A Hunk of Meat for Romance!

Want a hot, Italian hunk? No, I’m not talking a young Tony Danza (“I’ve got your Italian right here, babe!), or a young Sly Stallone with a Philly accent (“Hey, yo”) that the girls would love, but an Italian hunk of meat that will still pair well with the cannoli that you picked up from Ferrara’s (New York City’s Little Italy). This dish is much better than Chinese take out, or even eating at the Cheesecake Factory.

A dish like this is perfect for a romantic date night with that very special someone that you miss like crazy when you are not with them. There is no need to buy something sexy from Victoria’s Secret for yourself or someone else, or invest in a Red Room of Pain (see 50 Shades of Grey) just take off the baseball cap and put on a nice suit, or step into the dressing room and don the little black dress and maybe a scarf. Set up a table out on the roof or balcony under a full moon (just not the kind of full moon you will get from Times Square’s Naked Cowboy – Secaucus, New Jersey native Robert John Burck). Then invite your own Superman or Wonder Woman to fly up the stairwell to the roof and join you. But first, you must make the dish.

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Marsala Sauce

Such a delicious dish. Call if you can when you make this. I’ll be right over for dinner!

This is a very straight-forward dish, it’s not hard and there is no curve in the directions to be found. I like the tenderloin, because it is one great tasting stick of meat.

Whether it is cooked on a spit like a Brazilian Churrascaria would be, grilled with a nice diamond pattern burned into it, or even baked like below, it is a great cut to use. I couldn’t be a bigger cheerleader for the tenderloin.  The long, thin shape allows the meat to cook quickly and evenly. You get the thrust of what I am talking about, right?

You want the pan to be hot before you add the tenderloin, but prior to putting it in the pan, dry off the meat stick. If it has too much wetness, it will react with the hot oil and the oil will fizz out of the pan. Most times I fry meat, I like it naked (the sauce not put on first), because the sauce can burn before the meat is cooked. But in this case, you are only searing the meat to keep in the sweet juices and then will really cook it in the oven, so it is OK to have the Dijon on it first. Don’t toy around with it. Put it in, let it sit. Roll it over. Let it sit.

The shallots are more sweet than a white onion would be, but they still bring a deep flavor to the dish. When you add the wine to the dish, you are deglazing the pan. That means the liquid helps to suck the little freckles of flavor on the bottom and into the sauce you are making. The Marsala sauce will glisten in the pan like the Vegas skyline when it is done. The sauce is so good that you will lick your plate!

If you are overly occupied you may not be watching the clock but hopefully will hear when the timer issues it’s bzzzzzz. The dish is then ready for you to pull it out of the oven. Don’t handcuff yourself to the idea that pork needs to be cooked to 165 degrees. Recent evidence shows it is safe to come out of the oven at 145. If it is underdone, the center will be too pink and you will end up sick, holding onto the bathroom counter, looking in the mirror and swearing 831 times that you will never eat undercooked pork again! No need to go see the doctor or the nurse, just make sure the pork has reached 145 degrees. It will be nice and warm and you won’t burn your tongue.

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Marsala Sauce

Prep Time: 15 Min | Cook Time: 40 Min | