Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Blueberry-Lemon Reduction

ROSEMARY-RUBBED PORK TENDERLOIN MEDALLIONS FINISHED WITH A REDUCTION OF BLUEBERRIES, LEMON JUICE, AND RED WINE. OVER GARLIC SAUTEED GREENS.

When we hear “filet mignon”, most of us think of the fork-tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef steak without a match. But interestingly, in France, “filet mignon” generally refers to the steak cut off the pork tenderloin. And though I love a good beef steak, using pork gave this a different steak-eating experience. A little more neutral in taste than beef, a pork steak pairs well with sweet and tart ingredients such as apples, grapes, berries, and honey. It might sound odd, but I think this recipe has an almost-dessert-like quality to it – in the best possible way! I even added a dash of cinnamon to the sauce to help bring out the sweetness even more. With a lean serving of protein, almost a whole serving of fruit, and a red wine-based sauce, this recipe was our fun experiment and turned out to be a healthy and exciting way to use pork tenderloin. – Boo

Servings: 3 (main portions)
Difficulty: 

Pork medallions:

• 1 pork tenderloin
• Seasoning
  salt and black pepper, coarse
  2 ts dried rosemary

1. Cut tenderloin into 6 medallions. Flatten medallions to a thickness of 1-1.5 inches.
2. Rub seasoning over pork.
3. In a large pan, sear pork medallions in olive oil on both sides until browned. Remove from pan, and prepare sauce.

Blueberry sauce:

• Liquids
  0.25 c red wine
  0.25 c chicken stock
  1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 c blueberries
• 2 shallots, minced
• Seasoning
  0.25 ts salt
  0.25 ts cinnamon

1. In the same pan, add all sauce ingredients. Bring to a gentle simmer.
2. Mash several blueberries, and add tenderloin medallions back into sauce to finish cooking, ~5-7 minutes for medium.
3. Remove pork, and reduce sauce to desired consistency.
4. Serve pork medallions with sauce, and optionally garnish with blueberries and lemon zest.