Dukkah Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Let's face it, I'm a fraud. I talk about taking risks in cooking, about trying out new things, about stepping away from your comfort zone, but at the end of the day, standing in front of the stove, I'm pretty conservative.

Most of my cooking is Euro-centric, primarily Italian influenced. Now, there is definitely nothing wrong with Italian influences, but there are hundreds of other cuisines out there. Sure I dabble with barbecue and slow cookers, I play around with Asian foods, but with the exception of Pho, I'm primarily stuck in Japan and China.

I've never presented any Thai food, no Malay or African recipes, no curry. True, with the exception of Thanksgiving dinner, I'm not a fan of Indian food. But there are so many recipes out there to try if only we're brave enough.

Well today I'm going to take a very tentative step into the Middle East. Nothing overwhelming, better to wade in than dive head first I think. Dukkah is a nut and seed mixture generally attributed to Egypt. It uses a number of fragrant dried spice seeds. As you would expect from a warm climate environment, these dried ingredients keep for a long time and after preparation, the mixture can live on without refrigeration.

The key to this seed-nut crust is dry-toasting the ingredients before grinding. The dry heat brings out the fragrant oils and concentrates the tastes. Your biggest problem with this recipe is the risk of the seeds burning while dry-toasting, so don't walk away and everything should be OK. My version of Dukkah employs a lot more dried mint leaves than traditional. This is a very versatile mix so please enjoy...



Dukkah Crusted Pork Tenderloin
from delicious magazine, November 2008

2 pieces pork tenderloin, approximately 1 1/2 pounds
1 TBSP cooking oil (I prefer grapeseed)


Dukkah Recipe

1/2 cup hazelnuts (though almonds could work)
1/4 cup coriander seeds
3 TBSP sesame seeds
2 TBSP cumin seeds
1 TBSP black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 TBSP dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon salt

Heat a heavy-duty skillet over high heat, add the hazelnuts and dry-toast until slightly browned and fragrant, approximately 90 seconds. Warning: DO NOT step away from the pan, shake the pan frequently or the nuts will burn!

Remove the nuts from the pan and allow them to cool completely.

Turn the heat down to medium.

Working in stages, repeat the process with all the seeds and the peppercorns, but NOT the mint leaves or salt.

Cooking times for the seeds varies depending on the heat of the pan. The cumin seeds will be ready within 15 seconds, the fennel and sesame seeds closer to 45 seconds. The coriander and peppercorns take the longest, probably 1 - 2 minutes. Allow all the seeds to cool completely.

Warning: The cumin seeds are especially susceptible to burning, so pay close attention when they are in the pan.

Chop the hazelnuts to a rough but small consistency. Alternatively, place the nuts in a food processor and using short pulses, chop to a rough consistency. Do not over-process or the nuts will turn into a paste. Place the chopped nuts in a medium sized bowl.

Place the peppercorns, cumin, fennel and coriander seeds on a cutting board and using the edge of a small frying pan, crush the seeds to a rough consistency. Add to the chopped hazelnuts.

Add the salt and mint leaves to the mixture. Stir well to combine.


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread about 1/2 cup of the dukkah on a large serving plate. Roll the pork tenderloins in the mixture, pressing down to insure adhesion to the meat.

In an oven proof saute pan, heat the tablespoon of oil over high heat. When the pan is hot, sear the pork on all sides, approximately 6 minutes total searing time.

When seared on all sides, transfer the pan to the heated oven and roast for 12 - 15 minutes, until cooked through.

Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes, slice and serve.


Not too bad eh, crablings? There's a vaguely exotic taste and aroma to this meal. Though I haven't tried it yet, I suspect that the dukkah would go well with chicken or fish. I'm think this meal would be best served by having some sort of sweet-sour accompaniment, say red cabbage, but that's a recipe for another day.

Well, I've dipped my claws into Middle Eastern influenced cooking and I can honestly say, you can do it, you can cook.

Soba Noodles with Seared Tuna & Soy Mirin Dressing

Variations on a Theme.

For much of her childhood SSSal played the piano. When CrabCakes 1&2 were born there was an implicit understanding that they too would play. Unlike their mother, neither CrabCake displayed any particular keyboard talent.

In scenes familiar to many a parent, we were treated to practices and recitals where progress wasn't measured so much by beautiful music as it was by the diminution of errors. I'd never thought of "Hot Cross Buns" as a torture device before, but there it was.

Ultimately both boys rebelled. While I missed the idea of them playing music, my ears were thankful. But wait; at the ripe old age of 10, CrabCake2 told us that "he had to join the band at school". He tried the trumpet - disaster. He thought about the saxophone - too big. He picked up a flute - epiphany.

Competent within months; a fish to water. In the last five years there has been state-wide recognition and seats in youth orchestras. What had been a grinding, miserable experience in front of 88 keys, was now seemingly effortless, beautiful music.

Variations on a theme.

So let's stay with that idea. Over the last few months two of my most popular posts have been Otsu and Cool Peanut Soba. Crab Nation it seems, loves Soba noodles. Soba has always struck me as a warm weather meal, but I'm sick of winter and so I tried to find something that would at least remind me of warmer times.

