For the annual St. Teresa Basque Festival… a great celebration honoring the Basque heritage and its influence on molding the character of Northern Nevada. The Basques were one of the very first settlers in Nevada. Their influence is still a major factor in the styles throughout the State.
Course: Main Course Cuisine: Basque Prep Time: 15 to 20 Minutes Cook Time: One Hour Servings: 4
Marinade ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
1 quarter teaspoon sea salt
1⁄2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons of sweet paprika (preferably Spanish)
Also:
Pork for about four people
3 pounds of trimmed boneless pork loin
3 tablespoons of olive oil
4 roasted red bell peppers
Marinade:
Place garlic, salt and paprika in food processor. Pulse until finely pureed to consistency of a paste.
Pork:
Rub pork loins with paste, place in a zip lock bag, seal back removing all excess air.
Refrigerate and marinade for two-four days.
Cooking:
Remove loins from bag and cut into little medallions approx. one inch thick
Heat barbecue to medium heat (425 degrees).
Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, this will give you a medium temperature.
If you are old school and would like it well done, increase cook time to 4 or 5 minutes.
Remove pork tenderloins from grill and place on serving platter.
Drizzle some excellent olive oil (a great place to find this is at Villa Basque Deli as well as many other great Basque items).
Add a sprinkling of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Served with sliced roasted red peppers (recipe to follow).
Although I usually roast red bell peppers, you can use this same method to roast other kinds of peppers such as chili, jalapeno etc.
Begin by wiping the peppers clean with a damp cloth rather than rinsing them under water. This prevents them from absorbing moister. Lay them on a baking sheet set on the center rack of the oven and roast them at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.
To keep them from burning, turn them every 15 minutes while they roast, taking care to handle them carefully.
When the peppers are darkened and tender, remove the pan from the oven and cover peppers with a paper or dish towel. Let the peppers cool until they are tepid, and then peel off the skins. Tear or cut the peppers in half, scrape out the seeds, and collect the juice. Strain the juice and reserve it. Cut each pepper into strips about 13 inches wide.
Although the peppers are ready to use at this point, I prefer to take the extra step of cooking them in olive oil and sliced garlic, salt and sugar as they do in the Basque country. To cook them this way, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the garlic and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes, until it turns golden. Add the peppers, salt and sugar to taste, and the reserved pepper juice. Reduce the heat and cook the peppers slowly, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. You need only a sprinkling of salt and sugar to bring out the flavor of the pepper.
