Description
Sliced pork tenderloin is served with smoky “masa crisp,” sweet dried fruit vinaigrette, and fresh fennel salad in this recipe from chef Claudette Zepeda.
Ingredients
- 1 (2 1/2-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 2 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 cup tortilla chips
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup prunes (dried pitted plums)
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 bacon slices, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (from 1 large shallot)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (from 6 medium cloves)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 large fennel bulb, thinly shaved
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup fennel fronds, roughly chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Tie pork tenderloin with kitchen twine, securing at 1-inch intervals down length of roast. Rub evenly with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium. Working in batches, fry chiles, turning occasionally, until puffed and brightened to a deep red color, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer chiles to a paper towel. Add garlic to pan, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 10 to 15 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to paper towel with chiles.
- Remove and discard stems from chiles. Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, grind chiles, garlic, tortilla chips, and salt to a rough crumble. Set masa crisp aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add pork tenderloin to skillet, and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. (Reserve pork drippings in skillet for the vinaigrette.) Transfer tenderloin to a roasting pan, and roast in preheated oven until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of pork registers 140°F for medium, about 25 minutes. Set aside, and let rest at room temperature 10 minutes.
- Combine prunes, raisins, and 1 cup boiling water; let soak until fruit is fully hydrated, plump, and soft, about 10 minutes. Drain fruit, reserving 1/3 cup soaking liquid. Add oil to pork drippings in skillet; heat over medium. Add bacon; cook, stirring often, until bacon is almost crisp, about 8 minutes. Add shallot, garlic, salt, and drained fruit. Cook over medium, smashing prunes using the back of a wooden spoon and stirring constantly, until garlic is toasted and prunes are completely smashed and broken down, about 4 minutes. Add vinegar, scraping up bits from bottom of skillet. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until thickened and well combined, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in reserved 1/3 cup soaking liquid. Stir vinaigrette before serving.
- Toss together shaved fennel, parsley, and fennel fronds in a medium bowl. Remove and discard twine from pork tenderloin; slice tenderloin crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Divide pork slices and fennel salad evenly among serving plates. Top each serving of pork with about 3 tablespoons warm vinaigrette, and sprinkle with masa crisp. Serve with remaining vinaigrette on the side.
