Pork With Cumin

I absolutely love this dish, have been making it for years.
My father actually turned me on to it.
My parents are gourmands in their own right.
I'm not a great cook, really. But I love food.
Especially the eating part.

Growing up, I did not like tomatoes, oranges, or anything with pulp, hard fried eggs are out.
How my mother was able to feed all of us kids and walk away feeling good about what she cooked,
is a mystery to me. We were terribly picky girls, all four of us. At least that's what I think I remember.



This recipe is from the New York Times Cook Book, Craig Claiborne.

A book I reach for often.



Ingredients:
1 (1/3/4-2 pound) boneless pork loin
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg (this is cinnamon, I was out of nutmeg)

REGARDING THE CINNAMON SWITCH........worked great in a pinch,
added a little something to the mustard/garlic that was spread over the top.

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons sour cream

Preparation:


1. Preheat oven to 375 (*f)
2. Sprinkle meat with pepper.

3. Blend the oil with the cumin, paprika and cayenne

Brush the loin on all sides with the mixture.

4. Place the pork in a shallow heatproof skillet or baking dish in which it will fit comfortably.

Sprinkle the top with nutmegand place it in the oven.

5. Meanwhile, blend the mustard with the garlic and set aside.
6. Bake 15 minutes and turn the meat.

Bake 15 minutes longer and remove the meat temporarily.

Pour off all the fat from the baking dish.
7. Place the baking dish on the stove and add the stock

stirring with a whisk, to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom of the pan.

you know, the pieces of carmelized fat on the bottom of the pan, (that's where all the flavor is)
(yeh yeh so i left the fat juices in there.
Emeril might be a little hyper but he ain't wrong about pork fat. )
At this point I'm entertaining myself with the pretty grease circles in the pan.


8. Return the pork to the baking dish

brush the top with the mustard mixtures.
Return the meat to the oven
and continue baking 15 minutes,
or until
the internal temperature reaches
160 (*F) on a meat thermometer.

9. Remove the meat to a warm platter and heat the sauce.

Stir the sour cream into the sauce.



10. Cut the meat on the diagonal into thin slices.

Serve with very small amounts of sauce spooned over.

(over...under...both are good, I usually like to spoon after.)
I crack me up.

Anyway, here's your finished meat.

THE COOK'S WORD:

When it says 15 minutes it means fifteen minutes, if you have to set your timer set your timer.
If your meat looks all shriveled up and dry...well. Pork should NEVER EVER be dry. Period. End of story!