Days 310 & 311: Marinated Pork Tenderloin & Homemade Cinnamon Buns!

Normally I would be crawling back into bed about now (5:45 a.m.) but I have a blog to work on, so here I am--sipping my coffee with peppermint mocha creamer, wrapped in one of my mother's homemade lap quilts (we need more, Mom! ;) ), typing away.  I was up early this morning as I am every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas to make my "famous" homemade cinnamon buns.  I come from a very tradition-oriented family, so naturally, when Randy and I got married, I wanted to create a few traditions that would be just ours, but that would carry on for a long time.  I'm sure more will unfold as our kids become more active participants in our family, but one tradition I started right away was making homemade cinnamon buns every year on Thanksgiving morning and then again on Christmas morning.  Since I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year, I kind of need the oven for the turkey tomorrow, so we're having cinnamon buns a day early.  We can let it slide. ;)  It's a pretty labor-intensive job; not difficult, just a lot to do--making these buns.  It involves starting the night before, at least 1 hour and 30 minutes before you plan to go to bed, and involves you waking up early the next morning to form the buns and let them rise yet again.  But it's worth it!  It's oh, so worth it!  I'll get into the details of this recipe later.  First, let me tell you about our delicious pork dinner we had last night!

Dijon-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ever since I gave birth to my daughter, Abby, about 3 years ago, I haven't liked pork very much.  This is the one taste that seems to have taken a permanent change since pregnancy.  But Randy loves it, I can tolerate it, and it's an affordable meat, so I still make it on occasion.  This is an easy recipe that turns out a very flavorful meat and can feed a lot of people!  I got the recipe (or I should say, the list of ingredients--who knows if it's still exactly the same) from a friend of mine a few years ago and I enjoy making it on a semi-regular basis ever since.  

1 pork tenderloin (the one I bought from the store this time was actually 2 smaller pieces of meat rolled into 1 package--I'd never seen it like that before)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
2 TB dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 TB fresh chopped rosemary
salt, pepper

Whisk together all of the ingredients from the olive oil to adding a dash of salt and pepper.  Place the tenderloin into a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade in with it.  Seal the bag and then massage the meat a little from outside the bag, trying to get the marinade to cover the whole piece of meat and penetrate it as much as possible.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, and up to a day.  When you're ready to roast it, preheat the oven to 400*.  Place the tenderloin on a rack on top of a roasting pan.  Roast in the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or  until cooked through.  Let the meat rest for 5 minutes when out of the oven.  Slice and serve.
I served this meat with "cheesy" rice, as Abby calls it, and green beans.

Homemade Cinnamon Buns
These are almost sinful.  I used to think it was such a treat to have the Pillsbury cinnamon buns.  HA! HA!  Not even close to how good these sticky buns are!  If you're not afraid of a little work, you must try this recipe!!!  

Dough:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup melted butter (plus more for the bowl)*
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Filling:
1/3 cup sugar
2 TB cinnamon
3/4 cup soft butter (plus more for the pan)*
chopped pecans (optional)
Glaze:
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup melted butter*
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp cinnamon

*I always use UNsalted butter--in all my recipes!!!  I wasn't sure if I had mentioned that, yet! :)

Begin the night before you want to serve these.  Combine the water and milk in a small saucpan and warm over low heat until it is about 100* F.  (You can test it by putting your finger in--it should just feel warm, not very hot.)  Remove from heat and sprinkle the yeast over the liquid.  Sprinkle a pinch of sugar on top and set aside without stirring until foamy, about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt the butter and allow to cool a bit.  In a small bowl, combine the butter, vanilla, and egg yolk.  When the yeast is ready, you can pour the butter mixture into the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes.  Shape into a ball.  Wash out your bowl and then coat it with soft butter.  Roll the dough in the bowl so it is covered with butter.  Cover, and let rise for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Lightly knead the dough again to let out any excess air.  Recover, and let the dough "proof" in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
To form the rolls, the morning you want to serve, start by buttering a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the filling, and make sure the butter is soft and spreadable.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface.  Try to form a 10 x 18-inch rectangle with the dough.  Spread the softened butter across the dough, getting as close to the edges as possible.  Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the butter.  Sprinkle on chopped pecans if desired. 

Tightly roll the dough into a cylinder.  Brush the outside edge with water so it will stick to the rest of the dough and form a nice seam.  Cut off the ends of the cylinder, so there are smooth edges and you can see the filling inside.  Carefully divide the cylinder into 12 sections, cutting with a knife. 

Place the 12 sections in the prepared baking pan with room between them to rise more.  Cover and set aside to let double in size, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. 

Before...

...After they've risen about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Bake the buns until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, whisk the sugar, condensed milk, butter, and lemon juice to make a smooth, loose icing.  Add the vanilla and cinnamon.  Drizzle the icing over the warm buns.  Sprinkle again with chopped pecans if desired.  Serve.  Eat.  Nap. :)

This, right here.  This is worth getting out of bed for!