Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Plums & Rosemary
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Pork tenderloin seared and roasted until juicy, served with plums slow-roasted in balsamic, vanilla bean, and rosemary. A bistro-style main that reduces its own pan liquid into a glossy, sweet-tart sauce.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
36 minREADY
56 minThis is an elegant pork dinner with real backbone, built from two simple pans. The plums get a long soak in balsamic, vanilla bean, crushed peppercorns, and fresh rosemary, then roast until their juices bleed into the pan and reduce to a glossy syrup. Meanwhile, the pork tenderloin gets a hard sear in an ovenproof skillet before finishing in the oven until the thermometer reads 155°F (68°C).
Rest the tenderloin a full 10 minutes after pulling it. Carry-over cooking brings it up to 160°F (71°C) and the juices settle back into the meat instead of running onto your cutting board. Slice thin and fan the pieces over a pool of the reduced plum sauce.
Pro Tips
- Use black or red plums that are ripe but still firm. Overripe fruit falls apart before the sauce reduces.
- Don’t skip the vanilla bean scrape. The seeds dissolve into the sauce and add a floral note that pairs beautifully with stone fruit.
- Sear the pork hard on all sides before it hits the oven. Color equals flavor here.
- Let the pork rest before slicing. Cut too early and the juices end up on the board, not the plate.
Variations
- Swap plums for pluots, apricots, or halved black figs when in season.
- Use red wine in place of half the balsamic for a deeper, less sweet sauce.
- Add a handful of toasted almonds or pine nuts over the finished dish for texture.
Ingredients
Directions
To roast plums: Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place plums and 2 rosemary sprigs in an 8-inch-square baking dish .
Whisk water, vinegar, 4 tablespoons sugar and peppercorns in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add the seeds and bean to the vinegar mixture.
Pour the mixture over the plums.
Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Roast the plums, uncovered, until tender and beginning to break down, 20 to 25 minutes.
Discard the rosemary and the vanilla bean.
Transfer the plums to a serving platter and cover with foil.
Strain the roasting liquid into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-high; cook until reduced to ½ cup, 6 to 8 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the plums; keep warm.
To prepare pork: Meanwhile, heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle pork with pepper and salt.
Add to the skillet and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes.
Transfer the pan to the oven; bake at 400° until an instant-read thermometer registers 155° and the pork has just a hint of pink in the center, 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
(The internal temperature will increase to 160° during resting.)
Cut the pork into thin slices and serve with the roasted plums.
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