Thursday, June 16, 2011

Pork Tenderloin With A Cherry Zinfandel Reduction


  
     In the past few weeks sweet and juicy cherries have been appearing, ripe and ready to devour at Farmer’s markets and grocery stores all over southern California. We always try to buy fresh local food when it’s in season and at this time of year the variety of produce makes cooking and meal planning a dream.

     This week I returned from the farmers market with my own bag of ruby red cherries ready to be devoured. I tossed around recipe ideas vacillating between sweet and savory delights and then in a moment I knew just what I wanted to prepare.

     As I watched my husband pour himself a glass of zinfandel my plan began to unfold. In a matter of moments I knew my cherries were destined to become part of a sweet savory pork tenderloin bathed in a cherry and zinfandel reduction.

Olive oil (to coat pan)
½  yellow onion (diced)
1 cup zinfandel
1 cup washed stemmed pitted cherries (diced)
2 tablespoons Apple balsamic vinegar 
(or any balsamic)
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
herbs ( like rosemary and Thyme
¼  tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

For The Reduction
Add olive oil to pan
Add onion
Cook on low to medium flame till almost translucent (not brown)
Then add cherries and cook a minute or three
Add zinfandel ( use a wine you would not mind drinking)
Raise flame higher and reduce to about half
Add S&P to taste and adjust if needed

For the tenderloin marinade
¼ cup zinfandel
2-4 tbs olive oil
S&P
Herbs ( I like rosemary and thyme)
Garlic to taste
Mix well add tenderloin
Place in shallow dish or zip top bag
I placed the bag with the tenderloin and marinade in fridge(fridge a must) for 2-3 hours.

Beginning to brown toe tenderloin
To cook tenderloin
Heat a heavy bottom (le creuset type oven-safe dutch oven)
Add olive oil to coat bottom
Remove tenderloin from marinade
brown on all sides in dutch oven
when all sides are browned
Add 1/2 cup zinfandel and water or broth combined
Place in a preheated 350 degree oven till done
internal temp of 160 degrees (per USDA)
(while pork cooks warm up your cherry zinfandel topping)


After resting the pork 
(always rest the meat or you will lose the moisture)
slice and top with heated cherry zinfandel reduction
About $10-$17 dollars for this special treat including leftovers.


15 comments:

Neo-Homesteading said...

This looks sooooooo so good! Pork goes so great with sweet boozie stuff. I've had pork and cherries on the brain, this is such a great idea.

Annie Haven | Authentic Haven Brand said...

Oh, man is that looking taste...

Shawn said...

Totally insane! I must do it! Love everything about it! Pork, Zin, reduction, cherry, balsamic, and rosemary. I'm awake and still dreaming!

Vagablonde said...

Thank you Shawn for those kind words. I hope you enjoy the dish with a beautiful bottle of Zin.. Lots of our favorite things too. Let me know what you think.

Vagablonde said...

Thank you Annie.. Let me know what you think after you try it.

Vagablonde said...

Thanks I know cherries and zin pair very well. I'm so glad you liked the post. I thank you for taking the time to comment

Jan @TWOwomenANDaHOE said...

You're an amazing CHEF! I enjoy your recipes SO much! ((HUGS))

Vagablonde said...

Thanks Jan I'm so glad you enjoy the recipes. I appreciate your support so much. Hugggggs

Paul From Alabama said...

My wife is a vegetarian but I ain't, She could make me that if she really loved me........:) Enjoyed that and the other recipes I saw, want to show them to my wife and we can cook them together some of them anyways. Enjoy your weekend.

Paul From Alabama said...

Enjoyed looking over your recipes and going to share them with my wife. She is a vegetarian but I know she loves me enough to fix me Pork Tenderloin with a Cherry Zinfandel Reduction and maybe and Spicy Asian Noodles for her and me......:) You got some tasty recipes for folks.....

Vagablonde said...

Paul, Thanks for checking out the recipes. I hope you and your wife will both enjoy trying them. We have lots of non-meat meals at our house and have fun trying new things. Let me know which ones you try and what you think

Weekend Cowgirl said...

This looks really amazing! We love pork tenderloin, especially in summer. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe!!

Vagablonde said...

Thank you is was easy and very tasty too.

Vagablonde said...

Thank you is was easy and very tasty too.

Barbara | Creative Culinary said...

This sounds amazing. I've almost done enough cherry pies and cobblers and more; love the idea of a more savory dish and with zin? Heaven.