Smoked pork tenderloin, stir-fried cabbage & Texas caviar - oh, my!
Pork Tenderloin
rubbed with Salt Lick dry rub (it’s spicy & wonderful) and smoked over oak
Stir-Fried Cabbage
green cabbage chopped & braised in a hot skillet with bacon, salt & black pepper
Texas Caviar
black-eyed peas w/jalapeno, purple onion, cilantro, red wine vinegar & olive oil
Oh, baby. Who wouldn’t love to put down a plate of this cabbage? When you add a slab of smokey pork tenderloin and Texas caviar, it’s amazing. Try it for yourself and see if you don’t agree. It’s simple. Beautiful. Flavorful. Perfect.
One tip: if you’re sensitive to cabbage, consider serving this meal with a simple appetizer – Beano. {And just like that, she makes a subliminal fart joke.}
Inside NanaBread's Head 
Oh, glory. I’m trying to trick Marcus into loving cabbage. Since he wasn’t raised with it, it’s automatically dangerous stuff, but MY GOD it can be so delicious. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life going without.
If he loves bacon, maybe you could use that as the method to get him to try this. If not, make it for yourself and see if he doesn’t try it just BECAUSE of the gorgeous bacon aroma. Good luck!
Can’t wait to try the cabbage. I am on Weight Watchers and that sounds like something I can make. Thanks.
I hope you try it, Doris. I fried up the bacon first, then drained it on paper towels to get all the fat off. Then I put 1 tablespoon of bacon grease into the hot skillet to saute the cabbage in. The entire head of cabbage only has 1 Tbsp of fat in it. That’s not bad. Not bad at all. Let me know what you think if you give it a shot!
Beans beans the musical fruit…
I’ve never heard of Texas Caviar, but it looks delicious!
You’ll have to try it. It’s fantastic, and makes a great cold salad side dish for outdoor grilling. I highly recommend it.
OK …. I feel like I have to comment …. only 6 comments on this article? …. I know I am a homer but, this meal is not getting it’s due. This truly is a case of the sum of the parts being greater than the whole. Each one of the dishes is great on its own, but together they are even better. I know … I know …. some people are put off by cabbage, and the word “caviar” may bring up visions of fish eggs, but you really have to try these dishes all together. There are many benefits.
– For you weight watchers it is a relatively low fat and high protein meal.
– For anyone whose appetite is driven purely by taste, it is also a winner.
– And to complete the trifecta, it is the perfect New Year’s Day meal for any superstitious people.
The custom of eating pork on New Year’s Day is based on the idea that pigs symbolize progress. The animal pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving. Pork, thanks to its rich fat content, signifies wealth and prosperity.
Cooked cabbage is consumed on New Year’s Day because the green leaves look like money, and are thus symbolic of economic fortune. It is believed that the more greens one eats on New Year’s Day, the larger one’s fortune next year.
Black eyed peas are also symbolic of money. Their appearance resembles coins that swell when cooked so they are consumed with financial rewards in mind. In the southern United States (including Texas), it’s traditional to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. There are those who believe in eating one pea for every day in the new year to ensure good luck throughout the year.
So eat up and let Nanabread know what you think of this meal. You won’t be disappointed.
For more information on lucky (and unlucky) foods, go to: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/newyearsday/luckyfoods#ixzz1XUYSZ74u
Stop the presses! You can stir fry cabbage? In bacon fat?! I always knew that I liked you. I think I might faint at the mere thought of this meal. The Comfortably Domestic household will be trying your Trifecta of Deliciousness soon. Very soon.
And for all that is good and right with the world, please, please, PLEASE re-post this meal a week or so before the New Year.
Heck yes, you can stir-fry cabbage in bacon fat! Welcome to the south, my friend! And for those who may be grossed out by that, you fry the bacon and remove all but 2 teaspoons or so of the bacon grease. It’s not as bad as it sounds. I will re-post it in time for New Year’s. This meal is now a family tradition. Can’t be missed or skipped or altered for fear of messing with our good luck mojo for the coming year.
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