Yippee summer’s here, the garden is in full production mode and, after all the rain, the problem now is to use everything before it spoils!
Now we are constantly being told not to put tomatoes in the fridge, which is true, but here is an even better trick if you want the best flavour from your tomatoes, eat them straight from the plant still warm from the sun, there’s nothing better and if your plants are anything like mine at the moment then they are needing to be harvested almost daily.
This dish is a glorious blend of fresh and spicy and just aches to be plated on those lovely deep bowls and served to friends and family out on the deck with a lovely crisp and cold New Zealand Gewürztraminer.
You’ll see from the recipe that the cumin seeds and mustard seeds should be toasted and ground first, this is really worth it and so simple, just heat a frying pan and throw the seeds in and toast them for a few minutes without any oil and grind them in the pestle and mortar, then without washing the pan continue to the shallot cooking stage, this will increase the flavour profile of the whole dish.
ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH BOK CHOY, CURRIED TOMATOES AND AVOCADO
Ingredients
• I punnet cherry tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp. avocado oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 chilli, sliced thinly
• ½ tsp. cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds, toasted and ground to a paste
• 4 Tbsp. lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• ¼ cup chopped mint
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. plus a pinch r salt
• 3 ripe, Fresh Avocados
• 900g. trimmed pork tenderloin, trimmed of all silverskin and connective tissue
• 3 cups cleaned and thinly chopped bok choy
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 degrees c. make the curried tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in a glass or ceramic bowl that can withstand a little heat. Season the tomatoes with the salt.
In a large fry pan bring avocado oil to a simmer over medium high heat, just below smoke point. Add shallot and then jalapeños. Fry off until tender, about two minutes and then add the cumin and the mustard seeds. Toast for about a minute and remove from heat.
Let cool slightly and then carefully add half of the lime juice and vinegar and then pour this over seasoned tomatoes. Add mint, parsley and about ½. of the salt. Let the tomatoes sit at room temperature for the flavors to mature while you roast the pork.
Slice the avocados in half lengthwise. Slice each half lengthwise again, gently removing seeds. Peel and discard the avocado skins and slice avocado into ¼-inch slices. In a medium bowl toss the avocado with the remaining lime juice and season with a pinch of salt. Add them to the curried tomatoes and toss gently.
Place a large frying pan over medium high heat and add the vegetable oil. Season the pork tenderloin with the remaining salt and then carefully add the pork to the pan, searing on all sides for a total time of 5 minutes on the stovetop. Place the pork in the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, Remove the pork from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for three minutes. While the pan is still hot add the bok choy and let it wilt in the pan, adding a pinch of salt to season. When the pork has rested slice it into thin rounds, about ¼-inch thick. Add the pork to the bok choy, toss lightly and then place the pork and bok choy on a platter, topping with the pickled tomatoes and avocados.
Wine Match
A good Gewürztraminer will really work with the spices and chilli better than most other wines, try the Bird Wines one for a great example.
Leave a Reply
*
Be the first to comment.