This was surprisingly tasty. I was making it for company that I thought would appreciate it but honestly it was so tasty that I took the leftovers to my sister’s the next day and it was just as good as leftovers! (You can feed sisters leftovers but I don’t recommend doing that to new friends or guests)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1 to 2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 to 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed (they usually come trimmed)
- 3 large shallots
- 8 ounces fresh cherries, pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 2 TBS. balsamic vinegar (I used white balsamic vinegar)
- 1 TBS. butter (I left this out by mistake. It still tasted fantastic but next time I'm going to try remembering to add it. It was sitting right there and I forgot it!)
- 1/4 cup coursely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. (I used a "green" 10" frying pan, but you can also use good ole cast iron!)
- Add 1 TBS. oil; swirl to coat.
- Combine 1/2 tsp. of the salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon. Rub pork with spice mixture.
- Add pork to pan; saute 4 minutes. Turn pork over; place pan in oven and bake at 425 degrees for 15 mins. or until a thermometer registers 140 degrees (I have to be honest here, I never use a thermometer. I just check it to make sure it's done to my liking but some folks might need to use the thermometer for security sake. I recommend doing whatever you have to do to get the desired result!)
- Remove pork from pan; place on a cutting board (do not wipe out pan).
- Let pork stand 10 minutes.
- Cut into thin slices.
- Add remaining 1 TBS. oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and cherries; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt.
- Place pan in oven.; bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes (do not turn cherries).
- Carefully remove pan from oven; place over medium-high heat.
- Stir in stock, vinegar, and sugar; bring to a boil.
- Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is syrupy (reduced and thicker).
- Remove from heat, stir in butter. Serve cherry mixture with pork; sprinkle with parsley.
