Tenderloin of Pork with Apricots and Prunes

Name: Tenderloin of Pork with Apricots and Prunes
Ingredients: 2 pork tenderloins , ¾ to 1 pound each, silver outer membrane removed (see Notes); Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons virgin or pure olive oil; 12 pitted prunes , thinly julienned; 10 dried apricots , thinly julienned; ¼ cup bourbon whiskey, such as Jack Daniel’s; 1 cup Chicken Stock , Vegetable Stock , or low-salt canned broth; 1 cup Veal Stock; ½-inch-long piece of lemon peel, julienned; 1½ tablespoons butter; Few drops of fresh lemon juice; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper

Chef

Debra Ponzek

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Cookbook

French Food, American Accent

Published by Clarkson Potter

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This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

Roasted pork served with prunes and apricots is a classic french combination because the savory and sweet flavors play off one another so well. The roast has a golden-brown crust and pale, juicy meat, and the apricot and prune sauce is dark and fruit-flavored. This is one of my favorite pan sauces. It is easy to make, flavorful, and uncomplicated. All you do is add the fruit, deglaze the pan, and then add some stock and spices. Best of all, it can be made quickly, while the meat rests before being sliced.

NotesTenderloins of pork (as well as beef) are covered by a tough silvery membrane; to remove it, insert the point of a sharp knife under the membrane and cut away from you, angling the knife toward the membrane slightly to avoid cutting off too much meat.

Order of preparation:

• Macerate the dried fruit in the bourbon.

• Sear and roast the pork loins.

• While the meat is resting, prepare the apricot and prune sauce.

Makes4 servings

Cooking Methodroasting

CostModerate

Total Timeunder 1 hour

OccasionCasual Dinner Party

Recipe Coursemain course

Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free

Mealdinner

Taste and Texturefruity, meaty, rich, savory, sweet, tangy, umami

Ingredients

2 pork tenderloins, ¾ to 1 pound each, silver outer membrane removed (see Notes)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons virgin or pure olive oil
12 pitted prunes, thinly julienned
10 dried apricots, thinly julienned
¼ cup bourbon whiskey, such as Jack Daniel’s
1 cup Chicken Stock, Vegetable Stock, or low-salt canned broth
1 cup Veal Stock
½-inch-long piece of lemon peel, julienned
1½ tablespoons butter
Few drops of fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

For the pork:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the pork with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat until smoking and sear the tenderloins on all sides until golden brown. Place in the oven in the skillet, or in a small baking pan, if the skillet is not ovenproof, and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the tenderloins reads 155°F.; it will rise another 5 degrees as the meat rests. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 10 minutes, reserving any juices that accumulate around the meat.
For the apricot and prune sauce:
In a small bowl, soak the dried fruit in the bourbon for 25 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons of the liquid.
Return the pan in which you seared the meat to medium-high heat and add the prunes, apricots, and reserved bourbon. Bring to a boil and allow to boil 30 seconds while you deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stocks, bring to a boil, and add the lemon peel. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the butter and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
To serve:
Slice the pork about ½ inch thick and arrange on 4 warmed serving plates. Spoon the sauce over the meat.
Variation:
Serve apricot and prune sauce with Roasted Duck.