This is from the Sept/Oct 2006 issue of "Cooks Illustrated" in their
article "Improving Sauteed Pork Tenderloin" and was well received by the
family. One package (two tenderloins) served 4 adults and one kidlet
well. I also served sauteed asparagus, whole green beans and mashed
potatoes (extra rich made with heavy cream I wanted to use up)
We are well sated

2 pork tenderloins (1 to 1 1/4 pounds each)trimmed of fat and silver
skin, cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces and tied.
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12 inch skillet over
medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork cut side down and cook
without moving pieces, until well browned, 3-5 minutes. Turn pork and
brown on second side, 3-5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium. Using
tongs, stand each piece on its side and cook, turning pieces as
necessary, until sides are browned and internal temp registers 140-150
degrees on instant read thermometer, 8-12 minutes.
Transfer pork to platter and tent lightly with foil, let rest while
making pan sauce, then serve.

*Can complete first step of pan sauce recipe before or during the
cooking of the pork, then finish the sauce while the pork rests

1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
4 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 large shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, cored, peeled and diced small
1/4 cup Calvados or apple flavored brandy
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
table salt and black pepper

Combine cider, broth, vinegar and cinnamon stick in medium saucepan;
simmer over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced to 1 cup, 10-12
minutes* (note: it took a lot longer for mine to reduce)
Remove cinnamon stick and discard. Set sauce aside until pork is cooked.

Pour off any fat from skillet in which pork was cooked. Add 1 tablespoon
butter and heat over medium heat until melted and foaming subsides. Add
shallots and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and
beginning to brown, 1-2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add
Calvado. Return skillet to heat and cook about 1 minute, scraping the
bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add reduced cider
mixture, any juices from resting meat and thyme. Increase heat to
medium-high and simmer until thickened and reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 3-4
minutes* (again, it took longer for me)
Off heat whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and adjust
seasonings with salt and pepper.
Pour sauce over pork and serve immediately.

Goomba38 wrote:
> This is from the Sept/Oct 2006 issue of "Cooks Illustrated" in their
> article "Improving Sauteed Pork Tenderloin" and was well received by the
> family. One package (two tenderloins) served 4 adults and one kidlet
> well. I also served sauteed asparagus, whole green beans and mashed
> potatoes (extra rich made with heavy cream I wanted to use up)
> We are well sated
>
> 2 pork tenderloins (1 to 1 1/4 pounds each)trimmed of fat and silver
> skin, cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces and tied.
> Kosher salt and ground black pepper
> 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
>
> Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12 inch skillet over
> medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork cut side down and cook
> without moving pieces, until well browned, 3-5 minutes. Turn pork and
> brown on second side, 3-5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium. Using
> tongs, stand each piece on its side and cook, turning pieces as
> necessary, until sides are browned and internal temp registers 140-150
> degrees on instant read thermometer, 8-12 minutes.
> Transfer pork to platter and tent lightly with foil, let rest while
> making pan sauce, then serve.
>
> *Can complete first step of pan sauce recipe before or during the
> cooking of the pork, then finish the sauce while the pork rests
>
> 1 1/2 cups apple cider
> 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
> 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
> 1 cinnamon stick
> 4 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces
> 1 large shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
> 1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, cored, peeled and diced small
> 1/4 cup Calvados or apple flavored brandy
> 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
> table salt and black pepper
>
> Combine cider, broth, vinegar and cinnamon stick in medium saucepan;
> simmer over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced to 1 cup, 10-12
> minutes* (note: it took a lot longer for mine to reduce)
> Remove cinnamon stick and discard. Set sauce aside until pork is cooked.
>
> Pour off any fat from skillet in which pork was cooked. Add 1 tablespoon
> butter and heat over medium heat until melted and foaming subsides. Add
> shallots and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and
> beginning to brown, 1-2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add
> Calvado. Return skillet to heat and cook about 1 minute, scraping the
> bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add reduced cider
> mixture, any juices from resting meat and thyme. Increase heat to
> medium-high and simmer until thickened and reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 3-4
> minutes* (again, it took longer for me)
> Off heat whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and adjust
> seasonings with salt and pepper.
> Pour sauce over pork and serve immediately.
==============
I find several confusing things about your instructions (or maybe it's
just me),
*** "cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces and tied." ((How do you tie
it if it's cut into
1 1/2 inch pieces??)

*** Add pork cut side down and cook
> without moving pieces, until well browned, "
(Aren't all the sides "cut side" down?)

Your sauce sounds delicious, and I like the selection of side dishes,
too.
Cheers,
Nancree

In article . com>,
"nancree" > wrote:

> I find several confusing things about your instructions (or maybe it's
> just me),
> *** "cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces and tied." ((How do you tie
> it if it's cut into
> 1 1/2 inch pieces??)

I actually do put string around the circumference of filet mignons and
cinch them up a bit. It holds them in a rough circle at a uniform size
and keeps them from relaxing. They tend to cook more evenly. In a dry
but mostly covered by a crystal deep salted hot iron skillet, hot sizzle
till perfect crust, flip, hot sizzle till perfect crust, chuck in a
preheated oven for six minutes at four hundred degrees fahrenheit for a
perfect rare inch and a half filet mignon. I can't see why it would be
different with pork. I would have to adjust my times and temps, I
believe. I was taught rare beef is OK. Rare pork might not be.

>
> *** Add pork cut side down and cook
> > without moving pieces, until well browned, "
> (Aren't all the sides "cut side" down?)

Don't know. And I probably misunderstand everything anyway.

leo

--
<http://web0.greatbasin.net/~leo/>

nancree wrote:

> I find several confusing things about your instructions (or maybe it's
> just me),
> *** "cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces and tied." ((How do you tie
> it if it's cut into
> 1 1/2 inch pieces??)


basically you are taking a tube shape of meat and cutting it into 1 1/2
inch medallions, which per the article are the right thickness to stay
moist when browned and cooked thusly. Thinner medallions dry out, per
their research. Cooks Illustrated says to tie the medallions around the
middle with twine to give them added stability while browning, and also
the magazine showed a neat trick for how to cut/tie the very narrow end
pieces of a tenderloin so that they achieve a size similar to the other
middle cuts of the tenderloin.


> *** Add pork cut side down and cook
>> without moving pieces, until well browned, "
> (Aren't all the sides "cut side" down?)

No, only the actual knife cut ends of the tenderloin are the "cut
sides". You end up with pieces of meat that resemble a small "filet
mignon" of beef, but this is a 1 1/2 inch medallion of pork instead.

> Your sauce sounds delicious, and I like the selection of side dishes,

Yes, the sauce was nice. Easy too.. it just took a lot longer to reduce
than the recipe said.