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January 2008 Issue - Pork Tenderloin with Apples
and Mushrooms
The pork marinates in a tangy rub,
gets a fast sear for extra flavor and then roasts in the oven with apples,
mushrooms and onion. I served mine with roasted new potatoes and fresh snapped
green beans. I'll roast some asparagus with the potatoes the next time!
If you don't have green peppercorns you can use black but it is
pretty hot! (But that could have been from me letting them marinade for 3 days!
:-) If you can't find apple smoked bacon use your favorite smoked flavor.
For the potatoes
- 2 lbs of small new potatoes
- 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 - 1 tsp dried and crushed rosemary
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the rub
- 2 tablespoons green peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons Creole-style or your
favorite grainy mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
For the pork
- 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
- Sea salt or kosher salt
- 4 strips thick-cut-apple-smoked bacon,
cut into matchstick-size pieces
- 1 medium sweet onion, sliced thick
- 2 medium apples, cored and cut into 8
wedges each
- 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
and sliced thick
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup applejack brandy
Directions: For the rub: Use a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder
to crush the peppercorns, then mix them with the
mustard, garlic and rosemary to make a thick paste.
For the pork: Using a thin-bladed
knife, trim the silvery sinew from the thick end of the tenderloin and cut the
meat into two equal pieces. Coat the tenderloin pieces with the mustard mixture
and place in a resealable food storage bag.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Pre-heat your oven to 425º. Wash and
dry the potatoes and cut them in half and add them to a bowl. Coat them in
olive oil and sprinkle with the seasonings. Spread the potatoes cut side down
in a heavy roasting pan ( I used the V-rack roasting
pan with the v-rack removed) and cook until the pork is ready add to the oven.
Once the pork was ready I dropped the oven temp, flipped the potatoes and added
the tenderloin and apple mixture to the roaster keeping the potatoes to one end
and cooked for the allotted time. When you remove the pork and apples from the
oven to rest, turn potatoes cut side down and crank the heat to 450º to crisp
them before serving.
When ready to cook, preheat or drop
the oven temp to 325º. Season the tenderloin with a few pinches of salt.
In an ovenproof skillet over
medium-high heat, cook the bacon for until the fat is rendered and the bacon is
just beginning to brown. Tip the pan slightly and use a slotted spoon to scrape
the cooked bacon to the top of the pan, allowing the fat to drain away from the
bacon. Transfer the bacon to a small bowl and set aside. For a healthier dish,
discard bacon grease and replace with the same amount of olive oil.
Return the skillet to the heat and
add the pieces of seasoned tenderloin, making sure the oil is hot enough to
make them sizzle. Sear for about 3 minutes, until the meat has browned and
releases easily from the hot pan. Use a pair of kitchen tongs to turn the meat
and sear for about 3 minutes on all sides.
When each piece has evenly browned
remove to a plate and scatter the onion slices and toss with the drippings so
the onion begins to caramelize evenly. Add the apples, mushrooms and reserved
bacon. Add the vinegar, scraping as you do to loosen any bits from the bottom
of the pan, then add the applejack brandy and cook for about 30 seconds. Season
the mushrooms and apples with a pinch of salt and transfer to the roasting pan
flipping the potatoes first, then add the pork to the pan and finally spread
the apple mixture around it keeping the potatoes separated. Cook for 20 to 25
minutes, or until the center of the meat is barely pink and a meat thermometer
registers 150 degrees.
Transfer the meat to a cutting board
and let it rest for 5 minutes. Cut the meat into thick slices and serve hot
with the apples, onions and mushrooms, drizzled with any accumulated pan
juices.
For leftovers: I put the apple mixture in a hot skillet
and stirred until hot. While that was heating I added the pork slices to
another pan to sear till hot. When the pork and apple mixture were both hot I
tossed the the apples with 1 Tbs
of the vinegar and 1/4 cup of brandy right before serving and heated for 30
seconds. You can reheat the potatoes in a microwave till warm and then crisp in
a hot skillet and they taste like fresh roasted!
Nutrition Facts Per serving (based on 6) Calories: 266 Total Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 37mg Sodium: 132mg Total Carbohydrates: 28g Dietary Fiber: 2g 8
Protein: 18g
Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe by Russell Cronkhite, former chef at Blair House and author of "A
Return to Sunday Dinner" (Multnomah, 2003).