Roast pork tenderloin.
Pork tenderloin is a wonderful piece of meat because it is guaranteed to be tender. However just like beef tenderloin it is a very easy piece of meat to over cook and let it become dry and tough. To prevent this happening it is vital that you take it out of the oven just before it is cooked and let the meat rest.
AND DON’T TRY TO SERVE IT HOT!
Its like when you have spent the weeks housekeeping budget on a big rib of beef for Sunday lunch, Which you have spent time coating with honey and mustard and roasted until it is just perfect. Take it out of the oven while the Yorkshire puddings are finishing off cover it with a piece of foil and never let it enter the oven again. If it was perfect when you took it out what could you possibly gain from putting it back in?
Take your fillet of pork and coat it in some crushed peppercorns and some chopped herbs and drizzle on some rapeseed oil, this will carry all those flavours into the pan. Heat a small frying pan but don’t add any oil or butter. When the pan is good and hot sear the pork on all sides (it is a good idea to get the pan smoking hot for this job as the flavour comes from the browning on the outside of the meat) take the meat out of the pan and place it on a baking tray in a moderate to hot oven. Mean while take a good hand full of peeled shallots and whole peeled garlic cloves and perhaps some apple quarters (use eating apples as they keep their shape and some of their texture add these to the hot pan and caramelised over a brisk heat. When you have some good colour turn the heat down and add a good splash of balsamic vinegar and a tea spoon of sugar, Let this reduce before covering the pan with a sheet of puff pastry, Cut to size and tuck in like when you put the baby to bed. Put this in the oven (don’t glaze the top as you are going to turn it over when it is cooked) check the pork it should feel slightly springy.
When the pork is cooked take it out of the oven and put it onto a plate covered with a piece of foil. As the pork rests it will produce a little jus on the plate this is pure flavour and should be drizzled over the pork when it is served to give a real meaty flavour.
When the pastry is golden and puffed up take the pan out of the oven and carefully put a plate on top of the pastry and invert the whole lot. Take the pan away and you should be left with the perfect shallot and garlic tartin the shallots are dark and all of those flavours will be soaked into the pastry.
Carve the meat and serve on a slice of tartin with a good blue cheese melting on the top.
As a variation why not try the tart with blanched root vegetables for a meat free lunch dish. Try roasted beetroot. Onions, butternut squash or any other good roasting vegetable. The shops are full them.
Posted On: Monday, September 20th, 2010 @ 9:44 pm
| 2 Comments
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