I don’t know about where you are, but we’ve been in the middle of a bit of a cold snap the past week or so. The lows have been in the teens and it’s dark and cold and dreary and when will Winter ever end? I kind of feel that way once the holidays are over and you trudge through the first two months of the year. The only saving grace, really, are long warm roasts where you can enjoy a cocktail or two while the meat cooks away.
January is National Hot Tea Month, and I thought I’d try something a little different, by seasoning up a tenderloin roast with some strong English Breakfast Tea. But, why stop there? I also infused an accompanying sauce with a different kind of tea to up the aromatics of this lovely winter dish. The best part is that, by searing and roasting a pork tenderloin, you’re not going to be sitting around all day checking temperatures. It’s a fairly fast flavor-packed protein. The result is an intense crusted tenderloin with an essence of tea-ness as you bite into the meat. You know that feeling on a hot, summer day when you have a nice glass of iced tea and a beautiful aroma develops in the back of your mouth and the tea smell seems to develop internally rather than from an external whiff? It’s just like that! I also served the pork with some duck-fat skillet potatoes and a zingy lemony-pea salad. I love it when a different idea comes together perfectly.
Black Tea Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apricot & Tea Jus
Roast
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of any sinew
12 teabags of English Breakfast Tea, or other strong black tea
1 tsp kosher salt
1.5 tsp ground black pepper
Jus
2 cups chicken stock
4 teabags of Lemon, Ginger, & Manuka Honey Tea
1 tsp of apricot preserves
Prepare the roast. Blot dry the tenderloins with paper towels and place on a foil and rack-lined baking sheet (be sure to spray the cooling rack lightly with cooking spray beforehand). Over a small bowl, cut open the 12 teabags, emptying the contents into the bowl. Add in the salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Season the pork tenderloins all over with the tea-rub, pressing lightly into the meat. Place on the prepared rack, heat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare the jus. (If making the potatoes, you should start par-boiling them now.)
Prepare the jus. Bring the stock and 4 teabags to a boil in a small pot. Cover and turn off the heat. Let the tea steep in the stock for 15 minutes. Then, squeeze the teabags into the stock and discard the used teabags. Return the stock to a boil and reduce by half. Then, stir in the apricot reserves and reduce by half until thick. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
After steeping the tea and returning the stock to a boil, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the prepared pork for about 5 minutes. Transfer the pork back to the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven until the pork reaches 145 degrees, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes, then transfer the pork to a cutting board and pour any drippings from the pan into the jus.
When ready to serve, slice the pork into ½-inch thick slices, spooning jus over the slices. Serve with duck-fat fingerling potatoes and lemony pea salad (recipes below). Note: if you are not serving the pork with a sauce, slice the pork thinner, into 1/4-inch slices.
Duck-fat Fingerling Potatoes
½ lb fingerling potatoes
~¼ cup of duck fat
Sprigs of rosemary and thyme
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the potatoes and boil for about 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board (reserving the water if preparing the pea salad).
Let the potatoes cool for about 5 minutes then slice in half or quarters depending on size.
Melt the duck fat in a skillet over medium heat, add in the fresh herbs and sliced potatoes and fry for about 10 minutes, until crisped.
Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl and season with salt and black pepper.
Lemony Pea Salad
1 package of frozen peas
1 lemon
1 small shallot
Extra-virgin olive oil
Few leaves of mint
Freshly grated Pecorino Cheese or Ricotta Salata
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the peas and boil for a few minutes until just cooked - the peas should not dull in color. Drain the peas and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again and place the peas in a bowl.
Meanwhile, mince your shallot.
Grate the zest of lemon over the cooked peas and stir to combine.
In a small jar, combine about 1 oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tbsp of the minced shallot, 2 tbsp of evoo, and a dash of salt and black pepper. Shake until emulsified. Taste for any seasoning needs, then pour over the peas and stir to combine.
Finely slice or mince the mint leaves and sprinkle over the peas. Season as needed then place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, sprinkle on some grated cheese and give one last stir prior to plating.
______________________________ Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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