Pork Tenderloin “Steaks” with Spiced Apple

 

Pork Tenderloin “Steaks” with Spiced Apple

 

 

OK, so this was an experiment: one of my favorite meats for cooking, pork tenderloin, with some of my favorite seasonings, even if they don’t usually go together. It was a chilly evening right now, so this hearty though fairly easy dish fit well for dinner. It seems like something that should be Central European, maybe German or Czech or Hungarian, but if it is, that’s a coincidence.

 

Pork Tenderloin “Steaks” with Spiced Apple

Currently pork tenderloin is often a screaming bargain meat. Much cheaper, usually, than  pork chops – which incidentally I find difficult to cook without being dry, tough and dull. Tenderloins are packaged two to a container, and typically weigh between one and one and a half pounds each, They have very little waste, and take limited time to cook. But they can be herb-rubbed and roasted, chunked and made into a quick and elegant stew, thinly sliced for Asian stir-fried dishes, made into kebabs, and cut in  1/4-1/2 inch “steaks” for quick frying or braising. I don’t understand why they are often on special, say buy-one-get-one-free sorts of deals. I’m guessing that many people don’t know how to cook them. Hey, that works for me.

 

Here’s my chilly January dinner creation: “Pork Tenderloin Steaks with Spiced Apple“ It goes well with buttered egg noodles and either a green vegetable or a simple salad. The recipe serves four. A light-bodied red wine or a hearty white go with it.

 

1 small-medium pork tenderloin (half of a package),about 1-1/4 pounds

Seasonings: 3/4 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp black pepper.+ 4 teaspoons flour

2 medium apples

1/4 small onion

2 tablespoons olive oil for pork plus 2 for the sauce

2 tablespoons white wine

4 tablespoons water, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

A pinch of cayenne

Chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

 

Trim off any fibrous or fatty parts off the pork. Cut the meat across into 1/2-inch thick slices. Sprinkle on both sides with the salt-pepper-flour mix. Peel the apples, quarter and core them and cut the flesh into 1/4-inch slices. Thinly slice the quarter onion.

 

Heat a large frying pan to medium hot. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, then fry the pork pieces in a single layer, turning them after they start to brown. When lightly browned on both sides, transfer them to a plate.

 

Add the other 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Fry the onion, stirring and scraping frequently, until softened. Add the apple and fry 2-3 minutes, stirring and scraping. Then add the wine, water, and all the seasonings (not the garnish), and stir and fry as the apple cooks down, 5-7 minutes.

 

Add back the previously seared pork and combine well. Keep the pork in a single layer, and simer 5-7 minutes, covered but turning frequently and adding a little water as needed, until pork is tender (cut off a little piece of one to test by biting). Taste the sauce for salt, and add a little as needed.

 

Serve with buttered noodles, plus either a green vegetable or salad. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro or parsley over the pork.

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