Zen and the Art of Microwave Cooking
Two Simple and Tasty Pork Tenderloin Recipes
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Onions| Dara O’Brien
It never occurred to me to actually cook in a microwave—even something as straightforward as a veggie side dish. Microwaves are for reheating, defrosting, baking potatoes, or making bacon. I don’t even pop corn in the microwave, I use a Whirly pop on my stovetop.
But perhaps microwaves have hidden powers. Inspired by this excellent piece from Helen Rosner in The New Yorker and Chef David Chang’s ongoing campaign to raise the microwave from supporting cast to star billing, I gave microwave cooking a try.
Microwaves offer benefits beyond mere speed. Because microwaves heat faster than conventional methods, microwaved food retains more of its moisture and nutrients as it cooks—food you prepare in your microwave can actually taste better and be better for you. And newer microwaves have adjustable power levels—you can reduce the power, which gives heat time to penetrate the food, like turning down the temperature in a conventional oven.
I launched my journey into microwave cooking via a Lake Isle Press microwave cookbook series by Japanese chef Machiko Chiba. The recipes are designed for the Cook-Zen, a microwave cook pot that Machiko created. The Cook-Zen is about the size of my 2-quart dutch oven; it’s made of heat-resistant polypropylene (BPA-free) and includes an interior lid with adjustable steam holes. This little pot heats evenly and quickly to maximize flavor and preserve food’s moisture and nutrients. It turns your microwave into a pressure cooker, but you don’t have to wait for the steam to release when it’s done.
Most Cook-Zen recipes are designed to serve two, which is in keeping with the size of the pot. I started off with two pork tenderloin recipes: the first was Spicy Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes and Onions.
For my first attempt, I decided to follow the recipe to the letter, but I had a nagging little doubt from the onset. Perhaps Japanese cuisine relies on smaller meat portions than American cooking, because the recipe calls for ¼ pound of pork tenderloin for two servings, and since this dish has only two main ingredients—pork and potatoes—the ratio felt off to me.
I was right. I made the recipe for just myself, expecting leftovers, but the only thing left was potatoes. Although I readily use smaller portions of meat in things like stir fries and raise the veggie quotient, with just two ingredients the meat needs to show up.
I made the dish again, with two tweaks. I doubled the meat and made the pieces a little bigger—chunks rather than strips—and reduced the sugar by a third. Perfect. I didn’t alter anything else, including the cooking time. There was plenty of sauce, it was spicy and a touch sweet, and the potatoes and pork were perfectly cooked.
I chose another recipe, this one for Pork and Vegetable Stew. I mostly followed the recipe as written, but once again doubled the pork, subbed chopped white onion for pearl, and omitted the mushrooms, basil, and Parmesan. Everything was perfectly cooked, and there was ample sauce, though it was a little too sweet. Next time I’ll reduce the ketchup and sugar.
Your microwave is not going to be the best choice for all of your cooking. Roasting, browning, or large meals all call for a conventional oven. I have read you can bake in the microwave, but I think I’ll stick to my oven for that, too. But all of the aspects of microwave cooking that I have resisted, including steaming veggies, making rice, sautéing fish, etc. are now fair game. I might even try it for popping corn.
The Cook-Zen Pot | Dara O’Brien
Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Onions
Click here for printable recipe.
Serves 2
Cook Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 medium potatoes, any kind
¼ pound boneless pork tenderloin
2 small onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon chili paste
Pinch of red peppercorns
PREPARATION
Place the potatoes, unpeeled, inside the Cook-Zen. Cover and heat on medium-high for 8 to 9 minutes with the steam holes set to “close.” After heating, peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
Cut the pork into ½-inch thick slices, then cut again to make ½ x 1-inch pieces. Peel the onions and cut it into ½-inch pieces.
Place the pork, onions, olive oil, butter, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, and chili paste in the Cook-Zen and mix well. Cover and heat on medium-high for 5 to 6 minutes with the steam holes set to “close.”
Add the potatoes and gently mix. Sprinkle with red peppercorns before serving.
Pork and Vegetable Stew | Dara O’Brien
Pork and Vegetable Stew
Click here for printable recipe.
Serves 2
Cook Time: 16 minutes
INGREDIENTS
5 small potatoes, any kind
½ celery stalk
1 small zucchini
1 red pepper
¼ pound pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 pearl onions, peeled
5 baby carrots, halved
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
5 mushrooms
3 tablespoons tomato puree
3 to 4 tablespoons ketchup
1½ teaspoons grated bouillon cube, any flavor
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt and black pepper
Pinch of fresh basil leaves
Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced, for garnish
PREPARATION
Place the potatoes, unpeeled, in the Cook-Zen. Cover and heat on medium-high for 3 minutes with the steam holes set to “close.” After cooling, peel the potatoes and cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
Cut the celery and zucchini into 1/2-inch slices, the red pepper into 1-inch cubes, and the pork into bite-size pieces.
Place the olive oil and garlic in the Cook-Zen, and heat on medium-high, uncovered, for 1 minute.
Add the remaining ingredients, except for the potatoes and Parmesan to the Cook-Zen and mix well. Cover and heat on medium-high for 12 minutes with the steam holes set to “close.” Add the potatoes and gently mix. Garnish with Parmesan slices before serving.
Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Onions
and
Pork and Vegetable Stew
from “The Cook-Zen Way to Eat: Microwaving Healthy and Delicious Meals in Minutes”
by Machiko Chiba, Lake Isle Press, 2010
In THE COOK-ZEN WAY TO EAT: Microwaving Healthy and Delicious Meals in Minutes, the follow-up to THE COOK-ZEN COOKBOOK (also Lake Isle Press), Machiko Chiba has returned with more incredible Cook-Zen recipes made in minutes. From international favorites such as Asian-Style Spareribs, Thai Green Curry Chicken, and Steak Teriyaki, to all-American classics such as Chili Con Carne, Classic Mashed Potatoes, and Barbecued Beans—entire meals can be made in just one pot. Whether you wish to entertain with Scallop Pilaf and Mussels Steamed with Wine and Garlic or have an easy night in with a bowl of Corn Chowder, you’ll find the perfectly simple and healthy solution in THE COOK-ZEN WAY TO EAT.
Featuring many inspiring and elegant photographs plus simple step-by-step instructions for how to use the Cook-Zen, Machiko Chiba’s microwave cook pot. Its patented design locks in moisture and distributes heat evenly, producing dishes you’d never dream of making in a microwave. Like a pressure cooker, the Cook-Zen pot reduces cooking times to mere minutes for healthy, delicious meals made simply and quickly.