JOHN McCAIN BABY BACK RIBS

Yep, I watched Rachel Ray with my wife last week and Senator McCain and wife Cindy was there showing her how he does his ribs. He said he’s had up to 4 grills going at once and loves to cook that way. He said, “The longer you’re grilling, the longer you’re with friends!”

He explained how he does his baby back ribs:

Ingredients

• 1 rack baby back ribs
• Equal parts garlic powder, salt and pepper, combined in a shaker to make a rub
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

So, I tried it, but unfortunately my grill will not reduce heat below 225 degrees. Therefore, after cooking them for about an hour and a half, bone down, they came out over done! My bad! I moistened them ever 20 minutes, with the lemon juice, and adding more of the rub mixture, and didn’t even turn them “meat down” until the last 10 minutes, but they still came out dry. Even adding my sauce didn’t save this meal. Luckily we had a great baked potato to fill us up.

I’m going back to my brother-in-law’s method, my method, or at lease cut the cook time on this one in half!

Sorry John!

BTW, while I was at it, I threw on a rump roast for a future meal! It did turn out well, because it was thicker perhaps!

REAL LIFE TO REEL LIFE!

Blog4Reel is the first-ever competition giving bloggers the chance to have their blogs turned into actual movies, not to mention the chance at winning $2000. So, ol’ Mushy and Suldog signed up! I entered my “Cross-Hairs” site (which could be a great screenplay), my “Mushy’s Moochings” sites. Hey, my life could be a movie!

They wanted realness and told us we could write specifically for the competition, link our existing blog/s to the competition, or join just to vote on our favorite blog/s (so I voted for Suldog)! It is that easy! It’s real life to “Reel” life.

We would appreciate it if you would take a moment to vote for us (see the VOTE in our sidebars), or go there and enter your blogs! Let us know…we’ll vote for you too!

You have to sign up in order to vote, but it’s not big deal…you don’t have to give them your SSN or anything!

Thanks in advance!

Apple-Fennel Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Judy and I watched an episode of Rachel Ray the other day and caught this great looking recipe. We just had to try it tonight.

Judy prepared all the dressing, the potato salad, and the coleslaw, while I did the work on the tenderloins. Here is the way it is supposed to go:

• Salt
• 1 package pork tenderloins (2 tenderloins)
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus extra for drizzling
• 1 small fennel bulb, cored and chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 firm apple, we used Gala, peeled, cored and sliced
• Pepper
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

Trim the tenderloins of silver skin and butterfly them by cutting in and across – but not all the way through – the loins.

Cover them with plastic and pound them out to 1/4-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat with two turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the fennel, onion, garlic and apple, season with salt, pepper and sauté until soft, 7-8 minutes. Add the apple juice to the pan along with the breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly to form a stuffing.

Divide the fennel-apple stuffing between the two tenderloins and spread into an even layer, leaving about an inch of the meat uncovered on either side.

Roll the tenderloins up like a jelly roll and place them seam side down on a sheet tray. Lightly drizzle some EVOO down over the tenderloins and season them with salt and pepper (use generously…ours needed more salt). Transfer to the oven and roast for 40 minutes, until the meat has browned.

Wash your hands after handling the pork. Then sit back and have Yuengling or two!

When the meat comes out of the oven, cover it with a piece of foil and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to settle.

To serve, slice the tenderloins and divide among four plates, or if there are just two of you, freeze one of the tenderloins for later.

Judy made coleslaw and potato salad for sides…man was it all good!

If you want to follow her recipe more closely, click here for the link.

BAKED PORK CHOPS, POTATOES, AND GREEN BEANS

On a baking sheet, Judy baked lean, boneless, pork chops for one hour at 400 degrees. The meat was generously salted and peppered.

She turned the chop after 30 minutes, and beside it she placed about 8 cut up “new” or “red skinned” potatoes on the same cooking sheet. She sprayed the potatoes with olive oil spray and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

After the sheet had been in the oven for another 5 or 10 minutes, she pulled it out and spread on some whole green beans (Naturally, the beans should first be de-stringed!), greased generously with olive oil, and put salt and pepper on them. She put it all back in the oven for the remaining 20 to 25 minutes.

The chop should be completely done and brown, the potatoes should be tender to the touch of a fork, and the green beans should be slightly wrinkled and blackened.

Delicious…low fat…and good for you!

CALHOUN'S AT THE MARINA

Neena and Ron met Judy and me for the wonderful lunch buffet at Calhoun’s today.

They have a wonderful assortment of tasty food on Wednesday and Friday each week. For $12, including the tip, it’s all you can eat of fresh vegetables (white and green beans, yellow corn, fried okra, carrots, cheese and cauliflower, mac’n cheese, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, and more), breads (sweet rolls and cornbread), fried catfish, chicken strips, fried chicken livers, and pulled BBQ. Sometimes there will be ribs!

Of course there are the usual condiments (honey mustard and tarter), and coleslaw!

Today there were chocolate chip cookies, or you could have all kinds of fruit, and cottage cheese.

Back at the table, the waitress keeps the glasses filled with un-sweet tea and water.

While we ate, we discussed upcoming plans to spend 3 or 4 nights in a cabin in Big South Fork, and of course, what we were going to eat then!

Out the window, we watched as boats entered and left the marina area, the geese and ducks caucusing along the bank, and schools of tiny minnows darting in and out from under the floating piers.

If you haven’t, you should visit Calhoun’s at the Marina in Lenoir City, Tennessee sometime for lunch. Or, visit either the indoor or outdoor bar sometime for great fun. I’m sure it’s hopping on the weekend too! Who knows, you may even be invited over to a party on one of the resident houseboats under the big shed!

If you prefer a quieter time, then sit by the peaceful Fort Loudon Lake waters, held back by the Fort Loudon Dam, and just watch the wildlife play.