Warm pears, crunchy walnuts, and a dash of balsamic vinegar top off this variation on pork tenderloin. The salsa hits a great combination of sweet and savory, and the warm brown color gives it a rustic visual effect. If you have any lard available to cook with, this recipe would be a great place to use it: making the salsa with lard will intensify the pork flavor of the whole recipe.
If you wanted to save some dishes with this, you could also do it all in the same skillet. Just use an oven-safe skillet so you can easily transfer it all from stovetop to oven when you add the pork. Spoon some of the salsa over top and into the oven it goes!
This recipe could easily work as a cold-weather recipe with roasted vegetables or a thick, creamy soup. But it could also go in a slightly more springtime direction, maybe with fingerling potatoes (yes, white potatoes are OK) or baby greens in a simple vinaigrette.
Pork Tenderloin With Warm Pear Salsa Recipe
SERVES: 4
PREP: 15 min.
COOK: 45 min.
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin;
- 2 pears, diced;
- 1 onion, diced;
- 2 garlic cloves;
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped;
- 1 tbsp. fresh chives, minced;
- 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar;
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice;
- 1/2 cup chicken stock;
- Cooking fat;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 400 F.
- In a bowl, combine the pear, walnut, fresh chives, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Melt some cooking fat in a skillet over high heat.
- Brown the tenderloin on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and onion, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil while frequently stirring and scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken stock.
- Drizzle the pear salsa on top of the tenderloin, and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Let the pork rest for 4 to 5 minutes before slicing, and serve with the salsa.