I Dig the Pig
I was raised in a household where we didn't necessarily keep Kosher (cheeseburgers were allowed every so often, ditto Canadian bacon) but my mother definitely didn't serve any sort of pork. No chops, loin, ribs or otherwise. If my dad wanted anything like that, it came from the Chinese restaurant in our town.
In fact, I didn't really realize pork products that weren't bacon could be good until I went to Spain for the first time. There, I discovered lomo: a thin, lean cut of pork that is typically seared on a flat top grill and sandwiched between two greasy pieces of bread.
Since then, I still haven't really taken to most pork dinners: chops are not my jam and pork roast continually bores me. So I surprised myself by being seriously intrigued by the cover recipe in the August issue of Cooking Light magazine: pork tenderloin, cooked in a skillet, with bell peppers and polenta.
I made it last night for Tommy and his family since we're all up in Michigan together and I must say, it was received incredibly well by all parties. True, they could be fibbing to protect my feelings but I somehow doubt it. The Morrisons are not people to pull punches, bless them. In fact, they have a long history of giving it to me straight.
See: Tommy's mother telling me with frightening authority that I would need a root canal for my chipped tooth. See also: Tommy's father taking matters into his own hands and chopping off a piece of my hair with a steak knife when I complained of marshmallow stickiness.
So somehow, I don't think they'd lie to spare my delicate ego.
The recipe calls for only one pound of pork tenderloin, but Mrs. Morrison and I both agreed that is definitely not enough to feed four people, which is what the recipe intended. Therefore, I have upped some quantities but this is pretty much original. Also, you can feel good about the relative health-factor of the recipe. I would serve this with a nice green salad but you can also throw in some zucchini, broccoli or other hearty green veggie along with the peppers.
Ingredients:
for the pork & gravy:
2 tbs. EVOO
2 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 c. chicken stock
3 tbs. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cider vinegar
for the peppers:
1 tbs. EVOO
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 multicolored bell peppers, cut into strips
2 tbs. flat leaf parsley
for the polenta:
2 1/2 c. 2% milk
2 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. stone ground polenta
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. To prepare pork, heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add EVOO to coat the pan. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cook 5 minutes. Flip pork and continue to cook for another 3 minutes.
Cov er pan with foil; bake at 425 for 7 minutes. Remove foil, bake for another 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 145F. Place pork on a cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes. Cut across the grain into slices.
3. Return pan to medium high heat. Combine 1/4 tsp. black pepper, stock, flour and vinegar to a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Add stock mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from pan, keep warm.
4. To prepare peppers. return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan again with EVOO if need be. Add thyme, garlic and peppers; cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan to oven and bake at 425 for 5 minutes.
5. To make polenta, bring the milk, stock, salt and pepper to a simmer in the saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated.
6. Serve the sliced pork and bell peppers with the polenta, sprinkled with the fresh parsley and drizzle all over with the pan sauce.
