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Spice Rubbed Pork Loin Sliders with Dijon Remoulade {#PorkParty}

In my last post I shared with you a video recipe from the National Pork Board for a Spice Rubbed Pork Loin BLT Sliders with Dijon Remoulade.   I also offered a giveaway of $50.00 in Costco cash, but we’ll get to that momentarily.
I got a big huge pork loin from Costco and when I came home I cut off the ends into roasts and the middle was cut into loin chops.  I used one of my favorite kitchen tools—the Foodsaver my mom gave me years ago—and froze the other loin and the chops for later use.   That’s four meals from one loin, and I only paid $14.37 for it.   Broken down that is about $3.60 per cut of meat for FOUR MEALS for a family of six.   Amazing!
Last night I made *my* version of the Spice Rubbed Pork Loin BLT Sliders with Dijon Remoulade!   Of course, I didn’t have any Dijon Mustard so I used regular yellow mustard and it was perfectly fine.  I also didn’t have Thyme, but I had a mix of herbs (to be added to oil for bread-dipping) that included Thyme, so I used that in the spice rub for the pork loin.

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While I roasted the loin at 400 degrees for about an hour, I prepped everything else.   I sliced up the tomatoes,  washed the lettuce, fried up the bacon, and made the remoulade.

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The important thing to know about pork is that it is so easy to overcook it.  So, at 60 minutes I took it out and checked it with a handy-dandy meat thermometer.  Once it read 145 degrees, after being inserted in the middle of the roast, I knew it was done (I actually checked the temperature at 50 minutes first.)   It’s crucial to let it rest, and after it thoroughly did I sliced it into thin little cuts for the slider assembly.  While it rested, I also got the Hawaiian rolls ready.  They just needed a few minutes in the oven, at 300 degrees, to get all perfect and nom-nom-nommy.

Then it was time for the assembly line of yumminess…

SERIOUSLY!!!!!!

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The whole roast disappeared as I kept making the sliders and they kept being eater.
Everyone asked, “Mama, when are you going to make these next?!”
For sure….soon!!

Spice Rubbed Pork Loin BLT Sliders with Dijon Remoulade

Recipe from Pork Be Inspired!

Ingredients:

Dijon Remoulade: 1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons dill pickle relish, OR finely chopped dill pickle
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Spice-Rubbed Pork Loin:

2 pound boneless pork loin roast
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
24 dinner rolls, such as Hawaiian or potato
2 cups baby arugula
3 to 4 plum tomatoes, cut into 24 rounds
12 slices bacon, cooked each cut into quarters to make 48 pieces

Cooking Directions

Remoulade:
Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Spice-Rubbed Pork Loin:
Preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Combine the cumin, smoked paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Rub all over the loin. Place on a rack in a small roasting pan. Roast for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350  degree F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast registers 145 degree F, 50 to 60 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

 

Serve:
Carve roast crosswise into thin slices. Divide slices into 24 portions. Spread each roll with remoulade. Fill with equal amounts of the pork and arugula. Top with a tomato round and 2 pieces of bacon. Serve warm.
Makes: 24 sliders, 12 serving

Now, for the winner of the $50.00 Costco Giveaway:
As generated by Random.org, the lucky winner is:  Kim T. of “Live from the 205”!  Congrats, Kim!!!

 

This post is the second post that is part of a campaign with The National Pork Board and The Motherhood.  All opinions are always my own!

Pork Makes the Party {and a Costco Cash Giveaway!}

To celebrate October as National Pork Month, Costco is offering discounts on top pork cuts from chops and roasts to pork tenderloin and boneless loins. Costco members can take advantage of weekly savings ranging from $2.00-$2.50.  And, I am offering $50.00 in Costco Cash, so keep on reading….
Between October 22 and 28, Whole Boneless Loin is $2.50 off at Costco. Boneless pork loins are super delicious and have often been used as a main dish in many of our family celebrations. Pork loins are also very versatile, not to mention they are low in fat without detracting from the flavor at all. They can be roasted, stuffed or cut into chops. I ALWAYS have a boneless pork loin in my fridge or freezer waiting to be cooked.
I hope that you use some of pork’s versatility to your advantage this holiday season.   It pairs perfectly with a wide variety of flavors and is classic when bringing people together for any celebration.
Pork Makes the Party, Costco Helps You Save, and I Want You To Be Entered To Win $50.00 in Costco Cash!
To enter to win the $50.00 Costco Cash have a look at this video from the National Pork Board.     After you watch the video just tell me what your favorite part of this video recipe was, and then you’ll be entered to win the $50.00 in Costco Cash so that you can go to Costco and take advantage of their awesome deals on pork.  Not a Costco member?   You can use your winnings to become a member to join in all the savings.

