Pancetta-wrapped Tenderloin of Pork
Pair with Black Opal Shiraz
Main Dish
Serves 6-8
1/2 pound pancetta, sliced into 16-20 very thin slices; ask your butcher to prepare
2 pounds pork tenderloin, about 2 medium pieces trimmed of outside sinew
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350°.
Wrap pancetta around each piece of pork, making sure to cover the entire tenderloin. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a very hot skillet. Brown the two tenderloins for about two minutes on each side, cooking four sides to complete. Carefully remove pork from pan and place in an oven-proof dish. Place in oven for about 10-20 minutes to cook through. Cooking time varies with width of the tenderloin. Temperature should read about 150°-155°, with meat being slightly pink inside. Remember that pork will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven. Remove from oven and let rest for another 5 minutes.
Slice tenderloin on a sharp diagonal.
Side Dish
Fava Beans and English Peas with Tarragon Butter
4 cups fava beans, roughly 3 1/2 pounds before shelling
2 cups English peas, roughly 1 3/4 pounds before shelling
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon
Salt to taste
Large bowl of ice water.
Pop fava beans out of their pods. Blanch beans in boiling, salted water for 20 seconds, shock in the ice water, then remove the tough outer skins.
Pop peas from their shells. Blanch peas for 3-4 minutes. Shock in ice water. Set aside until a few minutes before ready to serve.
Saute fava beans and peas in butter and water. Add tarragon the last 10 seconds of cooking. Season to taste.
This recipe also lends itself to other spring vegetables: consider using baby carrots, green garlic, spring onion in any combination--as long as the vegetables amount to 6 cups.
Side Dish
Creamy Asiago Polenta
2 cups polenta
3/4 cup red onion, finely minced
2 large bay leaves
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons salt
2 3/4 quarts boiling water
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 cup, about 1/4 lb, asiago cheese, grated
Begin boiling water. Preheat oven to 400º.
In a large Dutch oven or other oven-proof pot, sauté red onion in olive oil for 5-7 minutes, until translucent. Turn off heat and add polenta, being careful not to toast the grains. Add salt and bay leaves and stir together until oil coats polenta mixture.
Turn stove back on to medium heat and slowly whisk in boiling water. Cook on top of stove, stirring constantly, until the water level comes down to the top of the polenta (about 10-15 minutes).
Place pot in oven and cook at 400º for about 1 hour. Take out of oven, remove bay leaves, stir in cheese, add pepper and additional salt if desired.
Serves 6-8
Back to the Recipes