I have a plethora of figs
at my disposal now,
so I'm open to suggestions.
The other night I decided to cook
pork medallions
with a reduced balsamic vinegar and fig sauce.
My ingredients for the sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
7 figs, chopped
2-3 TB honey
fresh thyme, about a tablespoon
fresh marjoram, about a tablespoon
3 TB unsalted butter, cut into bits
s & p
Then I looked over and saw Dixie.
She looked really cute lying on the sofa
and since she rarely gets on the sofa
I had to take a picture.
Heat your oven to 425 degrees
and fire up the stove and an iron skillet.
When the pan is hot,
add in ELBOO and LOLUB.
(That's Extra Light Bertolli Olive Oil
and Land o' Lakes Unsalted Butter!),
heat to sizzling,
and add pork.
I sprinkled a few herbs on top.
As I've said before,
leave the meat alone.
Resist the urge to poke it around the pan.
Cook without touching for about 2 minutes
then, using tongs,
lift a corner of the meat
checking to see if it's well-browned and
releases easily from the pan.
If it isn't and doesn't,
cook for another minute or two before flipping.
Cook the other side for about 1 1/2 minutes,
then transfer the skillet to the oven.
Transfer meat to serving platter and tent with foil.
Let it rest while you start on the sauce
in the same skillet you cooked the pork in.
... and about a tablespoon each of
fresh thyme and fresh marjoram.
Cook until the sauce is reduced by half.
Now Dixie has moved into her favorite spot -
the kitchen underneath my feet.
The aromas are calling her.
This went into my steamer,
at a boil, cover on,
for about 2 1/2 minutes
or until the broccoli still has a crunch.
You don't want broccoli
olive green and mush.
This is how you want your pork cooked.
You want it slightly pink on the inside.
This pork is juicy, tender, and full of flavor.
Most people overcook pork.
You do NOT want it gray and tough on the inside.
Cook it pink.
And if you've been overcooking pork
all this time
and finally cook it properly,
you won't know what you're eating.
Properly cooked pork is a thing of beauty.
The fig sauce was a delicious complement
to the pork.
You've got the sweetness of the figs
and the snappy tang of the Balsamic vinegar.
Very good combination.
Rosie, please elaborate on the flavor of figs. We rarely see them in the produce department here and I am curious as to how they actually taste (outside of a fig newton).
ReplyDeleteYour creation did look good, though.
When can we expect to see you on The Next Food Network Star?
Oh Mar, would that I could.
ReplyDeleteMaybe kinda like a pear, but mushy?
Mr. H. said the texture was more like a banana.
Seeds are in there. Unobjectionable.
The sweet is there.
It's nothing like a fig newton.
Figs are the most perishable of fruits. They go from fresh picked to fuzzy mold in a day or two.
Can you grow them in your area?
We planted one last spring and have gotten several pickings.
Plus, I have seen huge fig trees throughout the neighborhood lately.
I didn't notice them until I had a fig tree myself.