Posts tagged ‘pork’

January 11th, 2013

Clementine Maple Glaze {with Pork Tenderloin}

by Chrissy

Fragrant, zesty, tart and sweet. This glaze has it all.

Last Friday we posted the first of two mandarin recipes. The Satsuma Sunset Cocktail highlighted the Satstuma Mandarin.

Besides the fact that it was a cocktail, it was loaded with complementing, sweet flavors and our friends (the taste-testers) loved it. The vodka was pleasantly masked, which could have been a potential issue if we were really thirsty…

This citrus recipe, highlighting the Clementine Mandarin, is a little more savory side.

I love that this glaze is packed with flavor, full of color, laced with the perfect hint of rosemary and with a subtle maple sweetness. We paired this glaze with a simply seasoned pork tenderloin.

This meal was another hit with our citrus taste-testers. We doubled the recipe that you will find listed below, so with the extra glaze, we served it over roasted carrots and it was to. die. for.

This multi-purpose condiment can be a flavorful way to serve up some vegetables and would also be great paired with chicken and fish.

Results for the citrus showdown:

Overall, our taste-testers leaned more towards the Satsuma Mandarin. The sweet, yet slightly acidic and bold flavors of the Satsuma appealed to the their palates. Although both recipes were equally delicious and the taste of both types of Mandarins were distinct, the Satsuma had slightly more to offer. The citrus showdown that Whole Foods Market hosted, was tons of fun and allowed us to experience some these flavors in a different way that we had before.

Be sure to try comparing these two flavors of Mandarins at home!

 

Clementine Rosemary Glaze

Print Recipe!

Yields about 1/3 cup; Makes enough for 1.5 lbs of pork tenderloin

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup fresh clementine juice

3 Tbsp grade b maple syrup

1 tsp clementine zest

1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp butter, salted (or add a small pinch of salt if unsalted)

A pinch cayenne

 

Directions:

For the glaze:

Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan an over medium-high heat. Cook to reduce by about 2/3 of the initial amount, stirring constantly. It will take about 7-8 minutes; and it is done when the glaze is thickened and a good amount of it sticks to the back of the stirring spoon. Set aside.

Enjoy as a glaze for roasted or steamed vegetables, cooked chicken, fish or pork.

 

For the pork tenderloin:

Prepare pork tenderloin by sprinkling with salt, pepper and about 2 tsps freshly chopped rosemary. Sear on all sides for about 2 minutes on each side and put in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through (for Medium temperature, it will be slightly pink in the middle). Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting medallion slices. Spoon desired amount of glaze over top of pork medallions & enjoy.

 

From the Little Yellow Kitchen,

Chrissy

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July 11th, 2011

Old Town’s Rockin’ Baja Coastal Cantina: New Menu Tasting!

by Chrissy

 

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Rockin’ Baja Coastal Cantina has a brand new menu brewing up, and we were so lucky to have had the opportunity to a private tasting before it is unveiled! First we started off with the Wabo Red Rocker Margarita [contents: Tequila, Grand Marniner, Agave, citrus, cranberry juice, grenadine] and the Michelada de Clamato [contents: Tecate Beer, Clamato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire, Cholula, salt and pepper, in a spice-rimmed glass]. These treats were a great end to the day of work, and a great start to a much anticipated meal!
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Wabo Red Rocker Margarita
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Michelada de Clamato

Then, we helped ourselves to the loaded self-serve salsa bar, to help ease the grumbling bellies. While we snacked on the wide-variety of fresh-made salsas, we ordered our food and then we were brought some warm homemade flour tortillas and honey chili butter. Man, that butter was to die for. We were eating it like it was candy.
Soon after ordering, the food was brought to us in a timely fashion. Please, take a gander.
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mmmm…Honey Chili Butter, sweet with a little kick to it!

Appetizer: Spicy Ahi Tacos
This ah-mazing appetizer comes with two overflowing ahi tacos, that would be great as a lighter meal if you weren’t famished. But we were starving, so we definitely needed more than an appetizer. The large chunks of super fresh ahi was generously portioned in each taco. The toppings of red onion, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers and avocado were a perfect combination of crunch and flavor alongside the  tender ahi sashimi. But it was the cilantro-lime ranch dressing that tied the taco together. The only critique we have to offer is that they were not spicy enough, but with that self-serve salsa bar, that can easily be changed. We could eat these ALL day long. I am craving them as I write this. If it wasn’t so late at night, I would be halfway to Old Town, with my pedal to the metal to place an order…or 5…of these delicious Spicy Ahi Tacos!
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Entree: Bahia Bucket
Piled high with a flavorful Alaskan Snow Crab Leg Cluster, four large wild Mexican Shrimp, two pieces of char broiled chicken, and a single San Felipe Style fish taco, this bucket means business. Your hands will get dirty, your table will be littered with used wet-naps, and your belly will be oh so happy. The Alaskan Snow Crab Legs came with butter dipping sauce, but it was not needed; the crab meat was loaded with flavor and was cooked perfectly. The shrimp had the same flavoring as the crab, so after moving from the soft succulent crab meat to the shrimp, they tasted similar but a little too chewy, and thus must have been a wee bit over-cooked. The chicken had a great char broiled taste, but we would have liked it better if it were a tender breast meat, rather than the thigh meat that we suspected it was. The San Felipe Style fish taco was basically a battered and fried whitefish, surrounded by cabbage, avocado, cilantro, and a white sauce. Either the tantalizing ahi tacos we had eaten minutes earlier were still on the mind and set the standards high, or this San Felipe taco was just not flavorful enough and the fish was very very dry, we moved right onto the Al Pastor tacos.
How awesome is this presentation?? It was almost too pretty to eat. But that didn’t last long, we dug in right away.
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San Felipe Style Taco
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Wait, where is the rest of the food? Oh, neatly tucked away under the taco, but of course!
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Entree: Tacos Al Pastor
First, let’s talk about the sides. Bacon bits in the refried beans? YES, PLEASE! Moist Mexican rice with bits of corn? Oh yea! Now, about the Al Pastor Tacos, they were fabulous! We were initially hesitant to order these because our normal Al Pastor taco place is Funky Garcia’s in downtown San Diego and they make the best adobada sauce. We had high expectations, to be clear. And these Tacos Al Pastor certainly left us wanting more. If we weren’t so full we would have been begging for another round. So, now we have two favorite Al Pastor places. Who knew you could have two favorites?
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Yum. Yum. Yum. Pineapple Mango salsa, sliced avocado, cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of lime, this Al Pastor has got it going on!

 

The service was great, the food was tasty, and overall, it was a great experience and we will definitely be back to try more food on the delicious new menu! I guess until then, those amazing ahi tacos beckon our return.

The atmosphere and ambiance allows for a comfortable dining experience.

Thank you servers, bartenders, chef and kitchen-folk for bringing us a great experience! We will be seeing you soon!


From the Little Yellow Kitchen,

Chrissy & Lauren

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