After last Friday’s weekly team check-in, when (per usual) we spent a good 30 minutes discussing what we’ve been cooking/eating/craving, I was inspired to make Elizabeth’s pan-seared and roasted pork tenderloin, sliced on the bias and spooned with a sort of cheater’s chutney. She described the chutney as an equal mix of something like marmalade, apricot preserves or fig jam, and Dijon mustard. She enhances the flavor with a little minced garlic and rosemary, thinning it as needed with fresh orange juice. Chefs rarely talk in strict measurements when sharing recipes so I’ve attempted to formalize her take for you below.
Ingredients
- 1 1-1.5 lbs pork tenderloin, silver skin trimmed
- 3 fat garlic cloves, 2 sliced into matchsticks and 1 minced for chutney
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fennel seed (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1+ lb Yukon gold, fingerling or similar potatoes
- 2 Tablespoons preserves of choice (marmalade, fig jam, apricot preserves are all good choices)
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard (use a 50/50 split between regular and whole grain if you have both)
- 3 whole sprigs rosemary plus 1 tsp minced
- 1 orange, zest of whole orange and juice of ½ orange
Method
Preheat oven to 425. Using the tip of sharp paring knife, make small slits up and down both sides of the tenderloin, inserting the garlic matchsticks as you go. Very generously season the pork tenderloin on all sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. If you have fennel seed in your spice drawer, sprinkle the loin all over with a generous pinch (~1+ tsp). Drizzle the loin with olive oil, massage that and the seasoning all over the loin.
Halve the potatoes, place on a sheet pan, drizzle with a glug of olive oil and season generously with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Top with rosemary sprigs. Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven while you make the chutney and sear the pork tenderloin, giving them about a 20-minute head start to when you add the pork.
Make the chutney. In your smallest sauce pan over medium heat, saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Mix in the preserves and whisk until loosened. Turn off the heat and mix in the Dijon mustard, rosemary and orange zest and juice. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper and set aside.
Preheat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. When piping hot, sear the loin on all sides until nicely golden brown, about 3 minutes a side and 12 minutes total. Remove the potatoes from the oven, give them a toss, then lay the seared pork tenderloin on top. Roast both together for ~6-10 to finish the pork cooking, choosing the shorter cooking time if you prefer your pork rosy.
After you remove the pork and potatoes from the oven, spoon half of the chutney over the pork tenderloin and rest for 10 minutes. Transfer the rested pork to a cutting board and slice on the bias into 1-2 inch pieces. Return to the top of the potatoes and spoon the remaining chutney over the sliced pork.
Enjoy!
