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Y! MyWebCooking Today
Even with a rowdy dog, power outage, calmness prevailed
Monday, September 29, 2008
When our big old Lab, Simba, died last spring, I wasn't ready for another dog. And the more time passed, the less ready I got.
But I am only one vote among four. Although I'd like to think I hold the power of veto, I'd also like to think that I use that power only for good. And voting against a dog seemed a little on the evil side.
And, truthfully, I kinda missed having someone who would greet me like I'm the best person on Earth, listen attentively to my every word and watch me get undressed. Besides a husband, I mean. As a bonus, a dog would clean the crumbs off the floor, too.
So we welcomed Marco to our home a few weeks ago. He's a 2-year-old Chihuahua-dachsund — a "chiweenie" — we got from a rescue organization.
Marco is a graduate of the cell-dog program, which means his rescuers paired him with an Ohio inmate for socialization and obedience training. He picked up some basic commands there — like "sit," "stay" and "fetch the cigarettes."
But he needs to work on his discernment because right now he interprets any little movement to mean, "Wanna go for a walk?"
I stand up; he gets excited. I carry the laundry basket; he starts dancing. I bag the trash, put on socks or make the bed; he is waiting at the door. "He's real calm," said my daughter's boyfriend, Jon.
I have concluded that Jon would use the same word to describe the windstorm that knocked the Miami Valley for a loop. The men in white coats would lock Bil Keane up and throw away the key if he had his "Family Circus" moppets follow the crazed dotted-line path that is Marco's daily walk.
In fairness, Marco is calm when he's sleeping, which I caught him doing just the other day. But by the time I had fetched the camera to capture the moment, he was already up and working on his vertical leap. Apparently, he thinks getting the camera means we are going for a walk.
He did show uncharacteristic calmness, however, during the power outage that darkened our house and silenced our television set. Marco and our three cats stayed close to us as we congregated in one room, playing Scrabble by flashlight and arguing over whether "ob" was a word.
We had planned that night to use the grill, which includes a side burner, so we were OK for dinner. And I had a new recipe try, one that turned out to be a keeper.
Spice-rubbed Pork Tenderloin includes a Mustard Barbecue Sauce that would also pair well with chicken. The recipe calls for smoked paprika, but when I saw the price tag (more than $5) I used regular paprika. Because I'll be making this again, I might spring for it next time and see whether it makes a difference.
SPICE-RUBBED PORK
TENDERLOIN WITH MUSTARD BARBECUE SAUCE
Makes 8 servings
Sauce:
2 bacon slices, finely chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard
5 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pork:
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
Cooking spray
Heat grill.
To prepare sauce, cook bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until almost crisp, stirring occasionally. Add chopped onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mustard and next 5 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin) to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 4 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally.
To prepare pork, combine brown sugar and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper) in a small bowl, stirring well; rub mixture evenly over pork. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155 degrees (slightly pink), turning once. Let pork stand 10 minutes. Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with sauce.
Source: Cooking Light magazine
Contact this writer at carol.rini@gmail.com
