Relationships and Roasting.

Ah, love and cooking; with time, patience and the desire to improve (and impress), the collision of these two worlds can be a beautiful thing. When Doug and I first started dating almost 5 years ago, his kitchen skills were far more advanced than mine. I could certainly make more than toast, but didn't shy away from pre-mixed boxed or frozen entrees. Doug on the other hand was already an avid Alton Brown fan who grew up in a family of cooks. I was pretty intimidated by him when it came to cooking meals together because there were a lot of basic skills I lacked and flavors I hadn't experienced.

After years of learning from Doug, watching a shitload Food Network and taking my palate out of its comfort zone, my appreciation for the world of cuisine has changed dramatically. Cooking together has really become a deeply ingrained facet of our relationship; instead of feeling intimidated, I now feel totally comfortable collaborating with Doug on meals and rarely question whether or not the results will taste ok. Last night's dinner was one of those successful collaborations that ended with lots of "Mmmm!"s and a high-five.

We started with a roasted beet & spinach salad:



Topped with orange segments, roasted walnuts, reduced-fat bleu cheese and Doug's orange vinaigrette dressing.



The main course involved some hot foil bag action and yielded tender, delicious results:



(I know, I need to find more appealing plates than these blue ones my grandma gave me years ago. Someday.)

Pork chops and red onions slathered in orange marmalade and BBQ sauce, wrapped in a foil pouch and baked until cooked through; diced potatoes, olive oil and a couple of garlic cloves baked using the same method.

Once the pork and potatoes were cooked through, I opened the foil and cooked them both under the broiler to add some nice crunch along the edges.

Not pictured is a loaf of sourdough bread that was marked down to 59 cents (!!!). Toasted a few slices and rubbed with the roasted garlic cloves from the potatoes. The mix of textures in this meal was spot-on. Great way to end the weekend!

Best. Pork. Ever.

Last night for dinner, Doug busted out what was probably some of the best tasting pork I've ever had in my entire life.



We found a good deal on some boneless pork loin roasts at the store, so Doug threw together a bitchin' marinade which later translated into grilled meat euphoria. For the marinade:

Rough chop some green onions and mix with Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce (or, Soy Vay's Veri Veri Teriyaki, which I've seen at Wal-Mart), Famous Dave's Apricot Bourbon BBQ Sauce, crushed red pepper and POM juice. Now, since this was more of an experiment and not an actual recipe, I can't really provide specific measurements of each ingredient. The roast was about a pound, so use your best judgement and taste preferences when mixing all of this together.

Stab the roast with a few holes, add to marinade and stick in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (we let ours sit for about 2 hours). After you remove the meat, save the excess marinade, strain out the green onions and pour it into a saucepan. Turn up the heat and add brown sugar, a few drops of Liquid Smoke and more BBQ sauce and POM juice, if desired. Cook until thickened and set aside.

Before I move on, let's see another shot of that meat:



The flame? The grill marks? The SMELL?! Heaven. We ended up having to grill this longer than anticipated, so in hindsight, it would've been better (and faster) to cut the roast into 2 or more pieces. (However you go about it, PLEASE use a meat thermometer and aim for an all around internal temperature of at least 160 *F.) On the upside though, the increased grilling time made for a phenomenal charred crust. Doug also threw some broccoli in some foil, with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper:



This broccoli had been sitting in the fridge for a while and was on its last leg, hence the lack of green color... Still tasted ok though.



Served together with couscous (seasoned with parsley & kosher salt), grilled apples and the sauce prepared from the marinade.



The sauce was so delicious that I had to add a bit more to my couscous. Those little charred bits are the apples, also brushed a bit with that Awesome Sauce. And one last time, for me, that pork:



Honestly, the two of us barely said a word during this meal because we were stunned and enamored with this pork. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it was almost as good as sex. I tried to eat slowly, but the mix of flavors from the marinade and the texture of the pork (crisp, sweet, charred crust; tender, moist, juicy, flavorful interior) just kept hitting a pleasure center in my brain and I quickly became addicted. The broccoli, couscous and apples were merely supporting acts. The pork was the headliner.

In closing, I love meat, I love my grill-master boyfriend and I REALLY love when my boyfriend grills amazing meat. Definitely a meal to remember, but also to repeat in the near future. Love.