Perfect Pork

Now that I perfected my cooking and grilling techniques for this recipe (mostly by figuring out the correct cooking temperature), Pineapple regularly requests this dish.

This recipe is adapted from "Modernist Cuisine at Home" and consistently produces succulent pork tenderloin or pork chops. I will give you the recipe for pork tenderloin. Cooking pork chops is the same recipe, just 2 degrees hotter.

Tools

• Sous vide cooker: this is essential, my cooker looks like a crock pot, but any kind will work
• Zip-top bags: name-brand will be better; off-brand may leak which results in less-flavorful meat
• Meat tongs
• Meat thermometer
• Skillet or Pan: A thick one (e.g. cast iron) will work more effectively
• Spatter Guard: This is optional, but helps reduce the mess

Ingredients

• Pork Tenderloin: I prefer pasture raised pork, but this should work with any 
• Salt: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is easy to apply via pinching
• Mild-flavored oil: I use a refined coconut oil which is liquid at room temperature
• Butter or cooking oil: for my cut of pork I employ extra virgin olive oil; it produces a better grill color than virgin coconut oil. I use butter for Pineapple's cut.

Directions

When I cook this pork I follow a basic process. The process comes from more-detailed instructions.

Quick Reference

1. Cook the meat sous vide to 138 degrees for pink (142 degrees for medium)
2. Pan-sear the meat for 30 seconds per side at about 50% heat
3. Salt the meat generously

Full instructions

1. Start heating the sous vide to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for medium rare.
1. 144 degrees for medium.
2. Place each piece of meat in its own zip-top bag.
3. Add a couple of tablespoons of the mild-flavored oil to the bag.
4. Submerge most of the zip-top bag in water to drive out the air.
1. The oil is there to fill in the gaps instead of leaving bubbles next to the meat.
5. Zip seal the zip-top bag.
6. Place the bag in the sous vide (you can put the meat in before the device is at temperature)
7. After the sous vide is at the correct temperature, set a timer for 50 minutes.
1. It's difficult to overook at this point; If you left the meat in for an extra hour it might start tasting like cardboard as the nutrients and flavors break down.
8. When the timer is finished, check the temperature of the meat using a meat thermometer. 
1. Insert the thermometer in the thickest portion of the meat.
2. Ensure the center temperature is at least 138 degrees Fahrenheit (142 if you are targeting a medium cook).
3. If the meat isn't to temperature, adjust the cooking duration as necessary; i.e. leave the pork in for another 5-10 minutes and measure again.
9. When the meat is at temperature, start heating the skillet/pan on the stove stop with 2 tablespoons of either cooking oil or butter
1. For a gas range, I recommend a smaller heating element to avoid potential flames
2. I recommend setting the temperature to about 50% of maximum; where butter will bubble quite a bit when initially put in the pan but won't cook away for a few minutes
3. You may want to use the spatter guard to reduce the mess and subsequent cleanup
10. Remove the pork from the zip-top bag
1. The pork will be a dull gray color
11. Sear the pork in the skillet for 30 seconds per side
1. I also will sear the ends of the pork by holding the pork with tongs and dipping the ends into the cooking oil/butter for ~15 seconds.
2. You should get nice caramelization on each side. Butter will give you a darker color than olive oil or coconut oil. To get better color with coconut oil you might cook it for 45 seconds per side.
3. Make sure that there is plenty of oil/butter between the pan and the pork and that you cook over the center of the heat. You will get uneven cooking if the meat is toward the side of the pan or the pan is significantly larger than the heating element.
12. Place the pork on a serving plate
13. Salt the pork generously on the top, flip the pork and salt the bottom (which is now the top)
1. Grab a large pinch of salt
1. As much as you can reasonably grab between your thumb and forefinger
2. Sprinkle the salt from about 6-10 inches above the plate
1. Sprinkle by moving your thumb and finger back and forth in opposite directions
2. But also move your arm up and down the meat to get an even coating everywhere
3. I usually salt enough that the salt is still white for about a half second before it turns translucent
4. If you seared using salted butter you should use about half as much salt
5. Adjust the salt to your taste
14. Serve/Enjoy immediately

Spring Rolls

This recipe can be a intimidating, but it is well worth the effort. Depending on the size of your family, this recipe may or may not be sufficient as a main dish. For just two people, this works as a main dish, especially if you have all the ingredients available for filling the spring rolls.

For a large family the spring rolls alone may not be enough. This particular dish will take an hour or more of your time to prepare, so if you are supplementing with a main dish then you might want to make sure the other dish can cook untended.

Also, the proportions in this recipe are not exact. I measure most of these by eye or by feel. As long as the relative quantities are not significantly different from each other (leading to a significantly unbalanced flavor), you are likely to get a great product.

