Hill Country Bon Vivant

Hill Country Bon Vivant Tastemaker & Hospitality Expert | cooking, entertaining & travel with grace, grit & gratitude

04/29/2026

🔥 A little smoke, a lot of brightness, and a red wine that knows exactly what it’s doing.

🌿 Grilled pork tenderloin with herby pesto + grilled romaine with a pesto vinaigrette—this is spring cooking with just enough depth to keep things interesting.
And yes… we’re pairing it with a red. The char from the grill + smoked paprika makes it make sense, I promise.

Save this for your next slow evening and be sure to share a picture of your final dish. I want to hear what you think.

Recipe is also available on Substack. Link ⬆️ in the bio.

With grace, grit & gratitude,
xx, JeriLynne

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Herby Pesto and Grilled Salad

Ingredients
For the Pork:
1 lb pork tenderloin
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin

For the Herby Pesto:
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup chives
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Grilled Romaine:
1 head romaine lettuce
Olive oil
Salt

For the Pesto Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons herby pesto
1 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Diamond Crystal Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
Blue cheese crumbles for topping

Method
Preheat your grill to medium heat, about 400°F.
Pat the pork tenderloin dry and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Rub the mixture evenly over the pork and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the parsley, chives, sunflower seeds, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse until combined. With the processor running, slowly stream in the olive oil until the mixture comes together into a pesto. Set aside.
Place the pork on the grill and cook until the internal temperature reaches 140°F. Remove from the grill and let rest until it comes up to about 150°F.

Rest of the recipe ⬇️ in comments

04/17/2026

🍽️ Want to enjoy an elevated dinner experience surrounded by friends in the comfort of your home?

🍽️ I would love to work with you as your private chef. We can create the perfect meal for a celebration or if you just want to spend an intimate evening with a few friends.

🍽️ Shoot me a DM and let’s chat!

With grace, grit & gratitude,
xx, JeriLynne

04/09/2026

🍽️ Slow braised pork with limes, jalapeños, and Mexican Coca-Cola… paired with tender Tuscan kale and a vinegar barbecue sauce to bring it all together.

🍷 But let’s talk about the wine.
I paired this with Politics and Religion from . It’s a blend of Mourvèdre and Merlot, which you don’t often see together. Mourvèdre tends to be bold, structured, a little wild… while Merlot is softer, rounder, more polished. They’re not typically paired, but here, they work.

🍷 The Mourvèdre stands up to the richness of the pork, while the Merlot softens the edges and complements that subtle sweetness from the braise.

🍷 Together, they meet the dish right where it is—balanced, layered, and just a little unexpected.
Make it for dinner, or turn it into tacos the next day.

Save this for when you want something simple, soulful, and worth lingering over. 🍷

The recipe is on the previous reel that is linked below. Also available on my Substack. Link in my bio.

With grace, grit & gratitude,
xx, JeriLynne

ps - Thank you to for the DRIP acronym- no talk of Diets, Religion, Illness or Politics at the table. 😉

04/07/2026

🍽️ Slow braised pork with limes, jalapeños, and Mexican Coca-Cola… paired with tender Tuscan kale and a vinegar barbecue sauce to bring it all together.
It’s rich, bright, a little bit unexpected—and perfect for a slow evening at home.

🍷 I paired this with Politics and Religion from Hilmy Cellars—an unconventional blend that somehow makes perfect sense with this dish.

✨ Make it for dinner, or turn it into tacos the next day.
Save this for when you want something simple, soulful, and worth lingering over. ✨

Recipe is below so be sure to save this for reference. Also available on my Substack, link ⬆️ in my bio.

With grace, grit & gratitude,
xx, JeriLynne

Braised Pork Shoulder with Mexican Coca-Cola,
Tuscan Kale & Vinegar Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients
For the Pork
3–4 pound boneless pork shoulder (or pork butt)
Diamond Crystal, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
4 limes, cut in half
2 jalapeños, halved, seeded, and roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, cut into large chunks
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
1 ½ cups Mexican Coca-Cola (about one 355 ml glass bottle)
Water (to cover)

For the Tuscan Kale
2 bunches Tuscan kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
1 cup reserved braising liquid
Additional chicken stock, as needed
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
1 cup white vinegar
⅓ cup good quality ketchup
¼ cup apple juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Method
Prepare and Braise the Pork
Preheat your oven to 325°F.
Cut the pork shoulder into large pieces—about the size of a softball. Generously season all sides with salt & freshly ground black pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the pork pieces until deeply golden on all sides. Work in batches if needed. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
Once all the pork is seared, return it to the pot. Tuck the limes, jalapeños, & onion pieces in between the pork.
Sprinkle the whole peppercorns over the top. Pour in the Mexican Coca-Cola. Add enough water to come just to the top of the pork.
Cont’d 👇

04/03/2026

🧑‍🌾 Community. When you go to a farmers market that is what you will find. Connection over convenience.

🧑‍🌾 On Thursday afternoon at Marktplatz you are transported to a small town in Europe where the market is the center of it all. It is a collective of hard working people that are growing and harvesting our food and flowers, raising our livestock, curating our honey and creating specialty goods.

🧑‍🌾 In my town of Fredericksburg, TX it is also an opportunity for weekly celebration. Our community understands the assignment. Children are playing, people are hugging and laughing. You bring a picnic or purchase dinner from or . You grab a beer from the pop up or a bottle of wine from the winery of the week. You listen to music from local musicians and grab a cookie or maybe some Italian Ice from .fbg. This is all before you shop!

🍄‍🟫 Then you grab some and for home. The honey guy from lets you do a honey tasting before you grab your favorite. You visit as you start to plan your weekend meal. Lamb? You’ve got it. Beef, chicken or pork. They are there too.

🥗 Then there are all the fresh fruits and vegetables. You can even take home the plants to grow them yourself. Last but not least some tea from and flowers so tomorrow morning you can reminisce about your lovely afternoon supporting this community.

🧑‍🌾 The is not just a place it is a weekly event.

🧑‍🌾 Support local. You won’t regret it.

With grace, grit & gratitude,
xx, JeriLynne

Address

Fredericksburg, TX

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