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Roast Pork Tenderloins with Figs and Balsamic Sauce

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on June 29, 2009

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Roast Pork Tenderloins with Figs and Balsamic Sauce

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground fennel seed 1 teaspoon table salt, plus more as needed¾ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed2 pounds pork tenderloins (2 loins total, about 1 pound each), trimmed of silver skin and patted dry with paper towels2 teaspoons vegetable oil 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 pint fresh figs, green or black, halved lengthwise¾ cup balsamic vinegar ¼ teaspoon sugar, plus more if necessary6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into a bundle with kitchen twine, plus 1 teaspoon minced leaves2 bay leaves

Before You Begin

Most markets sell ground fennel seed, but it is easy to grind whole seeds at home if you have a spice grinder; toast the whole seeds briefly in a dry skillet, cool briefly, and then grind. Choose fairly firm figs, as they will be hard to move if they are too soft. Don’t try to substitute dried figs for fresh; they won’t work in this recipe.Different brands of balsamic vinegar may require different amounts of sugar to balance the acidity. For both flavor and visual contrast, pair the pork with a simple salad of spicy greens, like watercress or arugula, and a crusty loaf of bread to soak up the sauce. Leftover pork and figs make an excellent, if unconventional, sandwich, combined with a baguette and arugula or baby spinach.

Instructions

  1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the fennel seed with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Thoroughly rub the tenderloins with the spice mixture. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the tenderloins to the skillet and cook until browned on the bottom, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Using tongs, rotate the tenderloins a quarter-turn; cook until well browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Repeat two more times until the meat is well browned on all sides. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 135 to 140 degrees, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, transfer the meat to a cutting board, and tent the tenderloins with aluminum foil to keep warm.
  2. Return the empty skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon butter; when melted, swirl to coat the pan. Sprinkle the figs lightly with salt and place them, cut-side down, in the pan. Cook without moving until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Very carefully use a thin spatula to transfer the figs, cut-side up, to the cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vinegar is just barely covering the bottom of the pan, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, discard the herbs, and slowly whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste (and additional sugar, if necessary).
  3. Cut the tenderloins crosswise into thin slices. Serve slices of pork accompanied by figs, lightly drizzled with the balsamic sauce, and garnished with the minced thyme leaves. Pass additional sauce at the table, if desired.
Roast Pork Tenderloins with Figs and Balsamic Sauce

Roast Pork Tenderloins with Figs and Balsamic Sauce

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon table salt, plus more as needed
¾ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
2 pounds pork tenderloins (2 loins total, about 1 pound each), trimmed of silver skin and patted dry with paper towels
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pint fresh figs, green or black, halved lengthwise
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon sugar, plus more if necessary
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into a bundle with kitchen twine, plus 1 teaspoon minced leaves
2 bay leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon table salt, plus more as needed
¾ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
2 pounds pork tenderloins (2 loins total, about 1 pound each), trimmed of silver skin and patted dry with paper towels
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pint fresh figs, green or black, halved lengthwise
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon sugar, plus more if necessary
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into a bundle with kitchen twine, plus 1 teaspoon minced leaves
2 bay leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon table salt, plus more as needed
¾ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
2 pounds pork tenderloins (2 loins total, about 1 pound each), trimmed of silver skin and patted dry with paper towels
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pint fresh figs, green or black, halved lengthwise
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon sugar, plus more if necessary
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into a bundle with kitchen twine, plus 1 teaspoon minced leaves
2 bay leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For our roast pork tenderloins recipe, we avoided the time-consuming step of tightly tying the meat simply by trimming the silver skin before searing it on the stovetop and finishing it in the oven. With a hot skillet fresh from the oven, it was quick work to sauté the figs. Sprinkling the cut side of the figs with a pinch of salt just before setting them in the pan helped draw out moisture from the fruit and promoted better caramelization. To make the sauce for our roast pork tenderloins recipe, we simmered balsamic vinegar, along with a brace of bay leaves, a few thyme sprigs, and a pinch of sugar, enriching the mixture with a knob of butter just before serving.

Before You Begin

Most markets sell ground fennel seed, but it is easy to grind whole seeds at home if you have a spice grinder; toast the whole seeds briefly in a dry skillet, cool briefly, and then grind. Choose fairly firm figs, as they will be hard to move if they are too soft. Don’t try to substitute dried figs for fresh; they won’t work in this recipe.Different brands of balsamic vinegar may require different amounts of sugar to balance the acidity. For both flavor and visual contrast, pair the pork with a simple salad of spicy greens, like watercress or arugula, and a crusty loaf of bread to soak up the sauce. Leftover pork and figs make an excellent, if unconventional, sandwich, combined with a baguette and arugula or baby spinach.

Instructions

  1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the fennel seed with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Thoroughly rub the tenderloins with the spice mixture. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the tenderloins to the skillet and cook until browned on the bottom, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Using tongs, rotate the tenderloins a quarter-turn; cook until well browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Repeat two more times until the meat is well browned on all sides. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 135 to 140 degrees, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, transfer the meat to a cutting board, and tent the tenderloins with aluminum foil to keep warm.
  2. Return the empty skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon butter; when melted, swirl to coat the pan. Sprinkle the figs lightly with salt and place them, cut-side down, in the pan. Cook without moving until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Very carefully use a thin spatula to transfer the figs, cut-side up, to the cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vinegar is just barely covering the bottom of the pan, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, discard the herbs, and slowly whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste (and additional sugar, if necessary).
  3. Cut the tenderloins crosswise into thin slices. Serve slices of pork accompanied by figs, lightly drizzled with the balsamic sauce, and garnished with the minced thyme leaves. Pass additional sauce at the table, if desired.

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