As for the recipe in the video:  I am definitely going to make this later this week!  Stay tuned and I’ll share how my version came out & I will pick a winner from the comments on this post (for the $50.00 Costco cash!)

This post is part of a campaign with The National Pork Board and The Motherhood.

David our Kindergartener – Growing Up Too Fast

Wasn’t it just yesterday that I was pregnant with Davey, our little “Dude”, waiting for him to join our family?   Wasn’t it just yesterday that he was waking up 3-4 times a night?   Wasn’t it just yesterday that he was wearing those cute little white shoes with the jingle bells on the shoelaces?   Wasn’t it just yesterday that he was still in diapers?   Wasn’t it just yesterday when he fit into those hand-me-down, blue and white, striped overalls that all the boys wore.
Now he’s a full fledged Kindergartener by joining the ranks as one of our Georgia Cyber Academy students and he’s doing fantastically;  he’s flying through the math curriculum and will probably doing 1st grade Math by the second semester.   He sleeps through the night and waits for those nights that Papa is working, out-of-town, so he can keep his pillow warm; he really only wakes up if he’s had a weird dream and needs Mama to kiss the weirdness away.    It’s true when people tell those who are potty-training that the kid won’t go to Kindergarten with diapers; even though I am still beckoned to wipe his booty by his classic call, “Mama, I pooped!”   Now that fall is upon us I have really realized how much he’s grown; all of his pants are almost two inches too short and that makes me really thankful that he’s a Kindergartener at home.   I do not envy those parents who have to buy new wardrobes for their kids at the start of every school year.

The Past Two Weeks in Food

Michael and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary on September 30th.  We decided to enjoy two lunches together instead of one dinner.  Bonus!  We got to spend more alone time together AND we had two spectacular meals.
Thus begins this food essay….
This was my plate from Atlanta Hwy Seafood Market.  I had the shrimp and crab-cake plate.  Michael had the grilled Mahi-Mahi and shrimp plate.  This food was just as good, if not better, than some of the down-home seafood we’ve had in New Orleans.  For real, child!
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I had a bowl of Gumbo, and Michael ordered a bowl of Red Beans and Rice.  When we were half way through our bowl, we switched.
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On Sunday, we went to our local sushi joint.  This was the aptly named Lover’s Roll.
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Later on I presented Michael with this dessert.   A banana split made with love (and a lot of nuts!)
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The next day I made some stuffed bell peppers.  All of the ingredients were bought at Aldi.   Which?  God, I wish they would open an Aldi in our town.
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I’m sure, by now, you know that I am a Moe’s Ambassador.  This is one of my favorite ambassadorships.  Not only do I love the food and stand behind their freshness, I love our local Moe’s for the people that are they employ.    Great food, great atmosphere and kids eat free on Wednesday.   SCORE!
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This week I finally made Banana Bread.   I adapted a from a recipe I found on Brown Eyed Baker (whom, coincidentally, is one of my favorite baking recipe sites.)
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This past week Olivia, Davey, and I went to lunch with my friend Maria and her daughter.  Livey didn’t like her Hot & Sour soup.   Guess who loves Hot & Sour soup, though.  Me!!!
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My mom sent us a care package with three jars of Ajvar (hot pepper spread) and one jar is almost gone already.  It’s a little spicy and goes super well with toast and feta cheese.
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After almost 2 weeks of Michael being gone for work he took us all out for dinner, to Cheddar’s Casual Cafe, and I was able to cure my big, bad, burger craving with the Hickory Smokes BBQ Burger.
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Yesterday, I drove through Billy’s Country Kitchen – Home of the Heavenly Biscuit for the first time ever.  I don’t know why I’ve never been here, in our over five years of living here, but I will definitely go back.  Not only for the biscuits, but the wonderful man that owns the place.  Our experience, at the drive through, was nothing short of blessed and favored.  The best thing about it is that we paired these Heavenly Biscuits with preserves that Michael brought back to us from Nashville’s Loveless Cafe.  The Peach Preserves are to. die. for.
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Thank God for my gym membership!  For real.

 

Loud & Clear

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While {I} am quiet
Take comfort in
Knowing
{My} storytelling continues
In captured moments
Simple
Instances of {my} thought and
Of bliss and of reflection
Silent
Without a word
{I} can be heard
Loudly

 

 



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