pork tenderloin with thyme plum coulis: meat after a day of wine, and fruit for night energy.

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After a day full of this on Saturday,

I made this.

The perfect compliment to an overload of wine (the taste of wine, not the wine itself, I liberally used the bucket provided for spitting so ingesting the wine isn't needed - gross I know, but I was driving!).

Driving past all the fruit stands in the Fraser valley inspired me to create a dish using seasonal fruit - namely, the tangy sunny flesh of yellow plums (they almost looked like greengage plums, but I didn't know those could grow around here!).

Plums are amazing for you, though you can't have too many off a tree, otherwise they act the same way as, ahem, prunes do (a dried plum). However, they make a great thick sauce because they are so very fleshy. Their sweetness also contrasts perfectly with strong savory herbs and spices - the perfect accompaniment to tender pork loin.

Some complain that you cook the 'tender' out of the 'tenderloin'. However, if done just right, this versitile piece of pork can practically melt in your mouth. It is a quick cooking cut, and that is where the trouble usually lies - everyone overcooks it! A mild-flavor meat, it usually deserves to be stuffed with some aeromatics or fruit and baked so the flavors seep throughout. 

Pig is one of the oldest domesticated livestock in human history. They were generally slaughtered in late summer, early autumn, which is why we associate fruits with the meat (though they just seem to meld so well anyways) - hence when we think of roasted pork, there is always an apple in the mouth.

However, we were in a rush to go out and meet our friends this evening (it was a fair in Abbotsford, with the infamous Fat Pig garden open for business . . . ). Usually, one would quickly brown the tenderloin, as you see above, and then stick it in a 400 oven for about 15 minutes (as I instruct in this recipe), however, we had to skidaddle and so I just cooked it covered on the stove. Yet, it was still delish. And, with hardly any fat, loads of tastiness, and good minerals, pork tenderloin never leaves any guilt in my stomach.

Pork Tenderloin with Thyme Plum Coulis


Pork
1 2 lb. pork tenderloin, boneless
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1/8 c. + 1/4 c. olive oil
2 tbs. fresh thyme, chopped, stems removed

Coulis
1 tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbs. fresh thyme, chopped, stems removed
2 lbs. yellow plums, pitted and chopped
2 tbs. sugar
1/4 c. white wine
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste


1. Coat pork with other ingredients, reserving the 1/4 c. olive oil. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a saucepan on medium. Add garlic and onion. Cook until brown and caramalized. Add the other ingredients. Let simmer about 20 mins. Add more sugar/salt/pepper if needed. Remove. Puree in a blender when cool.

3. Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat the 1/4 c. olive oil in a frying pan on med-high. Fry tenderloin on each side until it is evenly browned, about 3-4 mins, each side. Take the frying pan and place in the oven, covered, about 15 minutes, frequently checking - you don't want it overcooked!

4. Serve with coulis drizzled overtop.

5. Pray. Eat. Enjoy. Always enjoy your seasonal fruit.