Pots

In graduate school, I had a terrible little kitchen. I learned to place a premium on non-stick pans. I learned to hate washing burnt pots. And so, in consequence, I never learned to brown anything properly.

Now I have the nifty new Wolf and a nice pair of All-Clad sautoirs, and I understand (kind of) that fond is a good thing.

Last night, I grabbed a pork tenderloin. (It was the first I'd bought in twenty years, but I've always liked bacon and the ancestors will understand). I covered it in garlic, salt, and pepper, and seared the living daylights out of it. Then twenty minutes in the oven, sauce, and serve with boiled leeks (sauce Gribiche -- and who was Gribiche when he was at home?) and an improvised dish of wild rice, glazed turnip, and caramelized apple.

Linda's taking a grad seminar on the roots of modernism, which means Monday dinner is really fashionable. Dinner at 10:30. Gives one time to prep.

My headache: that pan in which I seared the pork. Dishwasher didn't touch it. Scrubbing helped. Eventually, though, it took about 15 minutes of Barkeeper's Friend -- and I suspect you really shouldn't be using Barkeeper's Friend on the All-Clad.

There's gotta be a better way. Or am I just over-protective of the pan?

Update: lots of good ideas. Meryl suggests soaking. Jeremy Hunsinger reminds me that it's never too late to deglaze. Why didn't I think of that? Alwin reminds me that ethanol works wonders.