Pork Tenderloin
One-third to one-half pound of fresh pork tenderloins per person. Coat with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot cast iron skillet, browning on all sides, set aside. Reserve pan juices.
1 stick of butter (softened)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
splash Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients until well blended. Set aside. Makes enough to coat 3-4 pound of pork.
Polenta
1 cup diced white onion
1 head garlic, diced and sautéed
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups polenta (less if you prefer a softer texture)
1 cup Asiago cheese
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbles
1/4 cup finely chopped herbs-equal parts thyme, rosemary, sage and chives (if using dried herbs, cut proportions in half)
salt and pepper to taste
( I used a Parmesan/Romano/Asiago blend for the cheese and skipped the goat cheese, increasing the other cheese to make up the difference. If you'd like to cut the fat, substitute water or yogurt for the milk and heavy cream)
Saute onion in a small amount of olive oil until transparent. Stir in garlic, then add water, ilk and cream and bring to a boil. Whisk in polenta slowly, stirring until thick and bubbling. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let thicken for 5 minutes.
Put mixture into a pan and bake at 275 for 25 minutes.
1/2 cup shallots, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup stock (chicken or beef)
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
Place shallots in a sauté pan with the reserved pork tenderloin pan juice. Saute, stirring, then deglaze the pan with the wine and vinegar. Reduce liquid by half, then add the stock and continue cooking until liquid has reached a light glaze consistency.
To serve, place a cup of polenta on each plate. Slice tenderloins into thick coins and place in center of the polenta. Ladle the balsamic mushroom sauce over the coins.