This meal is a shade expensive given the troubled times we're in, but we all need to indulge occasionally, (you could probably make this with skinless, boneless chicken breast if rare tuna isn't your thing food-wise or budget-wise), so please enjoy...



Soba Noodles with Seared Tuna & Soy Mirin Dressing
from Olive Magazine, September 2007

Serves 4


1 1/4 pounds searing grade Tuna Steaks
4 TBSP Sesame Oil, divided
Sesame seeds, approx. 4 TBSP
12 oz. Soba Noodles
1 medium cucumber peeled, seeded and sliced thin
4 scallions chopped

Mirin Dressing

6 TBSP Lemon Juice
6 TBSP Soy Sauce
8 TBSP Mirin Cooking Wine
2 TBSP Sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat.

As the pan is warming, sprinkle the sesame seeds onto a large dinner plate. Using 1 TBSP of oil, rub the tuna steaks on all sides and then roll the fish in the sesame seeds.

Add the steaks to the hot frying pan, searing the tuna for 30 seconds on all sides.

Set aside.

Prepare the soba noodles according to box instructions (typically boiling for 5 minutes). When done, drain the noodles and run under cold water. If you aren't going to use them right away, leave the noodles in a bowl of cold water for up to 1 hour. Drain the noodles completely before proceeding.

Combine all the mirin dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add the remaining 3 TBSP of sesame oil. Whisk well to combine.

Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Sprinkle the cucumber and scallions atop the noodles.

Thinly slice the seared tuna and divide among the bowls. Pour the dressing over the tuna. Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds and serve.


This is a very easy recipe. Better still it can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Since I like my noodles slightly soupy, I've doubled the amount of dressing. If you like yours drier, cut the dressing measurements in half.

Alright crablings, I'm done for today. Next time I think we may travel to the Middle East for inspiration. Until then, remember, you can do it, you can cook.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, Hey It's The Daytoner 500!!!

"First of all I wanna thank God and everyone over at Petty-Roush-Childress racin' for givin' me such a good car. The Cialis-Cheerios-Hooters ToyotaFord Malibu run real good today, and I couldna won without all the help from my crew and spotters.

That two tahr change at the end made all the difference. Coursin' everyone know that tahrs wins races. Goin' with only two durin' that last stop whats gave us the lead.

When you're runnin' a plate race like Daytoner, positions what counts, so Buford Ray rollin' the dahce on a splash and go is what made the difference. We gonna need a lot more days like today if'n we gonna make the Chase."

Y'all get all that?

Here's the deal. I like NASCAR. It's got it's own language. I love the post race interviews, I love how they can't go 15 seconds without mentioning a sponser or changing caps to show their endorsements. And even though in the last few years it's gotten way too slick, it still has that vaguely "homeboy-hillbilly" feel. On top of it all, unlike Formula 1, cars actually pass each other and you don't know ahead of time who's going to win.

This Sunday the season kicks off with the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500. So I need an appropriate recipe for the day. I don't want to be too distracted with cooking, so this event is perfect for a slow-cooker/crock pot recipe. Best of all, in these troubled financial times, this recipe can feed a crowd without decimating the wallet. So this Sunday, I'll be in front of my TV, beer in hand with the sound cranked up, enjoying...


Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
by Crabby


1 large onion, chopped
1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and diced
2 pounds pork loin
2 pounds pork butt
1 cup barbecue sauce, your personal favorite
1 cup apple juice

Salt & Pepper to taste
Additional barbecue sauce
1 large jicama, peeled and thinly sliced
Hamburger Buns

Peel and chop a large onion, I prefer one of the sweet varieties that seem to be everywhere these days. Place the chopped onion in the insert of the slow cooker.

Seed and dice the pepper and sprinkle on top of the onion. If you want a spicier result use a jalapeno pepper (or two). I would avoid Chipoltes in Adobo, since every time I've tried them, the slow cooking process seems to impart a bitter flavor.

Place the piece of pork loin and the piece of pork butt in the insert atop the onions and pepper, in a single layer. A 50/50 mix of loin and butt results in a high yield of meat with just enough fat to stop the pork from toughening up.

In a large bowl mix the barbecue sauce and the apple juice and pour over the pork.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. This is an all day process, so get it started early then relax. Alternatively, use could use a dutch oven/le creuset and cook this in a 200 F oven. No peeking!!!

After 8 hours transfer the meat to a cutting board. Be careful since the pork will fall apart.

Using two forks, roughly shred the pork loin and butt.

Skim any excess fat from the surface of the remaining sauce. Return the pork to the sauce. Add additional bbq sauce to taste, for me it's between 1/2 and a full cup. Taste and adjust seasoning.

You're now ready to serve.

I like to serve my pulled pork with a thin slice of jicama* on top. It gives just the right amount of crunch and has a faint apple taste that complements the pork perfectly.

Serve with your favorite beer, (I suggest Pabst Blue Ribbon or Carling Black Label).


OK crablings, that's it for now. I know pulled pork isn't the fanciest of recipes, but it's amazingly easy to make, tastes great and very cheap too. Next time I'm going to slightly break the bank, so enjoy this meal and remember, you can do it, you can cook.


*Jicama, is often referred to as Mexican Potato. To me it's more like a very mild radish. These days it's available in most supermarkets. If your market doesn't carry jicama, MOVE! Or use a thin slice of red onion.