Chef Tonni was born and raised in College Station, Texas.  He graduated from Texas State Technical College in May 1997 with an Associate degree in Food Services / Culinary Arts.  His work experience includes being a chef and kitchen manager at an assortment of establishments, such as the Hilton Hotel and the Tavern on Chimney Hill.

He has been in the food business for over 18 years.  Currently, Chef Tonni owns Rio Grande Catering and Hinospices, LLC where he utilizes all of his own recipes and spices.  Chef Tonni also has written a cookbook called "Cooking with Brew" using his techniques and the love of beer at the same time. 

An award winning chef, he received an honorable mention award at the Go Texan cook off for his brisket and won first place in brisket and chicken at the 2nd annual Bilyfest in 2009.  He has used his Hispanic heritage and love of beer to provide a truly unique cooking style that embodies Americana at its best.

Hinospices website is www.hinospices.com.

The recipe Chef Tonni Provided that we'll be discussing:

Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin

with Apple BBQ Sauce

4 8oz Pork Tenderloins cleaned

Seasonings:

1 ½ T Granulated Garlic

2 T Granulated Onion

½ tsp Cayenne pepper

¼ tsp White Pepper

1 ½ tsp Medium Course Sea Salt

¼ tsp Ground Bay Leaf

1 T Paprika

Put the pork on a plate and mix all of the dry spices and mix them real well. Sprinkle the spices on the pork and let rest for about 5 minutes. This seasoning that you have mixed up can be used to season the sauce as well or anything else you desire. In a skillet heat the coconut oil on medium low heat. Once the oil is heated put the loin in the skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Set loin aside on a plate and cover lightly with plastic and continue to make the sauce. If you want the loin med-rare then you can sear the loin less than 5 minutes on each side. Cook it for 3 minutes.

Apple BBQ Sauce

Sauce:

8 oz Low sodium chicken broth (Can also use a Bock Beer)

8 oz Tomato sauce

2 ½ Tbl Brown Sugar

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 ½ Tbl Minced Garlic in water or Fresh

½ -Medium Red Onion (minced)

½ Medium Granny Smith Apple fine chopped & small slices about a quarter of the apple for each.

1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

TT Sea salt and pepper (regular salt may be used)

Now sauté the onions in the same pan that you seared the loin. After the onions are translucent add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Next add the Apples and sauté for about 1 minute. Then crank up the heat to medium high and add the beer. Cook this for 3 minutes and sir or shake pan occasionally. After the three minutes add the vinegar and brown sugar and cook for 3 more minutes. Wisk in the tomato simmer until the sauce gets the thickness that you desire. If the sauce gets too thick add more beer or chicken stock to thin it out. Before serving the sauce add the Balsamic Vinegar to the sauce and sir. Cut the loin into ¼ inch medallion slices (on the bias) fan out in a half moon shape and pour the sauce over the loin.

Garnish:

Use the other half of the apple score an “X” on the top and insert two stocks of rosemary. At the base of the apple put a little bunch of carrot sticks.

*** Remember you may use the seasoning that you mixed earlier to season the sauce or save it and use it to season anything the next time you cook. ***

Our recipe testers this episode were FANTASTIC!  They really asked some great questions and Chef Tonni could not be thrown off base!

Melody, our first recipe tester who told us ALL about her experience with this recipe, has been experimenting in the kitchen her whole life.  She was inspired at a young age by her grandmother, who to this day is the best cook she knows. Melody loves entertaining and bringing family and friends together through her cooking. She lives in Manhattan and works in Public Relations.

Lauren, our second recipe tester, says this of herself:

"I’ve been cooking for as long as I can remember. When I was a little kid, I would always follow my mother around the kitchen and “help” as much as I could. Starting when I was about 10, it was one of my chores to completely plan and cook dinner once night every week. The dinner had to be a balanced meal too- no “tonight we’re having ice cream sundae’s for dinner! At first, this was a little overwhelming- I still remember the first time I tried to manage a stovetop full of boiling pots- and there were failures when mom had to come to the rescue for sure. But the excitement and pride that came with pulling off a successful meal couldn’t be matched. I think it was this early experience with cooking and menu planning that contributed to my love of cooking today. Cooking was never daunting to me. Instead, it was a chance to create what I wanted to eat.

http://healthy-delicious.com

At several points in my life, I have considered either going to culinary school or becoming a dietitian. But I was always scared that if I did that, it would turn something that I loved into something that I loathed.  I also didn’t love the nights/weekends/holidays schedule that would come with being a chef (little did I know I would end up working crazy hours anyway). Maybe some day I’ll reconsider, but for now my day job is my other love- politics."  Click on her picture to check out her blog!  It's GREAT!

Thank you so much to Chef Tonni, Melody and Lauren for making this show so fantastic!