Pork, Sweet Potato and Apple Saute

This delicious fall dish was adapted from a Fine Cooking recipe. Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 11 oz), unpeeled

  • 1 medium yellow onion (about 6 oz), peeled

  • 1 Golden Delicious apple, unpeeled

  • 1 small pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 Tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

  • 2 Tablespoons  cider vinegar plus 4 Tbs. chicken broth, each divided by half

  • 2 Tablespoons  coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

PREPARATION

Cut the sweet potatoes, onion, and apple into 1/2-inch cubes or pieces and set each aside separately. Slice the pork into 12 to 14 medallions about 3/4- to 1-inch thick (don’t worry if they’re not all even). Season them with 1 teaspoon salt and a little pepper and set aside.

Melt 1 Tablespoon each of the butter and oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potato pieces in one layer and season with about 3/4 teaspoon salt and a little pepper. Sauté them until they’re brown and crusty on most sides, about 10 minutes. (Don’t stir often; let them sit in the pan for 2 or 3 minutes on each side before flipping with a metal spatula.) Carefully add 3 Tablespoons water to the pan, and, as it sizzles, cover the pan briefly (about 1 minute) to let the potato steam. Uncover, stir, and transfer to a bowl.

Turn the heat to medium high, heat another 1 Tablespoon each butter and oil in the pan, and add the onion and apple. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and both the onion and apple are nicely browned around the edges (the bottom of the pan will be brown), 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the ginger, sauté briefly, and pour 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoons chicken broth and 1 Tablespoon water into the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir to scrape up the browned bits. Transfer the contents of the pan to the bowl with the sweet potatoes.

Put the pan back over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 Tablespoons butter and 1 Tablespoon oil. As soon as the butter sizzles loudly, add the pork medallions in one layer. Cook for 2 minutes (they’ll be lightly browned), turn over, and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate. Carefully pour in the remaining 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoons chicken broth and 1 Tablespoon water, remove the pan briefly from the heat, and scrape up the browned bits. Return the sweet potato mixture to the pan over the heat and stir until heated through. Put several pork slices in the middle of each of two or three warm plates. Fold the parsley into the sweet potato mixture and evenly mound it on top of the pork.

RecipesSusan JohnsonComment