Foodie's
Corner.
Recipe of the Month - Stuffed Pork
Tenderloin Paired With Rhubarb Maple Syrup Compote.
"Spring
is in the air! Rhubarb, the earliest
spring fruit is here and is perfect when paired with this succulent Asian-influenced
pork tenderloin dish."
Serves
4-6
1
pork tenderloin (good sized), organic is preferable
1
¼ cups whole wheat bread (sliced into ½-inch/1 cm bite-sized cubes)
1
tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2
shallots, finely chopped
4
slices pancetta, chopped into ½-inch/1 cm pieces
2
cloves garlic, minced
1
½ tbsp minced ginger
¼
of an Asian green bird chile, finely minced (to taste)
2
tsp Chinese Five Spice
2
tbsp soya sauce
2
tbsp honey
Sea
Salt
Freshly
Ground Black Pepper
1
tbsp butter
How to make it:
1)
Place bread cubes in dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring until bread
cubes dry out at edges. Transfer to a
bowl.
2)
In the same pan, heat olive oil and cook shallots, pancetta, garlic, ginger,
chiles until shallots are soft and translucent.
3)
Add Chinese Five Spice and heat through, and then add soya sauce and honey to
heat slightly.
4)
Add bread cubes to frying pan, stir and season mixture with salt/pepper, to
taste.
5)
Preheat oven to 350°F, butterfly pork tenderloin and gently place stuffing
inside, pressing together the edges of the meat to close (use toothpicks to
hold stuffing in place if necessary).
6)
Sprinkle pork tenderloin with salt and pepper.
Heat butter in frying pan on medium heat and then brown meat on all
sides to seal in the juices.
7)
Place pork tenderloin in a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 20-25
minutes and then let it rest at least 10 minutes.
Serve with
Rhubarb Maple Syrup Compote:
To make compote simply add 3 cups/600 grams of chopped rhubarb
(fresh is best, but frozen can work if not available) to a medium-sized
saucepan. Add 2 tbsp maple syrup, 2/3
cup raw sugar (organic if possible), juice of ½ an orange, 2 tbsp water and
bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Stir frequently and allow all ingredients to 'stew' together until
rhubarb falls apart and the mixture has thickened (about 10-20 minutes). Taste and add more maple syrup if required,
compote should have a bit of tartness.
Add one tsp of vanilla at the end to further enhance the flavour.
Chef's Note: Bottled
five-spice powder can often be found at local supermarkets. However, if at all possible, I would
recommend purchasing it from an Asian market. You'll pay less and the spice mixture
will be more authentic.
