Oddly enough, pork tenderloin was the best value today, so of course that's what we're having. I picked up some mushrooms and intended to hit the liquor store for a bottle of white wine. In a surprise twist, I forgot the liquor store and had to use red wine instead. I set the tenderloin in some cold water with 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp molasses blended into a brine. It would be in brine for at least an hour which is enough to improve the flavor a little bit so it's worth doing.
Mashed potatoes with butter, salt and milk shouldn't need explanation. The vegetables were done in the microwave because frozen peas and fresh carrots do fine in it. I took the tenderloin out of the brine and cut it into 2 inch pieces. Set the piece on end and pound flat. When meat is pounded flat it is much easier to cook through without burning the exterior. In a plastic bag I put:
Pork Rub
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp mustard powder
pepper
2 tsp flour
Without the flour the herbs scorch instead of brown which doesn't improve the flavor. I shook each piece to fully coat it then put it in plenty of hot oil.
In a small sauce pan I seared the sliced mushrooms in butter then took them out of the pan. I added 1 tsp flour and enough oil to make a thick paste which I let bubble on the heat for a minute to cook the flour taste off. Then off the heat I whisked in 1 ounce of beef stock and 2 ounces of red wine. I brought that to a boil and let it reduce for a while. When the sauce was thicker I added the mushrooms, a pinch of salt, some pepper and a few drops of Worcestershire Sauce. I set the cooked tenderloin medallions on warm plates to rest while I finished the vegetables with extra virgin olive oil. Then I plated everything and put the sauce on the pork.
Just a hint of molasses came through on the tenderloin but it was enough to lift the whole dish. A really good feed without too much effort.
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