Pork Tenderloin with Figs & Olives
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp capers
- 1 teaspoon caper juice
- 3/4 cup California green ripe olives, halved
- 6 dried figs, quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 1/4 pounds, trimmed of silver skin and cut in half crosswise
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
Directions
1. Marinate the pork tenderloin: To make the marinade, dissolve the sugar and salt into the red wine vinegar in a medium bowl. Stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, capers, caper juice, figs, California ripe green olives, bay leaves and 1/3 cup olive oil.
Place the tenderloin halves in a bowl or freezer bag and coat with the marinade. Marinate chilled for 2 to 24 hours.
2. Brown the tenderloin: Remove the tenderloin halves from the marinade, wiping off excess marinade. Do not discard marinade, but reserve for later.
Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet on high heat. Pat dry the tenderloin halves with paper towels and place in the pan. Sear on all sides until nicely browned on all sides. Remove the tenderloin halves from the pan and place in a baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 350°F
3. Deglaze the pan and heat the marinade: With the pan still on high heat, add 1/2 cup of white wine. Use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add the marinade to the pan and heat to a strong simmer.
4. Bake: Transfer the hot marinade to the making dish with the tenderloin and arrange around the tenderloin pieces.
Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of brown sugar.
Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F. Then remove the foil and bake and additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the internal temperature of the pork is 140°F.
5. Rest: Remove the pork from the baking pan and tent with foil, allowing it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
6. Slice and serve: Slice into 1/4 inch slices. Serve the pork tenderloin medallions with a large scoopful of figs, olives, and juices from the baking dish. Serve with polenta or couscous.
