat. A few weeks ago, I got sirloin tip roasts B1G1. I cooked one with ginger & a really yummy jus and put the other in the freezer. So, time for Round 2.
Yesterday, I went in a different direction. I cut slits in the meat and this time inserted garlic. Ummmm, garlic! Then, I spread Dijon all over the surface and sprinkled it with thyme. THEN, and this is a first for me, I covered it with slices of thick cut bacon. I've seen recipes forever using this technique to keep meat moist, but for some reason, I've just never tried it. Roasted in the oven for about an hour. Served it with acorn squash that I baked & filled with apples, raisins, walnuts and a little maple syrup and then lastly some steamed broccoli. It's hard to tell with Neil because when I ask if he likes my food, he just points at his empty plate and gives me this look (Uh, duhhhhh). I feel like it was a success.
