A Little Taste of Home

Warning: Guest Blogging

Brian didn’t schedule anyone for today or tomorrow due to potential familial obligations on these oh so important holidays. As I have made my twice yearly trek to Florida to spend as little time as possible in the same room as my family, I decided to post.

There are two aspects of my personality that my father and stepmother actually appreciate, mainly because it reflects well on them. The fact that I’m mildly retarded and have a bawdy sense of humor are not the two. They like that I make art that they think is aesthetically pleasing and skillfully done, and they like the fact that I cook well. My father is a wine snob and is often discussing the correct wine pairing for meals. I facetiously asked yesterday what the correct wine to pair with enchiladas was and he took me to the wine rack to discuss it in earnest. I looked at him and told him the answer was Dos Equis. He didn’t appreciate the humor. Admittedly it wasn’t that funny, but still... There is one recipe that invariably I am asked to make at every visit—and tonight is the night. And in deference to Brian’s love of Martha Stewart and meat, I will share it with you now so that you can impress even the toughest critics. If you’re a vegetarian or keep kosher, just take my word for it.

Pork Medallions with Balsamic-Honey Glaze

Makes 4-6 servings.

If there are any leftovers, serve it cold in sandwich form. It’s damn tasty. Just ask Brian.

Balsamic-Honey glaze:
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons Full Grain Dijon mustard (I like Maille the best)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pork:
1 3/4 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin
Canola oil, for searing

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the glaze: put garlic and rosemary in a small bowl. Add the vinegar, honey, olive oil, mustard, stir to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
For the pork: Slice the tenderloin into 1-inch thick medallions (rounds). Cover the bottom of a medium skillet with a light film of canola oil and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork slices in 1 layer, season with salt and pepper, and sear for 1 minute. Turn and sear for 1 more minute, until lightly browned. Transfer the slices in 1 layer to cookie sheet or a shallow baking dish. It is in your best interest to place a piece of foil on the bottom of your chosen dish as the glaze caramelizes during its time in the oven.

Spoon the glaze over the pork medallions; flip the pork and repeat.

Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted reaches 140 degrees F for medium. Remove from the oven and keep warm, loosely covered until ready to serve.

When you are ready to plate the pork, spoon the caramelized glaze over the cooked pork.

And if you’re wondering, some nice wines for this meal are:
Rioja Reserva or a St. Milon. “I really like Rioja and pork. The Spanish had a thing against the Muslims and became the pork capital of Europe,” states my father. I can only wonder what my high school European history teacher would think of that statement.

I got this recipe from here about five years ago. It’s one of my favorite places to look up recipes, as you can look them up by ingredients. Great when asked to make a dish, and you want to compliment the other aspects of the meal.