Spicy Pork Loin Alfredo

I catered two events in July. Total income from food this month: eighteen hundred dollars. The Carter's Kitchen savings account now has thirty-four hundred dollars. I sat at my kitchen table on a Wednesday night, after the kids were in bed, and opened a notebook and wrote: "Carter's Kitchen Business Plan" at the top of the page. Then I stared at the blank page for thirty minutes because I do not know what a business plan looks like. I know what a Jeep Grand Cherokee looks like at every stage of assembly. I know what a roux looks like at every shade from pale to chocolate. I do not know what a business plan looks like. I called Jerome. "How do you write a business plan?" He said, "Google it." I Googled it. The internet says: executive summary, market analysis, menu, startup costs, financial projections. The words are corporate and intimidating and have nothing to do with the smell of hickory smoke on a Saturday morning. But the words are the bridge between the dream and the doing, and I need to cross the bridge even if the bridge is made of spreadsheets. I wrote the executive summary: "Carter's Kitchen is a Detroit soul food restaurant serving the food that Black families in the auto industry have been eating for generations. Smothered pork chops, fried chicken, baked mac and cheese, collard greens, cornbread, ribs, and gumbo. Founded by DeShawn Carter, a Chrysler team leader who learned to cook from his mother and taught himself to grill and discovered that feeding people is the thing he was born to do." I read it back. It sounded right. Not polished. Not corporate. Right. The way Mama's cornbread is right — not fancy, just true. I closed the notebook and went to bed and dreamed about a storefront on Livernois with a sign that said Carter's Kitchen and a line out the door and the smell of pork chops and the sound of people eating with their eyes closed.

Writing “Carter’s Kitchen Business Plan” at the top of that notebook page made me think hard about which dishes actually belong on the menu—the ones I could cook at scale, the ones that make people put down their phones and just eat. Pork has always been in the conversation: smothered chops on Sunday, ribs on the grill, slow and smoky. This Spicy Pork Loin Alfredo is something different, a little bolder and a little unexpected, the kind of dish that tells a customer this kitchen has range. If I’m writing a menu into a business plan, this one earns its line.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs pork loin, sliced into 1/2-inch medallions
12 oz fettuccine pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to heat preference)
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Season the pork. Pat pork medallions dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Sear the pork. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear pork medallions 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature 145°F). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 60 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant—do not let the garlic brown.
Finish the alfredo. Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cream reduces slightly. Whisk in Parmesan until smooth. If sauce is too thick, stir in reserved pasta water a splash at a time.
Combine and serve. Add cooked fettuccine to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. Slice rested pork medallions and arrange over the pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spicy Pork Loin Alfredo — The Dish That Belongs on a Carter’s Kitchen Menu