From Behind the Stove

I's my "theory" that what we see most often prepared in the meat section of our grocery store are the things that can be best prepared at home. For some reason, butchers feel we cannot fathom something unique to do with fresh pork tenderloin. It's either saturated in heavily salted coma-inducing-teriyaki sauce or stuffed with enough breadcrumbs and cheese to choke a small horse.

Boneless lean pork tenderloin, also called pork fillet, requires very little in the way of preparation. The tendons and sinew (the white stuff on the outside) are chewy so they need to be trimmed but most of it is done by the time we pick it up in the butcher's case. It can be fried, roasted, broiled and barbecued. The high quality pork we get here in Virginia is unmatched anywhere in the US, by my standards, so enjoy it.

I offer it here three different ways; 1) Sliced thin medallions (also called "noisettes") 2) Southwestern tunneled stuffed and 3) Grilled whole.

Hit the farmers market up for some of the best accompaniments - pork pairs especially well with fall vegetables.

Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Prosciutto, Sage and Asiago Cheese

2 lbs Pork tenderloin, sliced to 1/4-inch thickness (pounded if desired)
1 1⁄2 cups Flour, all-purpose
8 tbs Butter
2 cups Asiago cheese, grated
1⁄2 lb Prosciutto, thinly sliced
2 cups Chicken stock (or broth)
4 tbs Fresh sage leaves chopped, plus 16 whole leaves for garnish
2 cups Canola oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dust pork lightly in flour, brush off excess. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in frying pan; add pork and cooking quickly - 1 minute per side. Remove from pan and continue cooking the remaining pork; when done place medallions in a baking sheet. To each medallion add a pinch of the chopped sage then 3 to 4 tablespoons of cheese to the top of each and top with 2 prosciutto slices. Bake in oven for 4 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbling. In the same frying pan in which you cooked the pork, over medium heat, add remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and stir in 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook flour and butter mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and chopped sage and cook until thickened. Serve over pork tenderloins. Garnish with the sage.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin filled with Sun-Dried Cranberry Stuffing and Slather Sauce

There's two ways to stuff a loin. 1) Butterflied - the whole loin is partially cut in half lengthwise, stuffed folded together and tied with kitchen string or 2) Tunnel stuffing which is my preferred method. Insert the tip of a small bladed, long knife into the eye (center) of the loin and work to make a "tunnel" right through. With a small spoon, force the stuffing into the tunnel.

1 to 2 lb Pork tenderloin(s), butterflied or tunneled
11⁄2 cup Cranberries, sun-dried or just dried
2 tbs Pine nuts, toasted
2 tsp Ground cinnamon
Pinch Ground cloves
3 tbs Brown sugar
1 tbs Chile powder
2 tbs Cilantro leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly Ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup All-purpose flour
2 tbs Canola oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the cranberries, remove from the heat and let rest 1 hour; drain, reserving the soaking liquid and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the pine nuts, cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, chili powder, and a few tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Pulse until coarsely chopped, remove to a bowl and fold in the cilantro.

Place the tenderloin on a work surface and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Push or spread a good layer of the stuffing down the center and tie if necessary and dredge lightly in the flour.

In a fry pan over medium to high heat, add the oil ("hot pan + cold oil = food don't stick") and brown the tenderloin on all sides. Place in the oven and roast until almost cooked through about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and let sit 10 minutes. Slice into 1 inch thick pieces. Pour this slop over it:

Slather Sauce:

2 tbs Olive oil
1 Onion, small, finely chopped
1 Carrot, finely diced
1 Celery stalk, finely diced
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 cups Chicken stock
1-cup Apple juice
2 tsp Chipotle peppers, finely minced
1 tsp Black peppercorns
2 tbs Butter
To taste Salt

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot and celery and cook until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock, apple juice, chipotles and peppercorns; increase the heat to high and cook the sauce until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Virginia Fall Vegetables

1 to 2 lb Pork Tenderloin(s)
1 med Red bell pepper, cut into 1" strips (julienne)
1 med Yellow bell pepper, cut into 1" strips
3 med Zucchini, cut into 1" strips
3 sm Onions, cut into 1/8's
2 tbs Olive oil
2 tsp Fresh rosemary, chopped
1 cup White wine
1-cup Apple juice
1 tbs Red current (or cherry) jelly
To taste Salt & Pepper

Substitute other vegetables if you prefer but cut to the same size for even cooking. Cut peppers and zucchini into 1-inch strips. Peel onion and cut into eight sections through the root. Preheat oven to 350F. In a skillet, on medium heat, heat olive oil, and brown pork tenderloins on all sides. Remove to a baking dish large enough to hold pork and vegetables. Season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Add vegetables to skillet and sauté' until slightly brown and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Surround pork with vegetables. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until pork juices are no longer pink. Pour wine and pan juices into skillet, add apple juice and bring to boil. Boil until reduced by half. Stir in red current jelly and simmer another minute. Slice pork into thin slices; pour sauce over pork and garnish with vegetables.

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