43: Pork Tenderloin / Roasted Tomato & Apricot Chutney / Garlic Bacon Green Beans / New Potatoes

I must have successfully willed spring to come because today was a beautiful sunny day in the low 60s. It was only fitting, then, that I made a light pork dish topped with the classic bistro pairing of roasted tomatoes and apricot to tantalize the palate, lightly sautéed green beans and rustic potatoes to round it out. Lots of action in the cooking process.

The bright and smoky tomato flavor, produced by roasting them, blend effortlessly with slightly sweet and hearty apricots. Use roma tomatoes for this recipe. Other tomato types will not stand up to the roasting process. Pork always goes well with some type of fruit. The garlic and bacon provide a rich yet subtle kick to the green beans. I debated whether to add a starch, but then I did because, well, it makes for a rounded meal.  I decided against wild rice because I felt the flavor may have been too strong. Brown rice, which is more subdued in flavor, would probably work well. Red potatoes are a staple in my kitchen, however.

We drank this with Panthers Creek Pinot Noir – delightful dark berries with good toast and smoke on the finish. I have not had a bad pinot noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon yet!

Ingredients and Directions:

2 pork tenderloin filets, about 1 lb of a thicker cut preferably

4-5 medium roma tomatoes

About 1/2 cup chopped apricots

Juice of half a lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

Garlic powder

1 medium red potato, halved and quartered lengthwise

2 pieces of bacon

14 fresh green beans

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

5 sprigs of thyme, chopped for garnish

Preheat your broiler. Lightly brush olive oil onto the tomatoes, and place in cooking dish under broiler. Roast under broiler until charred, making sure to turn at least once for even cooking. Remove to tupperware, cover, and keep at room temperature for about 35-40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start well salted boiling water for potatoes when tomatoes are ready to be cut, and cook bacon at the same time. While water boils, remove charred skin from flesh of tomatoes. Now dice tomatoes and set aside.  Cook bacon until crispy; wrap in paper towels until later. Boil potatoes until they are almost easily pierced with a fork; drain, set aside. Pour out bacon grease, but do not wipe out the remaining grease. Add 3-4 tablespoons of oil to pan the bacon was cooked in. Add potatoes to this pan on low heat.

Dust pork with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides while heating 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Brown pork chops 4-5 minutes on each side; set aside in baking dish, cover to keep warm. Add roasted tomatoes, apricot, and lemon juice to same pan pork was cooked in and cook over medium heat until you have chutney (sauce has thickened a bit), about 5 minutes. Spoon chutney over the pork, and place the dish in the oven for 10 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat for the green beans. Turn heat on potatoes to medium, cooking for 8 minutes more, turning once. Add green beans and garlic to the pan, add healthy pinches of salt and pepper, and sauté until pork is done. Potatoes should be nicely browned 2 minutes prior to pork being done.  Drain oil through a sieve and set aside until pork is done. Arrange everything on a plate and garnish chutney with thyme.

Enjoy!