Grilled Pork Loin and
The Best Potato Salad Challenge
Recently a student and I
were discussing her blog (way better than this one btw http://talkotuesday.worpress.com/). The topic of this blog came up. I sent her some of the links and she
suggested I activate this dormant volcano of deliciousness. So here we are. Thanks Becka!
I asked her for a recipe
suggestion and she challenged me to make the best potato salad ever. So I did some research. I consulted my old Professional Cooking book
and the culinary oracle that is Alton Brown, let the two marry each other and
create this beautiful baby you have before you today. I also didn’t want to post just a potato
salad recipe, so we added a grilled pork loin to make this a complete down home
meal. Here it goes.
For the potato salad you
will need:
-
2 Tablespoons of chopped chives.
-
¾ cup of ranch dressing (your choice of brand).
-
¼ cup spicy brown mustard (again your choice of
brand).
-
1 cup chopped celery.
-
1 cup chopped bacon.
-
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
-
2 lbs red potato.
For the dry rub and pork
loin you will need:
-
1 cup brown sugar.
-
¼ cup onion powder.
-
¼ cup garlic powder.
-
¼ cup chili powder.
-
¼ cup salt.
-
¼ cup black pepper.
-
Yellow mustard (just enough to coat the pork
loin).
-
1 fresh pork loin.
Let’s get started. Begin by cleaning all produce and then
quartering your potatoes. While you are
quartering the potatoes bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the
potatoes. While you are cooking the
potatoes, prep the other ingredients:
- Dice the celery and chives.
-
Measure your bacon crumbles, cheese, ranch and
spicy mustard.
-
Prepare the dry rub (mix all dry rub
ingredients: brown sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder, chili powder, garlic
powder).
-
Coat the pork loin in yellow mustard then rub
each side of the loin with your dry rub.
Be very generous in your seasoning.
Now set the loin in the refrigerator.
After the potatoes are
fully cooked, strain them and then cool them in an ice water bath for a few
minutes then strain again. Return
potatoes to an empty bowl, add the remaining salad ingredients and mix
well. Place potato salad in the
refrigerator until after grilling the pork loin.
Now heat your grill on
high. I used charcoal, but use whatever
you like. When the grill is ready sear
each side of the pork loin with a nice crust.
Now place the pork loin on a flat baking sheet or foil, reduce grill temperature,
cover the grill with the lid and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes. Remove the pork loin from the grill, and let
it rest for a few minutes. Now slice the
pork loin and serve with the potato salad.
This was a fun recipe
challenge. It really is great to get
back at this blog. I hope you all give
this one a try and take some time to look at the previous recipes. I’m sure there’s something there for everyone’s
flavor preferences. Until next time, keep it shakin' bacon.
