Cookthink

Tongs are the most useful tool in the kitchen. Having a good pair of tongs is like having a heatproof robotic arm in the kitchen. Consider a partial list of things you can do with a pair of tongs: stir something in a sizzling pan; flip something in a sizzling pan; move something around in a sizzling pan; spear something in a sizzling pan; push something in a sizzling pan to check for doneness; hold something above a sizzling pan to taste it; take something out of a sizzling pan. And that's just around a sizzling pan. Standing around a grill or reaching inside an oven, tongs are critical. You can spend a small fortune on specialty tongs, but you don't have to. OXO's Good Grips stainless steel tongs are inexpensive and probably as special as you’ll ever need. So here's our public service announcement - buy tongs now.

What does it mean to grill?

The meaning of grilling varies according to where you happen to be in the world. Grilling is often used as a synonym for broiling, though in the United States when we use the verb "to grill," we technically mean that the food is cooked over a direct heat source. Broiling is a cooking method in which food is cooked directly under a high heat source. (Barbecuing generally refers to cooking food over indirect heat.) To confuse matters, our British and Australian friends refer to what we call broiling as grilling; hence the term "grilled cheese," which in the UK is generally made open-faced and heated under a broiler, not fried in a pan in the American fashion. Recipe: Grilled Chili-Cumin Pork Tenderloin (Cookthink) Recipe: Grilled Eggplant (Cookthink)

Root Source: Pork Tenderloin

what you should know Here's a widespread practice that we'd like to see scaled way back: pairing pork tenderloin with fruit. Don't think it's that widespread? A challenge then: flip through the indices of your cookbooks until you find three pork tenderloin recipes in three separate books. just let it be savory There's nothing inherently wrong with pairing pork tenderloin with fruit. It just shows a collective failure of imagination that it is all anyone ever seems to want to do with this leaner, milder cut more prized for its tenderness than its flavor. As with a filet mignon, a generous seasoning of coarsely ground salt and pepper paired with high heat can transform a pork tenderloin. temp, not time The key to a juicy pork tenderloin: temperature. You can cook a tenderloin in just about conceivable way, but always have your meat thermometer ready. You cannot reliably use a timer and expect a juicy tenderloin. It's that simple. While the National Pork Producers Council has for years recommended a blistering internal read of 160F, we're glad to see more and more people champion medium-rare and medium pork. We've been consistently pleased by pulling pork at 142F. We let the meat sit covered for 5-10 minutes, during which time the temp will tick up a few more degrees. what you need Cooking pork tenderloin gives us an excuse to wield our favorite kitchen tools: a pair of OXO Good Grips tongs (Chip) and a Taylor instant-read digital thermometer (Brys). No one's favorite kitchen tool is butcher's twine, but when you need it, you need it. And often for a whole pork tenderloin, you need it. You may not need Peter Kaminsky's Pig Perfect or Bruce Aidell's Complete Book of Pork, but owning either or both means you'll never need another email like this one to remind you of this next point. Which is that, in the past several decades, pigs have changed dramatically. What used to be a lush, fatty meat has been bred into something leaner, less marbled. Across the country, certain small-scale producers specialize in heritage pig breeds like the Berkshire and the Red Wattle. We urge you to try these breeds. Compared to most of the supermarket cuts (with Niman Ranch as an exception), they're juicier, they're tastier, and they're more humanely raised. To save them you have to eat them. what you do Get back to basics. Forgo the fruit, the marinades, the rubs. Forget everything you've heard about the tenderloin's blandness. Track down a good quality cut. Season and moisturize it in a simple brine, then sear and roast it. Using just a few ingredients and direct high heat, let the meat speak for itself. Or, instead of a brine, try Mark Bittman's twice-seared pork medallions (video) with a good pan sauce. (Not a fruity one, though.) Sticking a tenderloin in the freezer before using it in a stir-fry helps keep the meat firm as you thinly slice it. We love this clean, textured stir-fry of pork, eggplant, red peppers and basil.

How to make grilled buffalo wings

These grilled buffalo wings taste great dipped in creamy blue cheese dressing. For directions on how to make both, just watch this short instructional video by Handmade TV.

How to make campfire corn with herb butter

Try grilling corn instead of boiling, and add some flavor with herbed butter in place of plain. To learn how, watch this video by Handmade TV for easy-to-follow instructions.

How to make shrimp and scallop kebabs

Want to add some zip to your next barbecue? Then try making these shrimp and scallop kebabs coated in a ginger marinade. Learn how by watching Handmade TV's short and informative video.

How to make a grilled banana split

Try this twist on a classic summertime dessert after watching this short video by Handmade TV.