Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Pork Medallions with Ancho-Chili and Cherry Glaze





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Anna Ginsberg develop this recipe. Her name will sound familiar to many of you. Anna is a champion's champion. In a single year she won the Pillsbury Bake-Off, Kraft Comida and the California Raisin contests. There were also a few other, smaller contests, tucked in, here and there, for balance. It was, as we say, a very good year. Anna's area of expertise is cookies and if you like to bake visit her at Cookie Madness. What's so remarkable is that her biggest wins have not come from the cookie jar. She's a very special gal who loves to share her knowledge and help others and boy can she cook. I think you'll like this recipe. It's fast and easy but there's a sophistication in the sweet hot flavors that make it great casual company fare. She tops pork tenderloin with a mixture of raisins, ancho chilies and cherry preserves that is just delicious. Here's Anna's recipe.

Pork Medallions with Ancho-Chili and Cherry Glaze
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, Anna Ginsberg and the California Raisin Marketing Board

Ingredients:
1/3 cup cherry preserves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
2 teaspoons ancho (pasilla) chile powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1-1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 teaspoons canola oil
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup white wine* or white grape juice
1/2 cup California raisins

Directions:
1) In a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid, combine cherry preserves, 1 tablespoon cilantro, ancho chile powder, sugar, cinnamon, vinegar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Set aside.
2) Slice pork tenderloin crosswise into 1-inch thick slices. Place slices in heavy-duty reclosable plastic bag and pound with meat mallet or small pan until about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3) Heat oil over medium heat in large non-stick skillet. Add almonds and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Leave remaining oil in pan and add pork medallions; cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, turning once. Pour in 1/4 cup wine and continue cooking for 6 minutes more, turning once, until pork is done.
4) Meanwhile, shake jar with cherry mixture and add to skillet. Stir in raisins and cook over medium heat until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add remaining wine and quickly glaze pork with sauce. Arrange immediately on serving platter; sprinkle with toasted almonds and remaining cilantro. Serve at once. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

Cook's Note: Riesling is preferred white wine.

This recipe can also be found on the California Raisin Marketing Board site.

26 comments :

Deb in Hawaii said...

What a great combination of flavors and textures--looks delicious!

My Little Space said...

This is definitely a delicious recipe!

NKP said...

Oh my, that sauce! It look lick-your-fingers good! And quite possibly your neighbour's fingers. I love the hot/sweet combo.

Donna-FFW said...

What a gorgeous glaze on those medallions. Cherry with the pork must be a wonderful combinatin!

Lori said...

Mary- these look delectable. If you owned a B and B I would be there in a heart beat. Oh but could you serve these for Breakfast?

Creative Classroom Core said...

Love the sound of the cherries in that glaze! Yum!

Heather S-G said...

mmm...look at that flavor...it's written all over the picture!! Sounds amazing to me :D

Lyndas recipe box said...

This sounds wonderful with the different combination of flavors!That sauce sounds delish! Thanks for sharing this, Mary.

Zoe said...

Cherry is a wonderful choice for this glaze! I usually use apricot or pear.

Country Wings in Phoenix said...

Good Morning Mary. Thanks for stopping by and thank you so much for keeping our family in your prayers. Amy is right at this time in route to Okla. City to see the specialist. We are so in hopes that this Dr. will up her test from next Tuesday of the 21st to an earlier date. She had a really bad painful night last night and is so very tired. Her little body is exhausted. She is down to 81 pounds, and needs nourishment. Thank you again for checking on us. We are thinking positive thoughts. Country Hugs, Sherry

Pam said...

Wow - this looks fantastic, I am loving all the flavors. Bookmarked.

Anonymous said...

those look so comforting!

theUngourmet said...

What a wonderful recipe! This is full of fabulous flavor! I know my husband would just love this one!

Mila said...

Mary, what a wonderful recipe! I saw something similar to this last night on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." I will definitley be trying something similar to this next week!

Mary Bergfeld said...

Gals, this really is a wonderful recipes. It has it all.

The Blonde Duck said...

I like the chili-cherry mix!

Olga said...

I totally agree that pork and cherries go very well together (and white wine is my favorite)

La Bella Cooks said...

Oh my, what an elegant and gorgeous dish. The flavors must be amazing due to that color. this is a must try!

Katy ~ said...

My mouth is WATERING!

Natashya makes me laugh with her comment, but I think she may be right!

noble pig said...

In my move I found a bag of ancho powder in my pantry. This would be a great way to use it up!

Ralph said...

A beautiful meal. The heat of the chilies and the sweetness of the fruit makes for the ideal combination. Pork is fine, but the glaze adds a perfect kick to the other white meat...

Taste of My Life said...

Hi Mary,
I love this!

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

That is one, knock your socks off dish!!

Penny said...

I have been away for a few days. What a treat to come home to two great recipes from you. The pork medallions are a must do. The bacon wraped chicken will be on the grill tomorrow night because I have all of the ingredients. Thanks for these new ideas for old favorites.

Lori E said...

Sounds good. I don't have the cherry preserves but might try the apricot ones. Mmmmm.

Lisa said...

This sounds fascinating and looks amazing. Despite my aversion to raisins I think I'll try this recipe. The balsamic vinegar, cinnamon and chile powder along with the cherry preserves has my mouth watering. What wonderful ideas!

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