Had bought a lovely piece of pork loin and the intention was to cook something special for my Patrick, my Ah Boy, as he had a week home from the army. But there were just too many menus lined up for him, and he too had plans to hang out with his friends.
Now with him back in camp, pork loin on my mind, my thoughts strayed to dinner time and to the new wines delivered on Wednesday!…what goes with pork? What can I make without having to go shopping for new ingredients?
A quick check in my fridge, my treasure trove of ideas… there was red cabbage for a red cabbage relish which would be perfect with pork! Ooh and I have some toasted breadcrumbs too. If I can crisp that up, with some herbs and good salt for seasoning, would make a nice topping and give the dish a different texture as well.
So here is my dinner, and a quick-and-easy recipe attached, accompanied by Yalumba Viognier…I love Viogniers!
Grilled Pork Loin
- 1 strip pork loin (fresh from wet market)
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with some salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of good sea salt
- pinch of brown sugar
1. Mix all the above marinade ingredients together (except the pork) till the sugar has melted and is well incorporated.
2. Coat the pork with this marinade, cling film and set aside in fridge for an hour. Use this time to prepare the red cabbage relish. Bring pork back to room temperature before cooking.
3. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. On high heat, brown all sides of the pork loin. This should take no more than 5 mins, we just want to achieve a delicious colour on the pork. Remove from heat and place the pork on an oiled baking tray, grill in a150’C oven for approximately 15 mins till pork is cooked. Rest the pork for 5-7 mins before slicing it.
4. Use the same pan that you fried the pork with, fry the breadcrumbs (leftover bread which I crumbed into small pieces with my hands) in the remaining oils and meat juices/marinades till crisp. Take it off the heat and stir in some coriander leaves and freshly cracked pepper.
5. Plating….Grill pork loin sliced, crispy breadcrumbs on top, served on a wooden board with my red cabbage relish and some quinoa.
It’s important not to overcook the pork loin as this premium cut doesn’t contain much fat and will become dry. Here’s a simple finger test you can use to check the doneness of meat. Takes a bit of practise, but you’ll soon get the hang of it!
P.S. if you are after my red cabbage recipe or my quinoa recipe, check out next week’s post on intimatesuppers…OR imagine what it should taste like and create YOUR own recipes!! Happy Cooking!!
intimatesuppers 
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