Tools

• Several mixing bowls
• Cutting board
• Knives
• Large pan
• Spatula or soft tongs (metal tongs will tear your wraps)

Ingredients

• Salt or fish sauce (I prefer Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because fish sauce can easily overpower the dish)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (I just use a full, medium-sized lime)
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon honey (I don't measure this, I just drizzle it because it's easier to mix in)
• Grated carrot
• Thinly sliced lettuce/spring mix (approximately 1/4 - 1/2 inch wide)
• 1/2 cup sunflower/radish/broccoli spouts
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Thai basil leaves (I usually employ 3 to 4 leaves)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (I usually employ 6 to 12 leaves)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I generally just grab much more than this, about 1/5 - 1/4 of a store-bought batch)
• 1-2 cups yam/sweet potato/kelp/miracle noodles
• 8-16 spring roll wraps: ideally tapioca, or coconut, but rice may work
• 8-16 cooked shrimp (optional)
• 8-16 large cucumber slices (optional)
• 1-2 large avocados sliced, and cut into roughly equal-sized pieces (or shrimp-sized if you prefer, also optional)

Directions

If the shrimp is cooked but frozen then you should let it thaw; usually packages will have instructions on them.

If your shrimp is raw, you should cook it now. I recommend my sous vide shrimp recipe with an adjustment of omitting salt.

Filling

1. In a small bowl, mix the salt/fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and honey
2. In another much larger bowl (e.g. 4-quart)  mix the grated carrot, lettuce/spring mix, sprouts, Thai basil, mint, and cilantro
3. Pour the sauce from step 1 on top of the mix from step 2 and toss to thoroughly combine
4. Prepare the yam noodles according to their instructions

Assembling

I assume that the wraps are stiff sheets which you need to soften before you can create each spring roll

1. Fill a pan with 1-2 inches of water
2. Heat that water just enough to get bubbles on the bottom of the pan, but not boiling
1. Keep the pan at this temperature
3. Submerge a single stiff wrap in the water for 10-15 seconds
1. The wrap should be soft and pliable
4. Remove the wrap using the spatula or tongs
5. Spread out the wrap on a flat surface like a plate or cutting board
6. Place a small pile of the greens in the center of the wrap
7. Add a similarly-sized small pile of noodles to the center of the wrap
8. Add 1-2 shrimp (depending on size and preference)
9. Add a cucumber slice
10. Add some avocado (according to your taste preferences)
11. Fold the wrap around the filling like a burrito
1. You might need to rinse and dry your hands to do this
2. Pull from the far side toward yourself
3. Fold the right-hand side toward the left
4. Fold the left-hand side toward the right
5. Finish up by folding the near side over, away from yourself
12. Place the finished wrap to the side, possibly on a serving plate
13. Repeat steps 3 through 12 until your ingredients are consumed (You'll probably have leftovers of something)

Notes

I modified this recipe from a similar one in "The Paleo Approach Cookbook: A Detailed Guide to Heal Your Body and Nourish Your Soul". I've made some adjustments as I tried to make this recipe work. Below are some of the things I learned along the way.

Drizzle/Dipping Sauce

The sauce used for the filling works well as a dipping sauce. You can create another batch of that sauce and just dip in it.

Thai basil

You might not find Thai basil leaves in your store. Although they add good flavor, they are not essential. You might settle for regular basil or no substitute. It's up to you. With such a rich variety of leafy greens going into these spring rolls, omitting Thai basil will still get you a tasty dish.

Sprouts

You'll notice that I gave several options for sprouts: sunflower, beet, and broccoli. The original recipe calls for either sunflower or beet sprouts, which I suspect were chosen because they were both available to the author and compatible with the Paleo AIP diet.

I have been able to find mung bean spouts anywhere, so I suspect you can too. But I am not sure mung bean sprouts are compatible with my diet. Likewise, I'm not sure that sunflower sprouts are compatible. However, I suspect that the pro-inflammatory molecules (which are why I avoid seeds of all kinds) are only in the outer layer of the sunflower seed--the seed coat and not the husk which people typically spit out. Consequently, mung bean sprouts are probably okay because they would have also shed their seed coat.

However, to be on the safe side, I still avoid mung bean sprouts. Consequently, the only other sprouts I found in my local grocery store are beet sprouts. While out visiting family I could only find broccoli sprouts. I hope you find find something reasonable at your local grocer.

One thing to note about beet sprouts is that they have the same kind of kick that regular beets do. If you use beet sprouts then you may want to use fewer sprouts than requested. For example, when making a batch of spring rolls I only use half a batch of beet sprouts (A full batch has a 3-inch by 3-inch base, so I use a 1.5-inch by 3-inch cut).

Wraps

The original recipe calls for coconut wraps. I scoured my local grocer and several specialty stores in my area and could not find those coconut wraps.

