When most people think of sweet cherries, they don’t automatically think of using them in a savory meat dish. (I’m not counting baked hams decorated with pineapple rings & maraschino cherries because maraschino cherries are a preserved & sweetened cherry and nothing like a fresh, sweet cherry.) Cherries are usually reserved for desserts or to add sweetness to a salad. Being one of my top 3 favorite fruits, I try to incorporate sweet cherries into my summer meal plans whenever possible. They are one of the best parts of summer in my book, so I buy them in bulk whenever I find them at the grocery store. Then I eat them for breakfast with some ricotta cheese, for lunch in a quinoa salad, for dinner with pork and in many desserts. It’s no wonder that with their short shelf life, and so many delectable recipes to use them in that I never have any to freeze and use at a later date. Maybe I don’t buy them in big enough batches, although Eric would surely disagree with that statement! Anyway, sweet cherries pair well with the pork and shallots in this tenderloin recipe, giving it just a hint of sweetness and lots of flavor, plus beneficial antioxidants for better health, too!
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Cherries
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Cherries (adapted from cookinglight.com)
Serves 4, Total time required: 40 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
- 3 large shallots, quartered
- 8 ounces fresh cherries, pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, swirling it to coat the pan. Combine 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, with the pepper, cumin, and cinnamon.
Mix up the spice rub for the pork.
Rub the spice mixture evenly over the pork, then add the pork to the hot pan and sauté it for 4 minutes.
Brown the pork.
Turn the pork over, then place the pan in then oven and bake it at 425°F for 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140°F halfway through the thickest part of the meat.
Turn the pork over then pop it into the oven.
Remove the pork from the pan, and place it on a cutting board. Let the tenderloin rest for 10 minutes, then cut it into 1-inch slices.
Without cleaning out the sauté pan from making the pork, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, once again swirling the pan to coat it. Add the quartered shallots and the cherries, then sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Place the pan in the oven and bake the shallots & cherries at 425°F for 10 minutes, without turning the fruit.
Roast the cherries and the shallots when the pork is finished.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven, and place it over medium-high heat. Stir in the stock, vinegar, and sugar, bringing it all to a boil. Cook the mixture for 4 minutes or until the liquid is syrupy.
The roasted cherries & shallots combine with the broth, vinegar & sugar to make a sauce.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Serve the cherry mixture over the pork and garnish it with the parsley.
Cherries for dinner!
I get cherries at every meal when I make this for dinner! ~Linda
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Cherries (adapted from cookinglight.com)
Serves 4, Total time required: 40 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
- 3 large shallots, quartered
- 8 ounces fresh cherries, pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, swirling it to coat the pan. Combine 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, with the pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Rub the spice mixture evenly over the pork, then add the pork to the hot pan and sauté it for 4 minutes. Turn the pork over, then place the pan in then oven and bake it at 425°F for 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140°F halfway through the thickest part of the meat. Remove the pork from the pan, and place it on a cutting board. Let the tenderloin rest for 10 minutes, then cut it into 1-inch slices.
Without cleaning out the sauté pan from making the pork, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, once again swirling the pan to coat it. Add the quartered shallots and the cherries, then sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Place the pan in the oven and bake the shallots & cherries at 425°F for 10 minutes, without turning the fruit. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, and place it over medium-high heat. Stir in the stock, vinegar, and sugar, bringing it all to a boil. Cook the mixture for 4 minutes or until the liquid is syrupy. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Serve the cherry mixture over the pork and garnish it with the parsley.