Pork Tenderloin with Braised Fennel and Tomato Butter Sauce Recipe
Our friend, Violet, came to Atlanta for a visit last weekend. I always love taking out-of-town guests on my weekly grocery shopping trip to the DeKalb Farmers Market. Located in Decatur, Georgia, this sprawling market covers 140,000 square feet and offers the freshest and most varied array of produce, cheeses, meats, seafood, spices, and any other hard-to-find item that might be on your shopping list.
The second you enter the doors, you know you’re walking into an international experience. Flags from almost every country in the world hang from the ceiling. The employees, most of whom are not American, wear name tags that indicate which language they speak. Strolling though the produce department, you’ll find all the usual fruits and vegetables, but you’ll also see many items used in cuisines from around the world. The shoppers, covering the gamut of race and ethnicity, highlight the multicultural flavor of the market.
We arrived at the market early on Saturday afternoon, the worst possible time to go. As we drove into the packed parking lot, I immediately began taking deep, cleansing breaths effecting a zen attitude in preparation for the mass chaos that awaited us inside. The layout of the market does not promote an organized flow of traffic and maneuvering a cart through the thousands of shoppers presents a real challenge, thus the zen state of mind.
We began our shopping experience in the no-frills, self-serve cafeteria, where they offer delicious hot and cold fare. After lunch we fought our way through the market, starting in the meat and dairy areas. I love watching our first-timer guests’ eyes widen as they witness the expanse of glass counters displaying every form of beast and fowl: pork, beef, lamb, bison, chicken, rabbit, quail, and goose.
We moved through the seafood department for some fresh, wild-caught Atlantic salmon and then on through the bread department where the aroma of just-out-of-the-oven baked goods wafted through the air. The market provides a real workout for your olfactory system, and the next smell we encountered was that of freshly ground coffee. Just beyond the coffee, Jim picked up the scent of the dessert counter and leapt into line for an almond cookie.
We whittled away our shopping list in the produce department and with all the ingredients for the night’s dinner in my cart, we made our way to the checkout. We accomplished our mission and made it through the chaos unscathed.
Dinner on Saturday night was a go-to meal that I’ve made many times. I love fennel and this dish features braised fennel with roasted pork tenderloin. Glasses of wine, catching up with an old friend, and a delicious dinner made for a very special Saturday night.
Pork Tenderloin with Braised Fennel and Tomato Butter Sauce
Ingredients
(Adapted from a recipe in Cuisine Magazine)
- For the pork:
- 2 1-pound pork tenderloins
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- For the fennel:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 fennel bulbs, quartered
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Fennel fronds (for garnish)
- For the sauce:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups seeded and chopped Roma tomatoes
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
Instructions
For the pork:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Season pork tenderloins with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown tenderloins for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
3. Transfer pork to a baking sheet and place in oven. Roast to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
For the fennel:
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place fennel in skillet, cut side down. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes until browning. Turn fennel and brown other cut side for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn cut sides up, add wine, chicken stock, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper.
2. Bring liquids to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until fennel is easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat.
For the sauce:
1. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Transfer shallots and garlic to skillet and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine, salt, and pepper and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
3. Transfer tomato mixture to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Return sauce to skillet and reheat. Add tarragon and mix to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
To assemble:
Spoon sauce onto 4 dinner plates. Place 2 fennel quarters on each plate and top with 2 to 3 slices of pork tenderloin. Garnish with fennel fronds. Serve immediately
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http://www.southernboydishes.com/2014/02/07/pork-tenderloin-with-braised-fennel-and-tomato-butter-sauce/