Cooking With Mom

Ellie’s mom is here from Brazil spending the summer. We will share recipes and stories with you the next 3 months–hope you will enjoy.

This is a dish that was part of my mom’s meal rotation. She has been making it for the past 40 years. It is also one that she makes with my brother in mind. She started cooking when she was 8 years old. She cooked for the men working in the sugar cane mill making “rapadura“. From Sunday through Friday, she lived near the grounds, where she would get up 5am to start on the beans. She cooked on a 3 stone stove. Among the dishes she cooked were Maria Isabel (Rice with sun dried meat), Arroz de Carretero ( Rice with Sausage (linguiça), Quibebe de Mandioca (Meat and Yuca).

Celeste’s Pork Tenderloin

Pan Fried Pork Tenderloin

3 pounds pork penderloin

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. salt
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp sweet paprika

3 Tbsp lemon juice

In a bowl mix add lemon juice, salt, turmeric, paprika to make a marinade.

Cut the pork into 3cm thick slices.

Add the marinade to the meat and let it rest 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large cast iron frying pan, or another open pan. Add the pork and quickly fry until it is browned all over, turning the pieces. Cook the pork for about 5 minutes.

To finish, add large pieces of onion and sliced garlic to the pan, then quickly fry for 2 minutes more. Cover the pot to keep the meat moist and the onions will finish cooking.
Mom with my girls