I have a wife and two children but I occasionally eat like a widower. Last night Santa Maria had dinner in Manhattan before coming home from work. The children had been fed canned lentil soup by our babysitter, and were in bed. I found myself staring down steamed broccoli, a couple of slices of roasted pork, and a side of pasta with puttenesca.
I’m not sure if what I’ve been doing lately qualifies as cooking, but it has been making my life easier, especially when I need only to think of myself. It’s part cooking ahead, part eating leftovers.
At the start of the week I cook up a slab or two of protein. This week I broiled a pork tenderloin while eating breakfast on Tuesday. Some weeks I’ve poached chicken breasts or pan-fried chicken thighs. Any of these meet my need for a serving of protein with a meal.
For a quick dinner after a long working day, I take some of the meat, combine it with a vegetable and a starch. I know it’s not rocket science and it’s not even a new idea, but it is very gratifying to have dinner ready in about fifteen minutes.
Last night, to go with the pork, I steamed some broccoli and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over it to accompany capellini, the super thin pasta that cooks in minutes, topped by the puttanesca I made the other day for Pinta. She spurned it. I enjoyed it.
My broiled pork recipe is a variation on one I got from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything." It’s a very useful thing to know how to make.
I’m not sure if what I’ve been doing lately qualifies as cooking, but it has been making my life easier, especially when I need only to think of myself. It’s part cooking ahead, part eating leftovers.
At the start of the week I cook up a slab or two of protein. This week I broiled a pork tenderloin while eating breakfast on Tuesday. Some weeks I’ve poached chicken breasts or pan-fried chicken thighs. Any of these meet my need for a serving of protein with a meal.
For a quick dinner after a long working day, I take some of the meat, combine it with a vegetable and a starch. I know it’s not rocket science and it’s not even a new idea, but it is very gratifying to have dinner ready in about fifteen minutes.
Last night, to go with the pork, I steamed some broccoli and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over it to accompany capellini, the super thin pasta that cooks in minutes, topped by the puttanesca I made the other day for Pinta. She spurned it. I enjoyed it.
My broiled pork recipe is a variation on one I got from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything." It’s a very useful thing to know how to make.
Roast Pork Tenderloin
- Olive Oil
- A bit of Garam Masala, about a teaspoon
- A bit of mustard, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 lb
Turn on the oven’s broiler.
Mix the olive oil and the spices and the mustard in a bowl.
Lay the pork on a roasting sheet and coat with the mixture.
Put the meat under the broiler for about ten minutes a side, until it browns.
Cook it to an internal temperature of about 150 degrees, which will leave a little pink but be safe to eat.
Note: This makes great, low-fat sandwiches when put on bread with caramelized onions.
It's not what it used to be. The wife is out working, the husband is cooking for himself. We have more and more appliances and comforts, but need 2 salaries to support our robots. Maybe we should do laundry by hand, live minimally, and survive on one salary...
Posted by: Mark Bittman's grilled pork recipe | June 29, 2011 at 04:10 PM