Rather than give up on this recipe I started looking for alternatives. There are a lot of different kinds of wraps out there, most of which are not compatible with the Paleo AIP recipe. For example, there are many which have gluten in them, while many others use rice (which I avoid because it is a grain).

Finally, I found tapioca wraps which do not have any other forbidden ingredients. Although starchy, if eaten in moderation they are fine so they work nicely for me.

If you do not want tapioca wraps, and you are fine with some other wrapper, go right ahead! I had to experiment to make this recipe work for me, and I'm sure you can adapt it for your own needs as well.

Also, it might be tempting to prepare a dozen or so wrappers all at once and then fill them. I find that this results in an unusable ball of tacky tapioca starch. Assembling wraps was easier for me when I softened one wrapper, filled it, and sealed it up before starting another spring roll.

Noodles

You'll also notice I gave several options for noodles: yam, sweet potato, kelp, and miracle. The original recipe called for kelp noodles but I couldn't find them anywhere. I did find something called miracle noodles which work well. I also found similarly-packaged but easier-to-use yam noodles.

However, you might not be able to find either of those noodle types in your area. I couldn't find them while visiting family so I then picked up sweet potato noodles which also worked well.

Drying your hands

After piling fillings in the middle of each spring roll wrap you may find that your fingers are a bit slimy and so your wrap will not hold itself in place as you make the spring roll burrito. That is why I suggest quickly rinsing and drying your hands before closing up the spring roll so that you can maximize adhesion of the wrapper to itself. But you should see whether or not that effort is necessary.

Sous Vide Shrimp

Shrimp is notoriously difficult to cook; cooking shrimp in a wok, in a pan, or on the grill takes a strong sense of timing to get it right. Not enough time and the shrimp will end up under-cooked and could make you sick. Too much time and the shrimp will end up overcooked and rubbery. Getting perfect shrimp at a restaurant is hit-or-miss, and in my experience it typically misses on the side of overcooked.

With this recipe you can get perfect shrimp time after time. Your first attempt might be just barely under-cooked so you should add a minute. If you remember that adjustment then you should have a precise recipe for fantastic shrimp.

Note: for convenience, the temperatures in this recipe are already set 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) above the desired internal temperature of the shrimp.

Tools

• Sous vide cooker: this is essential, my cooker looks like a crock pot, but any kind will work
• Zip-top bags: name-brand will be better; off-brand may leak which results in lost flavor

Ingredients

• Uncooked shrimp: thawed or frozen
• Garlic Salt
• Mild-flavored oil or melted butter: I use a refined coconut oil which is liquid at room temperature

Directions

1. Start heating the sous vide to 142 degrees Fahrenheit (61 degrees Celsius)
2. Place shrimp in a single layer in a zip-top bag
3. Add some of the mild-flavored oil or butter to the bag
4. Add garlic salt to taste
5. Drive out the air from the shrimp-and-oil-filled zip-top bag by submerging all but the zipper in warm water 
1. The oil/butter is there to fill in the gaps instead of leaving bubbles next to the shrimp
2. Warm water should help keep the butter melted because it will congeal against cold or frozen shrimp
3. It's important to get as much air out of the bag as possible (see "Notes" below)
6. Seal the zip-top bag
7. Submerge the sealed bag in the sous vide
8. Once the sous vide is up to temperature, set a timer for 8 minutes (12 minutes if the shrimp is frozen)
9. When the timer is finished, remove the zip-top bag from the cooker
10. Enjoy!

Notes

Getting air out of the bag

Shrimp has a lot of crevices and it can be difficult to get all the bubbles out. Not only can bubbles prevent sections of the shrimp from cooking thoroughly, but bubbles can make the bag float which will cause the shrimp too cook from one side instead of two. Cooking on one side will make it take longer to cook the shrimp, and if only part of the bag is floating then you will likely end up with inconsistently-cooked shrimp.

To prevent bubbles I would recommend using more oil/butter than you might be comfortable with. You should use quite a bit more oil/butter than the minimum amount necessary to coat the shrimp. When filled, the zip-top bag should not be thicker than the shrimp; You should not need to use more oil/butter than what would make the bag that thickness. I personally use about 2/3 of the oil needed to get to an even thickness.

Sometimes I will use a spoon to weight the bag down, but you should only do this if water can still circulate around the bag (e.g. there is a rack under the bag).

Barely Cooked Shrimp

I like my shrimp to be just tender, but you might have a preference for barely-cooked shrimp. If you want that, then set your sous vide to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) and cook the shrimp however long it takes to get the center of the shrimp to 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius). You'll need a meat thermometer to measure this.

Firm shrimp

On the other hand, if you want firm shrimp, then set your sous vide to 178 degrees Fahrenheit (81 degrees Celsius) and cook it for 4-5 minutes (6-8 minutes if frozen).

Pineapple Limeade Smoothie

Pineapple loves this smoothie recipe. So does her mother and sister. I like it but I don't love it. Whether or not you like it is entirely up to your own tastes.

