The combination of fresh pears, caramelized in butter, browned pork tenderloin medallions and a subtle hint of vanilla makes all the flavor layers come together and it’s got a “wow” factor.
I love pork tenderloin. Indeed, it is the “other white meat”. Now that I think of it, it’s been ages since I’ve made pork chops! We just love the tender bites of meat, and pork tenderloin is as versatile to cook with as chicken.
The only ingredient that I did not have, for the original recipes (Cuisine at Home), was hard apple cider. I did have bottle of pure apple juice, that I buy at Trader Joe’s. I had pears in the fridge. The pears were still firm to the touch, so I peeled them, cored them with a melon baller…
In the same pan, I added just a little olive oil. On medium-high, cook the medallions for 2-3 minutes per side. You want them to be golden. See all that brown stuff? That’s flavor, baby! Remove them from the pan, and set them with the pears, in a warm oven.
For the sauce: here’s where I diverted from the recipe a little bit. I splashed a little white wine (sauvignon blanc) into the skillet. (If you have hard cider, go for it!) You want to hear that chhhhhhhhhhhh sound, as the liquid hits the hot pan. That loosens up all that flavor. Next, add apple cider– about 1/2 cup and used a spatula to loosen up everything. Next, addheavy cream.
Let this boil, for about 5 minutes. You want it to reduce. Now, here’s another thing I changed. The recipes calls for a vanilla bean. They’re expensive and I’m stingy about using them. If you can get your hands on vanilla bean paste, it’s perfect for something like this. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla bean paste. Whisk it and then season with kosher salt, if needed. Mine needed it.
Return the medallions and the juices back into the sauce, with the heat on medium high. Add the pears back in.
Vanilla Cider Pork with Pears
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 pears peeled, cored and quartered
- 1 pound pork tenderloin trimmed, sliced into twelve 1-inch thick medallions, seasoned
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth I didn’t use this, and it turned out fine
- 1/2 cup hard apple cider or fresh apple cider
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped; or vanilla bean paste
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Cut the medallions in 2-inch thickness, cover it with plastic and flatten them with a mallet (or a very heavy skillet).
- Season the flour with salt & pepper and whisk together. Dredge the pork in the flour. Set aside.
- In a large skillet (not nonstick), melt butter over medium-high heat. Add pears and sauté until lightly browned on all sides; remove from pan.
- Add a little bit of olive oil (1 to 2 tablespoons) to the pan and heat to medium high. Add pork medallions to the same pan, sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes on each side; turn over when golden brown and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more; remove from pan.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine, on a medium high heat (or use broth instead of wine). Add cider and cream; add to the pan and bring to a boil, then add vanilla pod and seeds. You can also use vanilla paste instead, which is more cost effective.
- Boil the sauce until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
- Return pears and pork to the pan (pork on the bottom) along with any accumulated juices.
- Boil until thicker, about 4 to 6 minutes. (The sauce will also thicken a bit when it’s removed from the heat.) Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Dear Debby
Came across ur blog few weeks ago . And since then i have been regularly checking ur blog for the wonderful recipes . Must appreciate all the hard work n creativity u put into ur blog .
BTW i have something for u in my food art blog . Pl feel free to drop by n pick it up..
Warm Regards
Smita Srivastava
@ Little Food Junction ( Food ideas for picky lil eaters )
http://littlefoodjunction.blogspot.com/
What a perfect–or pearfect 😉 fall dish. My mouth is watering!
Cathy is wonderful, she has awesome stuff. I enjoyed your adaptations as vanilla beans I am stingy with too. On my list, yet another of your goodies.
Oh my! This does look good. You know a dish is good when there are no leftovers and your son licks the plate! This would be a very nice for entertaining.
I have bookmarked this recipe!
Debby, the sautéed pears are an excellent accompaniment to your pork. And the sauce sounds amazing. Thanks
What a glorious meal. Your son's plate not only made me hungry, it made me envious.
I love pork tenderloin. It is so versatile and delicious. I've made it with various fruits but never pears. It looks delicious! I love the sides as well!
Oh my gawd, that looks sooo amazing, wow I have to make it!
This is such a beautiful dish! Isn't it nice when everyone enjoys a recipe that much? I have been looking for hard cider for awhile now and haven't been able to find it. I could think of so many ways to use it.
That looks so delicious!
Love the addition of vanilla bean!
And beautiful step-by-step pictures.
Love, love, love this recipe. I prefer pork loin to any other cut and always have a few lurking in my freezer. Glad to have found your blog.
This is gorgeous! I have done port with apples, but the idea of sauteed pears is inspired!
I know I say this ALL the time, but my father would go nuts for your cooking!
Whoa … restaurant quality stuff, this is .. so chic, Deb!!
Hi Debby, I just found your blog. I want to try this for dinner tomorrow night and I was wondering if I could use vanilla extract instead of vanilla paste. I already have a bottle of extract therefore would prefer to use it. Thank you from Australia.
By all means, use vanilla extra. But, I'd use less. Start with 1/4 tsp and slowly increase to your liking. You want a subtle vanilla taste that doesn't overpower the savory part of the sauce. Good luck!
Thanks Debby, we had it for dinner tonight and it was enjoyed by all. The only thing I'll change is the amount of pepper I used because my children complained that I used too much. I used rice cream instead of the heavy cream because my oldest is lactose/dairy intolerant, it was still delicious. Thank you for a fantastic recipe. Fleur 🙂