Description
Scroll to the bottom for more details!
Ingredients
For the sauce:
3 slices Lepp’s double smoked bacon, diced (You can purchase single slices of bacon in the deli if you don’t want to buy a whole package)
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (Acetaia Dodi balsamics are the best balsamic vinegars we carry!)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
For the pork:
2 pork tenderloins
Salt and freshly ground pepper, or a rub of your choice (I prefer House of Q House Rub)
Instructions
Fry bacon over medium heat until slightly crispy; remove bacon to a paper towel, leaving the bacon grease in the pan. Sauté shallots, jalapeno and garlic in the bacon grease over until soft, about 2 minutes. Add blueberries, sugar, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, lemon juice and cooked bacon. Simmer until the blueberries have split and the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor; pulse until pureed, or tip the pan on its side and use your immersion blender. I like my sauce a bit chunky, so if that’s your preference, then even a potato masher would work! Return the sauce to the pan so you can warm it slightly when the meat is cooked.
For the pork, remove the silver skin, if any, and season the meat generously with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a rub of your choice.
Grill over medium heat until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 140-145 degrees. Don’t overcook the pork; you want to see some pink!
*Alternatively, to cook in the oven, preheat to 425o F. Heat a large oven-proof skillet (if you don’t have an oven proof skillet use a regular one, you will just have to transfer the pork to a baking tray or dish for the oven) over high heat, then add 1 tablespoon oil. Add pork and sear on all sides, turning meat with tongs, for about 2 minutes in total.
Place meat thermometer in the thickest part of the tenderloin and place the skillet or baking tray into the oven. Cook until a thermometer reads 140-145 degrees F (about 20 to 25 minutes) depending on the thickness of the tenderloin.
Notes
*This technique is called pan-searing and works wonders on pork, chicken and fish without drying out the meat. Be aware that if you use an oven proof skillet, the handle will stay hot for quite awhile after you take it out of the oven. If you have a silicone cover that slips over a frying pan handle, make sure to use it. It looks like a small sock and can go on the pan while it’s baking. Believe me; I learnt this one through a painful experience!
