Pork Tenderloin with Fennel and Bell Peppers
This rosemary-stuffed tenderloin is roasted on a bed of sweet peppers, fennel and onions for a Mediterranean-style one-dish meal. If you are hesitant about tying the roast, ask your butcher to do it for you. Or, cook the meat in 2 pieces, reducing the time accordingly, and tuck the rosemary in with the vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 2 pork tenderloins, 3/4 lb. each, trimmed of all visible fat
- 3 large fresh rosemary sprigs, each 4 to 5 inches long
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 large fennel bulb, 3/4 to 1 lb.
- 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and cut lengthwise into strips a scant 1/2 inch wide
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut lengthwise into strips a scant 1/2 inch wide
- 1 yellow onion, cut lengthwise into wedges 3/8 inch wide
- 1/2 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F.
Cut a piece of kitchen string 30 inches long. Place 1 tenderloin on a work surface. Arrange the rosemary down the center of the meat. Set the second tenderloin on top. Slip one end of the kitchen string under the meat, 1 inch from the end. Tie the meat tightly, making a knot by tying the short end over the long one. Snip off the long piece of string. Repeat, tying the meat every 1 1/2 inches, and finishing 1 inch from the end. Season the meat with the salt and pepper.
Cut off the stems and feathery leaves from the fennel bulb. Discard the outer layer of the bulb if it is tough and cut away any discolored areas. Halve the bulb lengthwise and cut away any tough base portions. Cut each half into wedges a scant 1/2 inch wide.
In a large, ovenproof fry pan or other shallow ovenproof pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the fennel, bell pepper and onion strips and sauté until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a platter.
Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the pork and sear, turning as needed, until lightly browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the meat to the platter with the vegetables.
Return the pan to medium heat and pour in the wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Pour in the broth and return the vegetables to the pan. Set the meat on top of the vegetables.
Transfer to the oven and roast the pork until firm to the touch or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 155°F, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven, tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes. (The internal temperature of the meat will rise to 160°F during the first 10 minutes of resting.)
Divide the roasted vegetables among warmed individual plates. Snip the strings around the pork and discard. Cut the meat into 8 slices. Arrange 2 slices on top of the vegetables on each plate. Spoon the pan juices over the meat, dividing evenly, and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma, Essentials of Healthful Cooking, by Mary Abbott Hess, Dana Jacobi & Marie Simmons (Oxmoor House, 2003).