(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
With just a few extra ingredients such as herbs, spices and a quick fragrant sauce, you can elevate practically any dish to the next culinary level.
This new invention of mine is an east (saffron rice) meets west (herbed pork tenderloin). The melding of both promises an edible journey with every bite.
(Photo: Markus Blüthner)
Who said you can’t have the best of both worlds?
Let‘s get cooking!
Menu: Italian herbed-stuffed seared pork tenderloin & Afghan saffron rice.
Wine pairing: 2020 Gran Passione Veneto Rosso Appassimento (Veneto IGT, Italy)
Serves 4
Ingredients
Pork:
1 1/2 pounds of pork tenderloin, cleaned and butterflied (cut in half, lengthwise)
1/2 cup grated grana padano cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1/3 cup extra Virgin olive oil + 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil
4-6 large pieces of thinly sliced prosciutto
Rice:
1 cup jasmine rice
1 teaspoon of threads of Afghan saffron (diluted in 2 tablespoons of water, in a small cup)
1 1/2 cup of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
Demi-glace sauce:
3 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup of vegetable stock
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup of white wine
Directions
Pork & Demi-glace sauce:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl, mix cheese, basil, rosemary, garlic, oregano and olive oil.
Place butterflied pork tenderloin on a cutting board and place prosciutto slices on top of tenderloin.
Spread cheese mixture on top of prosciutto slices.
Roll pork tenderloin (lengthwise) and secure roll at various points with toothpicks.
Heat up a cast iron pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it.
Sear pork tenderloin on all sides for approximately 2-3 minutes per side.
Place cast iron pan with seared tenderloin and roast for approximately 30-40 minutes (or until pork’s internal temperature reaches at least 155 degrees F.)
Remove pan from oven. Place pork tenderloin on a clean cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
Using the same cast iron pan where the pork tenderloin was seared and roasted, scrape the bits and pieces left on the pan but leave them in there.
Heat up cast iron pan on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter.
Melt butter and add lemon zest, stirring for about 1-2 minutes, ensuring it doesn’t stick to pan.
Add white wine, stir, then add vegetable stock, stir again and bring to a boil. Add remaining butter, reduce heat to low, sitting along the way.
Remove pan from heat.
Remove all toothpicks from tenderloin and cut pork into 2-inch thick slices.
Rice:
In a medium pot, bring vegetable stock to a boil. Add diluted saffron, olive oil and stir.
Add rice, stir well. Cover pot with lid, reduce heat to to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and fluff rice with fork.
Serve it up!
On each individual plate, pile a generous portion of rice in the middle of the plate.
Next place four slices of the stuffed pork on top of the rice. Spoon lightly some of the demiI-glace on top of the pork slices and serve.
Buon appetito! Enjoy!
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento) About the wine...
A special thank you to Winesellers Limited for this one of a kind Italian red blend.
Rosso is crafted in the tradition of “Apassimento” (to dry and shrivel), the same style as Amarone wines of the region. This technique has its roots in an ancient past dating back to the Roman era.
Over the centuries, this technique of “drying” the grapes before crushing has been honed, resulting in this unique expression of northern Italy.
The grapes are hand selected and harvested at the beginning of October to achieve the highest sugar content. The grapes are naturally dried on vines for about 15 days during which this period 50% of their weight vaporizes.
2020 Gran Passione Veneto Rosso Appassimento (Veneto IGT, Italy)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
Tasting notes: Gran Passione has an in- tense purple color, tending towards amber with ageing. It is full-bodied with a solid structure due to the elevated alcohol and fine balance be- tween soft tannins and acidity from rich red and black fruits.
Grapes: 60% Merlot, 40% Corvina
Food pairing: Great wine for roasted and grilled meats. Ideal with game dishes. Excellent with mature hard cheeses.
For more information, visit: http://www.winesellersltd.com/wine/Veneto/Gran%20Passione/Gran%20Passione%20Veneto%20Rosso%20Appassimento/2020.html &
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Decorative wine drip collar by: https://dripstosips.com
(Special discount promo code: CFW15)
(Photo: Johannes Plenio)