Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet with Spinach Rice Pilaf

[FTC Standard Disclaimer]  This post is sponsored by Smithfield but any opinions given are my own. The giveaway listed at the bottom is all theirs....I can't afford to send you on a trip to Napa Valley!

It's funny - as a bbq/grilling blogger, a lot of people think that every night we eat something that I cooked for hours.  The reality is much different!  

Our youngest son plays high school football, which means most days he leaves the house by 6am for his private trainer and after school workouts with the team can have him home anywhere from 5-7pm. Our evening meal schedule is best described as "controlled chaos" and there are plenty of nights when we just need something quick and easy.

This meal last week is a perfect example. Our son got home surprisingly early at 4 PM but threw a curve ball because he had to be back at school by 5 PM for a school function.  I needed real flavor and I needed it real fast. Luckily, I had a Smithfield Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet.


They come premarinated so they are ready to grill as soon as you open the package. It is seasoned with portobello mushrooms, onion and spices, which sounds like the start of a great rice pilaf....so that's what I did

Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet with Spinach Rice Pilaf

4 servings

Ingredients

  • Smithfield Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet, cut into 4 portions & tied
  • 4 slices Smithfield Hometown Original Bacon, chopped
  • 1/4 cup finely diced shiitake mushroom
  • 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups loosely packed spinach, rinsed and stems removed

Instructions

  1. Preheat a grill to medium high heat and preheat a skillet with a thick bottom over a) medium-low heat if using a gas grill side burner or b) medium heat if using a stove top burner.
  2. Crisp the bacon.  Add the bacon to the skillet and cook until browned and crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate and reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
  3. Saute the veggies.  Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and shallot.  Season with a pinch or two of salt and cook another 2 minutes.
  4. Cook the rice.  Stir in the rice into the veggies and toss to coat with any remaining oil.  Cook for about 1 minute until the rice starts to turn golden and you can smell a slightly nutty aroma.  Add the stock, remaining salt, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 18-20 minutes.
  5. Grill the Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet.  Grill the pork filets 7 minutes per side on the two cut/flat sides.  Halfway through each side (3 1/2 minutes), rotate each filet a quarter turn if you want cross hatch grill marks [optional but preferred].  Grill the edges of the filets for a total of 7 minutes, turning frequently to brown all of the edges.  So that is a total of 21 minutes of grilling (7 first side, 7 second side, 7 edges).  Check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. Your target is 145°f with a 3 minute rest.
  6. Finish the rice.  As soon as the rice is done, immediately fold in the spinach and cooked bacon. As always, taste for seasoning and adjust if desired.  Cover tightly and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
  7. Serve.  You can serve the pork a few ways. The easiest is as a whole filet, just like filet mignon. You can slice it in half and serve as two medallions with the cut side down. You can also slice it into 3 or 4 slices and serve fanned out.  All of these ways work and taste great, it's just up to your preferences.

Notes/Substitutions

  • Shallot - I've used a 1/4 cup of finely diced sweet yellow onion (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc) and it works just as well.  I prefer the shallot though.
  • Shiitake mushroom - You can use about any mushroom but shiitake is a flavor affiliate with spinach.  My next choice would be portobello or baby bella mushrooms since they supplement the portobello flavor in the pork.

Normally I'd fire up a kamado type grill but I had about 30 minutes to get dinner on the table so I fired up one of our gas grills.

#RealFlavorRealFast Smithfield's pork loin filet are a key to quick and easy dinners.
The key to cooking fast is having everything in its place. 



Bacon infused rice pilaf recipe
The secret to this delicious pilaf is that everything is cooked in bacon grease.

Quick and easy rice pilaf featuring Smithfield Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet
Another tip for faster cooking - use more finely diced veggies, they saute much quicker than larger cubed vegetables.

Smithfield Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet makes #realflavorrealfast
It's optional, but tying filet makes them cook more flavorful. 

After slicing and tying the pork filet, I dabbed the cut sides on the cutting board to pick up some of the seasonings.

After the grill has preheated and just before grilling, oil the grill grates with a high temp cooking oil like canola, peanut, or avocado oil.

The reason I give different cooking temps for inside vs outside is that grill side burners are designed with a wind effect and typically burn a little hotter than their stove top cousins.

Cooking the filet on their sides is a technique that I learned from Chef Adam Perry Lang. It gets a good color all over and I like the way it cooks pork tenderloins and loins.
Smithfield steakhouse mushroom pork loin filet with spinach rice pilaf

Smithfield Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet with Spinach Rice Pilaf
You can serve the filet whole, like this....

Smithfield Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet butterflied in a simple and quick 30 minute dinner recipe.
Or butterflied like this....

Smithfield Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet sliced in a fast 30 minute dinner
Or sliced like this.  I had a little reduced balsamic vinegar and drizzle it over the slices - amazing!
My youngest HATES spinach but he loved this dish!  He devoured it all and made it out the door in time for the school function .

Check out Smithfield's #RealFlavorRealFast website for info about how you have 3 chances to enter in the drawing for a trip to Napa Valley or a ton of other cool prizes.  Plus, they other fast and easy recipes, like this one for Smoked Bacon Pork Alfredo.