Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Cider Spiked Sprouts and Pear Sauce

It snowed again today in New York. It seems like it has been snowing every day for the past month. Its cold and windy, and I was in the mood for something comfortable. For me, brussel sprouts define cold weather food. I decided to pair them with a spiced pork tenderloin, and instead of the more usual apple sauce garnish, I made a pear sauce to go with the loin. The meal came together really beautifully, and it perfectly quenched that comfy food hunger that I had (without being terribly unhealthy either).

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Cider Spiked Brussel Sprouts and Pear Sauce

Serves:2

 

Spiced Pork Tenderloin by Natalie of the BITES site

Olive Oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¾ Pork Tenderloin

 

Preheat the oven to 375.  Rub tenderloin with spices (If possible, prepare pork ahead of time and rub loin with spices and then refrigerate for three hours. Take out tenderloin 20 minutes before you are ready to put it in the oven.) Pour a glug of olive oil in pan and rub meat around in it so that entire loin has a thin layer of oil on it. Place in oven. After 10 minutes, flip loin onto other side. Cook another 10-15 minutes or until thermometer in the center of the loin read 155.

Take out and place on cutting board. Cover loosely with foil to lock in heat. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting.

 

Pear Sauce adapted from Bon Appetit Nov. 04

2 Ripe Pears

1/3 cup white wine

1 tbls sugar

Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

 

Peel and core both pears and coarsely chop. Place in a food processor and  process until pear pieces are pearl size. With the pan you used to cook the tenderloin in, put pear mix into pan and heat for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Add white wine and sugar and scrape up all brown bits at the bottom of the pan to infuse the spiced pork flavor. Turn heat to high and cook for about 5 minutes until pear is softened and mixture turns into a chunky sauce.

 

Cider Spiked Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Pine Nuts by Natalie of the BITES site

1 tbls olive oil

½ small garlic clove

½ lb brussel sprouts, cleaned and halved

1 tbls white wine

2 tbls apple cider

2 tbls pine nuts

Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 375. On stovetop, heat pan on low to medium heat. Add one glug of olive oil. Once heated, add half of a garlic clove and let it cook for a couple of minutes and then take it out – just to add an essence of garlic to the oil. Increase heat to medium and put brussel sprouts in pan. Let cook for a couple of minutes. Then add white wine and apple cider. Increase heat and simmer until most of liquid has evaporated. At that point, sprinkle sprouts generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper and top with another glug of olive oil – mix it up and then place in oven. Cook in oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile add a small bit of olive oil to small pan and add pine nuts to it. Cook on medium heat, tossing until golden brown. Add pine nuts to cooked sprouts.

Plating:

Take half of the brussel sprouts and make a mound on one plate. Thinly slice tenderloin and fan partly on top of sprouts. Take a couple of spoonfuls of pear sauce and place partly on the tenderloin. Plate second plate the same. Serve hot and Enjoy!