Life of Wry

This one made me feel fancy, worthy of my apron and sharp knives and cooking gadgets. It was another Christopher Kimball.. and another super flavorful dish.

Started with sweet paprika, hot smoked paprika, fresh chopped thyme and kosher salt:

Blended that and then rolled a small pork tenderloin around in it.. massaging a little to really get the herbs and spices to stick. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

While that sat, I measured and prepped the rest of the ingredients.

Then in a large, hot pan, browned the pork in 2T of canola oil, then stuck the whole pan into the oven (450) to roast ’til done.. took 11-12 minutes to get the meat to 140 degrees.

Removed the pork.  In that same pan, sauteed 6 sliced garlic cloves til toasted, then added 2 teaspoons of honey until it started to turn brow, then added 3/4 c of chicken broth and reduced until the sauce became slightly thick. Added 2T of sherry vinegar and after 30 seconds or so start adding 6T of butter that had been cubed into 10 pieces…. these you add one at a time, swirling each until melted before adding the next. He called this emulsifying the sauce. Do not know why you do this, but this whole sauce part of the prep makes you feel like a chef.  You then take it off-heat and stir in 2T of chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Now, slice up the tenderloin and spoon this incredible sauce over the slices, and holy cow (or pig), it’s insane. The meat alone packed quite a punch, but with the sauce.. wow.

We served it with some angel hair tossed with olive oil and a few more garlic cloves that I’d also sliced thinly crisped in olive oil a little earlier, and served with parmesan.. and some broc and tomatoes.

Here ’tis… a close up of the pork.. such a perfect cut of meat.

And the whole scene: