Nobody likes to hear about busy schedules, so I won’t belabor the point. So in the spirit of providing solutions vs. complaints, I submit the Pomodoro Timer for all of us staring down an over-booked January.
I started the year with a fresh desk calendar and a set of vague aspirations for 2022. Maybe it’s counter-intuitive, but it feels good to not have much to Plan For or Worry About this year, having zipped through a stupid number of life milestones in 2021.
“Getting the house in order,” metaphorically and literally, seems much more appropriate.
START BY PUTTING OFF YOUR CALENDAR TASKS
Had enough “new year, new you” talk? No you haven’t. Take in some good frameworks on the topic:
100 ways to slightly improve your life without really trying
A Saturday afternoon Ikea trip simulator
The fun scale, Types I-III
More from the kitchen reno beat:
“The strongest part of a tree is at the crux, where a leading branch bifurcates from the main trunk, at 45 degrees in an oak tree,’ he explains. ‘This led us to start exploring the idea of an alternative geometry for furniture.’”
PERNIL-STYLE PORK TENDERLOIN
One of my favorite cookbooks I read last year is Coconuts & Collards by Von Diaz, who is not only a NYT contributor BUT an Agnes Scott College alum!
Her recipe for pernil-style pork tenderloin (“style,” because it uses a boneless tenderloin, not a big ol’ shoulder) is incredible and also easily customizable. It is pure craving fulfillment and I love it.
I made it for my friend Giselle on her birthday (bold, maybe; a white girl cooking pernil for a Puerto Rican!), and then again last week in my week off work. The first time, I marinated for only about an hour, and the second, a full overnight. Either way is scrumptious.
INGREDIENTS
The juice of 1 lemon, 1 orange, and 1 lime
4-5 garlic cloves (or 1 per lb. of pork)
4 tsp. dried oregano
3 tbsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper (1 tsp. per lb. of pork, if you’re being specific)
1 boneless pork tenderloin, patted dry and seasoned with salt & pepper
WHAT TO DO
Blend up the citrus juice, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a lil food processor. (There is also the option to do this by hand with a mortar & pestle, but … I did not exercise that option; this is very liquidy.)
Poke holes all over your tenderloin, being careful not to cut all the way through. Stick the pork and the marinade in a big Ziploc, massaging in the marinade and squeezing out any air bubbles. Marinate for an hour, or up to overnight in the fridge.
When it’s time to cook, heat the oven to 400. I like to put some cooking spray on a baking sheet for easier cleanup. Stick your tenderloin on the sheet, then cook for 30 minutes, turning the tenderloin every 10 minutes or so. When the meat reaches 145 in the center, it’s done (it may be a little pink, that is fine). Let it rest a few minutes on a cutting board.
Slice into little medallions and serve over yellow rice, perhaps with some chopped white onion and cilantro on top :) If you’re feeling frisky, you can squeeze some lemon on the juices from the tenderloin, scratch up the fond from the pan and serve it as a sauce!