Herb Rubbed Pork Sirloin

I have had this pork sirloin in my freezer for awhile. But the truth is, I had no idea how to prepare it. It looked like this giant slab of meat in the package, but once I opened it, I realized that it was actually two small pieces (totaling about three pounds) and that it was a very lean, boneless piece of meat. I was making this for a Sunday night dinner and wanted to do something fairly simple so I prepared a simple herb rub for it. 

All I did was cover the meat in the rub, threw it in my new cast iron pot, and let it cook for an hour and a half. The meat came out tender and moist and while it was resting, I made a quick gravy from the drippings by simply adding some flour to it and whisking while it bubbled until it thickened. The great thing about the gravy was that it really had a lot of the herb rub flavouring in it so a nice addition to the meat. 

The only thing is that I found this to be a little on the spicy side with the cayenne,  so if you don't like your food too hot, you might want to reduce it a smidge. 

Herb Rubbed Pork Sirloin

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 3 lb sirloin tip roast (pork or beef)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

• In a small bowl, mix the the garlic, onion, all the spices and the olive oil and allow the mixture to sit for about 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the roast in an oven safe pot or roasting pan.
• Roast about 1 hour and 30 minutes or to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees. Let sit 15 minutes before slicing. 

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com 

Simple Chocolate Ice Cream

Since spring has sprung here in Toronto (though it's currently being diluted with rain), I pulled out the ice cream maker I got for Christmas, from the depths of our storage locker. Admittedly, when I opened said Christmas present, I was a little disappointed since I'm not a huge ice cream eater. I like the odd cone once in a while, but had never considered making my own to satisfy those fleeting cravings. T had been challenging me to use the machine for a few months though, since space in our condo is at a premium, every kitchen appliance must be essential, so I finally cracked the box open and pulled out the recipe book.

I was immediately impressed by the variety of recipes -- coffee butter almond ice cream, pumpkin pie ice cream, mango gelato, cranberry sorbet -- but I always like to start simple so I opted for the Simple Chocolate Ice Cream. 

As I've mentioned, one of the things I love most about cooking is knowing and controlling what's going into my food. Though sometimes I prefer to be in denial. If knowing that ice cream is made solely from cream and sugar will cause you to faint, do not read any further. But with good quality and simple ingredients, you get a good quality dessert and this ice cream was nothing short of that. It literally melts on your tongue and it's so rich (not surprisingly) that you really only need a small serving to satisfy that sweet tooth craving. 

So, I am sure the ice cream maker sees a number of recipes this summer. In fact, the bowl is in the freezer right now just waiting to be used, so please, if you have a good recipe I should try, let me know! For now, here's a delicious one to kick off your summer.

Simple Chocolate Ice Cream

Makes 14 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

• Place the cocoa and sugars in a medium bowl and stir to combine. 
• Add the whole milk and use a hand mixer on low speed to combine until the cocoa and sugars are dissolved. 
• Stir in the heavy cream and the vanilla.
• Turn machine on and pour mixture into freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 25 to 35 minutes. 
• If you want a firmer consistency, place in an airtight container for about two hours.