Soul Roll

Soul Roll

1 (1 to 1 1/2-pound) pork tenderloin, butterflied and pounded slightly to an even thickness between sheets of plastic wrap
Southern Cooked Greens, recipe below
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon creole seasoning
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
Red Beans, recipe follows
Rice, recipe follows
Chopped green onions, garnish

Chopped parsley, garnish
Hot cornbread, accompaniment

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Starting about 1/2-inch from the bottom and leaving 1/2-inch on either side, lay the greens in a uniform line across the meat. With the long edge towards you, pull the bottom edge of meat up and over the filling and roll up into a long cylinder. Using butcher’s twine, tie the meat to seal. Rub with the vegetable oil on all sides and season with Creole seasoning.

In a large ovenproof skillet or roasting pan, sear the meat on all sides over medium-high heat, 3 to 5 minutes. Roast until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 155 to 160 degrees F, about 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

To the fat and juices remaining in the pan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in any accumulated juices from the meat.

To serve, remove the twine and slice the tenderloin. Arrange the rice in the middle of 4 large plates and top with the red beans. Arrange the sliced pork over the red beans and nap the meat with the pan gravy. Garnish with chopped green onions and parsley, and serve immediately with hot cornbread.

Southern Cooked Greens:

1/4 pound bacon, diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 pound mustard, kale, or collard greens, stems removed and well rinsed
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons beer
2 teaspoons molasses
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet or saute pan, fry the bacon, stirring, over medium-high heat until crisp, 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and cook, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, about 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning to taste. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve

White Rice:

2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice
2 teaspoons butter
1 bay leaf

In a small saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the rice, butter, and bay leaf and reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover, remove the bay leaf, and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Red Beans:
1/2 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted
1 tablespoon bacon grease or vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped tasso or ham
6 ounces sausage, removed from casings and crumbled or chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 medium ham hock
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic

Chicken stock or water

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot, heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the tasso and sausage and cook, stirring, until cooked through and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Add the onions and bell peppers to the fat remaining in the pot. Season with the pepper and cayenne and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and ham hock, and cook, stirring, to brown the ham hock, 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and enough stock or water to cover by 1 1/2 inches, stir well, and bring to a boil. Return the tasso and sausage to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Should the beans become too thick and dry, add more stock or water, about 1/4 cup at a time.)

Remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.