By Mark Wieser
I think that one of the greatest benefits we have enjoyed from creating new flavors is how so many have written to let us know just how they have put them to use, most in ways that we could never have thought of ourselves. And that benefit, as it has turned out, still spurs us on—especially Case, Deanna, and Jenny, to keep developing newer and even more exciting flavors. We have yet to discover them all.
Miss Jane’s Pork Tenderloin is a recipe created by our dear friend, Jane Woellhof. She and her husband, Ron, moved to Fredericksburg in the mid-70s. Those were exciting post-LBJ years. Some of us were noticing that the town was beginning to change for the better in ways few had thought possible and even far fewer could have predicted. Das Peach Haus was not yet even a decade old, but all my customers were those from other places—passing through or coming up to Fredericksburg just to purchase peaches.
The Woellhofs came to Fredericksburg and thought they would like to make it their home, so they purchased Showcase Antiques in the old National Bank building from Colonel Curt Frisbie and his wife Edith, and specialized in American Brilliant Cut Glass, fine china, sterling silver and rare maps. Their inventory was worthy to be found only in the largest American cities, but here it was in tiny Fredericksburg. They welcomed everyone to their shop and customers quickly understood they were experts on all they sold. They were also intent on staying in Fredericksburg and doing all they could to promote their new home.
Many of us believed that tourism could become a viable industry. For example, Earl Schwettmann, Mrs. Ed Schutze, Valerie Sauer, Cheri Carter, and Hector and Cynthia Pedregon, just to name a few. The first Kristkindl Markt and Oktoberfest were still just dreams for some, and years away, but nothing seemed to prevent us from working towards and experiencing our own version of living the American Dream. And, most importantly, marketing our town. We occasionally met and I remember one quite enthusiastic store owner suggesting that we should train our employees to know where to send people should any ask where to eat or what there was to see. At one time, Main Street was populated with nearly two dozen gas stations, and it was the owners of those stations and people who worked there who were our first ambassadors encountering tourists asking what there was to see or do.
We had one gift shop at that time—Fredda’s. The Pedregon’s Peachtree was about to revolutionize that. Many of us gravitated to the Main Book Shop, opened by Bob Gates, who was fleeing the hustle and bustle of Houston to begin a new segment of life in a new place, doing what he loved best. We all discovered just how much we each liked to read. We bought books like crazy. I could do all my Christmas shopping with one stop—and very often, I did, on Christmas Eve.
Even eating out was beginning to change. Emigrant’s Landing opened. Shorty Crenwelge quit selling groceries to open his restaurant where Friedhelm’s now is located. Brenda and Johnny Nicholas’ Hill Top Café opened—a long ride out of town! Who would ever have thought one could survive so far from Main? But now, we could eat hearing live music from a Grammy Award winner. On Main, Bill Wareing, another Houstonian, opened the Gallery and the Domino Parlor introducing us to the Hoagie. And, there was more.
Like so many from Houston, Ed and Carol Krause, built a new home here. They bought books at the Main Book Shop too. And, soon they were holding cooking classes in their new home out on the way to Enchanted Rock. Nothing was finer than an afternoon spent sitting around their beautifully designed kitchen watching her create a wonderful French cuisine effortlessly while Ed explained the finer points of some French wines he had found at Speck’s in Houston. We were all in awe!
I still have all the recipes Carol distributed, as well as the wine labels Ed so carefully managed to lift from their bottles. Regrettably, I made only one recipe for myself after all those years, but Jane Woellhof was a serious student and made them all to either share with her husband or with intimate friends. She probably already was an excellent cook but became a perfectionist—serving authentic German dishes to Ron and their friends. I think for her, every meal was, and still is, an adventure! Jane particularly loved learning many of the older ways of doing things. Many recipes required hours to perfect. In an age that we were rapidly becoming addicted to fast foods, she was unique.
We have always used Jane as a sounding board for our products and how to use them. One of our favorite recipes that she created is appropriately called Miss Jane’s Pork Tenderloin. She was inspired by the many different Schnitzel recipes using different sauces and mustards, and she thought to try making a pork tenderloin with one of her favorite mustards that we make, Mesquite Horseradish Mustard, and boy are we glad she did! Try it, unlike some of Jane’s favorite recipes this one does not take hours, open a bottle of good wine and enjoy a nice adventure!
Ingredients:
1 Four to Six-pound pork tenderloin
1/4 cup Fischer & Wieser’s Mesquite Horseradish Mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Preparations: 10 minutes
Coat pork tenderloin with olive oil.
In a small bowl, mix the Mesquite Horseradish Mustard with a coarse salt and freshly ground pepper (pepper to taste).
Brush the tenderloin liberally with the mustard mixture.
Roast in a 375º oven for approximately 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145ºF for medium rare and to 160ºF for medium, but never higher.
Remove, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 minutes.
Slice horizontally and serve.