Ingredients

• Lime juice from 1 to 2 medium-to-small-sized limes (or 1 large lime), depending on desired tartness level
• 2 Pineapple Spears (cutting instructions below)
• Optional: 1/4 pineapple core
• 1/2 fully ripe avocado
• Approximately 3 to 8 heaping tablespoons cane sugar, depending on desired sweetness level
• Ice
• Water
• Optional: desired amount of unflavored protein/collagen powder
• Optional: Spinach

Directions

1. Add the cane sugar to the blender. I typically pour until the pile of sugar covers the top of the central post that holds the blade in the Blendtec. You can adjust this to your own preferred sweetness level.
2. Add the avocado, lime juice, and pineapple.
3. Add/Prepare the protein/collagen powder
1. If using a brand of protein/collagen powder that doesn't clump in cold water, add the protein/collagen powder to the mixture in the blender. (I prefer to use 2 or 3 scoops from this brand.)
2. If using a brand of protein/collagen powder that does clump in water, mix the protein/collagen powder with about 16 oz. of (preferably cool or cold) water following the directions on the container and set the mixture aside. (I use 2 or 3 scoops from this powder.)
4. Add about 500-750 milliliters of ice. (I add until the fluid level reaches the top of the Blendtec logo.) Add less ice if you want more potent flavor.
5. Add a handful or two of spinach, if you want.
6. Add water (or the mixture from step 3.2) until the fluid level is about an inch above the 1-liter mark.
7. Set aside an additional glass/cup with cold water.
8. Blend until smooth. (The Blendtec has a "smoothie" button for this.)
1. Warning: If the blender starts to struggle or spin freely--meaning the blender is running but the smoothie mixture is not moving or is sluggish--immediately start adding water from step 6 until the smoothie mixture starts to flow again.
9. Pour, serve, and enjoy!

Additional Notes

Cutting Pineapple

When getting pineapple, you should consider how big the pineapple is, how green it is, and whether or not it is canned. A canned pineapple will have a "tinny" flavor, and it seems to aggravate my immune system.

The greener the pineapple is the better. If the husk of the pineapple is yellow or orange then it may have started ferment or possibly rot. If the coloring of the pineapple stays in the yellow and orange range you are fine; it will likely add significant sweetness to the smoothie at this point. However, portions of the flesh start turning gray then the pineapple is rotting and should be thrown out; the flavor will not be good. For example, in the photo in step 4 below, notice the coloring of the flesh-side of the skin; this pineapple is bad and I threw it out the next day.

After purchasing a pineapple I try and carve it soon thereafter. I employ the following process so that I can minimize the work needed while still refrigerating the pineapple.

1. I cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple and throw those pieces away.
   
2. Looking at the top downward, I quarter the pineapple.
   
3. I slice out the core from each quarter and put it in a separate container. The core adds some fiber but sometimes it doesn't blend perfectly.
   
4. I take each quarter and slice it lengthwise into 3 spears or wedges
   
5. I carve off the husk/skin and throw the husk/skin away
6. Depending on the size of the pineapple I slice the spears in half so they will fit into a storage container.
   
7. Put the storage containers in the fridge to slow the ripening process.

When I prepare the smoothie I just grab 2 spears (or 4 chunks if I followed step 6) and toss them in the blender.

Blender

I use a Blendtec blender, but a similar professional blender like a Vitamix will work. 

Lime Juice

When preparing the lime juice, I try to use the lime pulp as well. I slice the limes off-center 3 times so that I get 4 chunks of limes that I squeeze by hand directly into the blender.

Washing Hands

Before I work with food I wash my hands with soap and dry them using a paper towel. Any time I do something which might contaminate my hands--such as interacting with non-food-related items--I rewash my hands. I use paper towels because they are inexpensive and more sanitary than hand towels.

Ice and Water

The ideal ice-to-water ratio will result in a smoothie which has the consistency of yogurt or soft-serve ice cream. If you find the smoothie is too watery then either add more ice next time or cut back on the water added. When there is not enough water then the blender will start to spin freely as mentioned in step 7.1.

Avocado

The ripeness of the avocado matters. If the avocado is not ripe, then the smoothie will be clumpy, will start to separate, and the flavor will be unsatisfying. If the avocado is ripe, then the smoothie will be satisfyingly creamy and will stay uniform for a long time--at least a half-hour.

I've attempted to use avocado oil in place of the avocado, but that particular smoothie doesn't have the right texture and starts to separate immediately. I've also tried to substitute coconut oil, but that also separates immediately and tends to be clumpy.

Spinach

The spinach is mostly for color, fiber, and nutrients. If you add a lot of spinach the smoothie will start to taste like grass, but a little spinach will improve the nutrition of the smoothie without altering the flavor much.