Let’s face it — life is not exactly a bowl of cherries these days, thanks to “the virus.” In fact, some days it’s just plain pit-iful. But cooking is still a bright spot for me, and before the cherry season is completely over, I’ve cherry picked an easy and delicious recipe for you.
Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa is the cherry bomb. The pork roasts in no time, and with the aid of a cherry pitter (if you don’t have one, fuggedaboutit), you can easily throw together the cherry salsa. Don’t let Covid-19 get you down — eat, drink, and be cherry!
Pro tips: (1) Have a Tide pen nearby when you pit and chop the cherries. Trust me. (2) Wear gloves when you seed and chop the jalapeño, or at least don’t rub your eyes.
Season the pork with salt and press the crushed peppercorns into ti. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, and brown pork on all sides. Transfer pork to a shallow baking dish and roast until done (no longer pink in middle, or until a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees), about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing into slices about ½" thick.
While pork is roasting, make the salsa. Place cherries, lime zest, lime juice, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro in a small bowl and stir together.
Arrange sliced pork on a serving platter and serve with the salsa.
In March I attended oral argument in an appeal that I worked on for the better part of the past year (I think it was the last case the court heard in person before the pandemic). The argument was here in Houston, so I didn’t get to travel to some exotic corner of the Lone Star State, but going to the grand historic Harris County 1910 Courthouse for any reason is always awe-inspiring.
Historic Harris County 1910 Courthouse
If you’re gonna be important . . .
The courthouse, “a six story structure of neo-classical design topped by a prominent clerestory drum and dome,” served as home to Houston’s district courts in the early part of my career, but underwent a 7-year restoration and was rededicated in 2011, and now houses both of Houston’s courts of appeals. You can read about the restoration here. You won’t, but you could if you wanted to. The courthouse is one of the most significant judicial buildings in Texas, and is stunning.
The interior is covered in bookmatched black-veined gray marble and is quite impressive:
Grand marble stairways
Bookmatched marble
But we weren’t there to dilly dally in the hallways. Off to the courtroom where all the action was.
Where the grownups get to sit
The cousins table
The boss collecting his thoughts before argument
Oral argument was, um, interesting. The court issued its opinion about 3 months later, and well, all I can say is win some, lose some, all in the same case.
I can’t really talk about the case (but believe me, I really really want to) because it is an ongoing matter, so instead I’ll leave you with a “Houston” recipe. Well, sorta “Houston” — it’s from Houston’s, a chain restaurant here in Houston. Founded in 1977 by the Hillstone Restaurant Group, it’s maintained its dark fern bar vibe and menu of retro “American classics” (prime rib, barbecue pork ribs, spinach and artichoke dip, French dip au jus, etc.) through the decades. It’s a sentimental favorite of a lot of folks, and a popular place for date night.
One of our favorite things to order at Houston’s is Grilled California Artichokes with House-Made Remoulade:
When I ran across artichokes not long ago at the ridiculously low price of 2 for $1, I bought a huge bagful and took a crack at making Houston’s artichokes.
The recipe isn’t hard, but it does require some prep work, These make a terrific appetizer. Even though I can’t claim a complete victory in my case (how I wish I could tell you about it), I was definitely winning with these delicious grilled artichokes. And here’s a pro tip for you: stir some of the leftover remoulade into shrimp salad and win again.
Trim the stems and tops of the artichokes, and cut in half lengthwise. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lemons, garlic, peppercorns, and artichokes. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes until stems are tender and leaves pull of easily. Drain well. When cool enough to handle, remove fuzzy choke from center with a spoon.
Preheat grill. Brush cut side of artichokes with olive oil and place cut side down on grill. Grill for 5-10 minutes, until the edges are slightly charred..
Prepare remoulade by placing all ingredients in a food processor (a mini chopper works well), and process until combined. Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Serve artichokes with remoulade. Provide lots of napkins and a bowl for discarded leaves.
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To prep the artichokes, trim the stems, cut the artichokes in half lengthwise, and slice about 1/2″ off the top:
Tops trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
Boil them in a large pot of lightly salted water, with a lemon cut into quarters, a few garlic cloves, and a teaspoon of black peppercorns:
Simmer until tender with lemons, garlic, and black peppercorns
Simmer until the artichokes are gray-green and the stem can be pierced easily with the tip of a paring knife:
Gray-green and bottoms are tender
When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the fuzzy choke with a spoon:
After I “choked” them
Heat the grill, brush the cut sides of the artichokes with olive oil, and grill for a few minutes until slightly charred around the edges:
Nice smoky char
Remoulade seals the deal
PRO TIP: Stir a little leftover remoulade into shrimp salad (It also makes a tasty sandwich spread):
