For the corn and okra, it was just as we’ve been doing – okra fried in Crisco on the discada and the corn in butter on the grill side burner.
For the gravy, Bev sauted about ¾ pound of portabella/cremini mushrooms and added a packet of Pioneer Brown Gravy Mix per package instructions.
For the meat, I cut them about 1 ½” thick then mashed them to half that. I wasn’t sure if I should call these medallions (seemed too thick), chops, or filets – which I settled on. We partially cooked some bacon in the microwave and wrapped each piece of meat, securing it with a toothpick. I looked up a few recipes and found several rubs and for what they contained, I decided to go with a light amount of the following on each side – herbes de provence, kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika – I used the smoky version. I grilled them over high heat for a couple of minutes per side to develop a crust, then turned them to low and cooked to an internal temp of 140* - they were just pink inside and still nice and juicy. Here they are on the grill and the finished platter.
And my plate.
Our guests loved them, but I considered them just okay. I thought the pork was good by itself and I thought the gravy was good, but I didn’t think they worked well together. I should have gone with my first instinct and made my own gravy using the same herbs as on the meat - just another step on my journey toward becoming more of a chef and not just a recipe follower. The corn and okra were excellent as usual.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.
Larry
pork wrapped in pork... yee haa
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of wrapping bacon around those pork filets. The only gravy I'm an expert at is white chicken gravy when I make fried chicken, so I really appreciate your perspective on the seasonings with a brown gravy. I really should try to make it more often. Question: do you bread your okra before frying?
ReplyDeleteLooks so tasty - and I'm with you on the gravy mix. That stuff is full of sodium and lots of chemicals . . . much tastier and better for you to make a simple gravy with beef stock. As always, I'm jealous of your okra. Mine is making a show - maybe I'll get a little okra yet. :)
ReplyDeleteYum!! Looks fantastic Larry!!
ReplyDeleteWell Larry---you are becoming a great chef.. By cooking different things in different ways, you find out what works and what does not... The next thing we know, you'll be publishing a Big Dude Cookbook.
ReplyDeleteBetsy
You sound disappointed but it sounds like a wonderful meal to me. I must say I love the pork wrapped with pork. My husband would love to eat at your table. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteIf everyone else enjoys it, I just shut up and don't voice my own disappointments. I think pork's coming our way later this week.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it was a hit, even if not with you. A neighbor mentioned this method of cooking pork tenderloin a few years ago but I just haven't tried it. Did the bacon cook through? It never seems to cook right when I try it on beef fillets or scallops.
ReplyDelete