Thursday, September 22, 2011

Pork Tenderloin with Pears

I was given a big bag of home grown pears last week (thanks Liz) so thought I would play with them with pork instead of using apples.Worked out lovely.

Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, minced
Fresh Thyme, finely chopped
1/2 - 3/4 lb Pork Tenderloin
2 Shallots, peeled & quartered
2 Pears, peeled, quartered & cored
Butter
Flour
Chicken Stock
Pear Juice (I poached off some pears and pureed them - added some water, to get a wetness, and threw in a bit of Star Anise while it simmered away) This need to be done first before you get cooking.

Preheat the oven to 475 F./Gas 9 and put an oiled roasting tray in to warm through.

1] Mix the olive oil, garlic & thyme together. Smear it all over the Pork, Shallots and Pears.
2] Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the Pork and Shallots. Brown the Pork on all sides.
3] Transfer the Pork to the roasting tray in the oven. I had to add a little more oil to the roasting pan and lowered the heat down. Basically adjust the oven temp to suit the size of the Pork Loin. This will take 15 - 20 minutes to cook.
4] Meanwhile, add the Pears to the the frying pan and cook until they have browned off. Remove from the pan.
5] Mix the Butter and Flour together, add to the frying pan with the Chicken Stock and Pear Juice. Bring to the boil and thicken to your liking.
6] Rest the Pork while you add the Shallots and Pears back to the frying pan and taste for seasoning.
7] Slice the Pork, pour over the sauce and serve.