Yum

Saturdays are full of promise here. We plan lots of activities / chores / obligations and usually attack at least half of them.

Fade into yesterday.
We had not made any plans. We did not discuss doing much more than jogging and watching the UT football game. It is a good thing too. Do you want to know what we did yesterday? It will take but a second to read about it… NOTHING. We DID watch UT barely beat OSU. And that sums it up. We did NOT go jogging (first skipped day all month). We did not do laundry. We did not leave the house with the exception of going to get breakfast (which was NOT on my diet). It was fantastic. I took two naps. We fed the babies a million times. We played Trivial Pursuit. We cooked dinner (oh my god – orgasm inducing dinner – must give you recipe). We watched a little TV. That is about it. Nice.

Oh yes – dinner recipe... Tomatillo Braised Pork with White Beans

1 cup small white beans (I used Navy)

1 Tablespoon thyme
1 Tablespoon marjoram
3 bay leaves
4 thick slices smoky bacon
2-pound pork tenderloin
Salt
3 cups Tomatillo Salsa

In a medium-size saucepan, combine the beans with 4 cups of water, add the herbs and bay leaves, partially cover and set over high heat. When the pot comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the beans (partially covered) until they are tender, about 1 hour. Add more water if the beans ever begin peeking up above the surface of the water.

While the beans cook, in a medium-size (6-quart) Dutch oven, cook the bacon slices over medium heat, turning them occasionally, until thoroughly crispy. Remove to drain on paper towels; when cool, crumble. Spoon off most of the fat that collects, adding it to the simmering beans.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle the meat liberally with salt. Set the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and, when quite hot, lay in the pork. Brown thoroughly on all sides, about 10 minutes total, then pour in the salsa. Set on the pot’s cover and place in the oven. Cook until the pork registers about 160° on a meat or instant-read thermometer–the meat will feel rather firm (not hard) to the touch, and cutting into the center will reveal only the slightest hint of pink (about 40 minutes)

When the beans are tender, season them with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon. Let stand a few minutes for the beans to absorb the seasoning, then drain off their cooking liquid. Remove the pork to a cutting board, add the beans to the pork pot, set over medium heat and season with salt. Slice the pork, laying the slices slightly overlapping on a warm serving platter. Spoon the beans and sauce around the meat, sprinkle everything with the crumbled bacon.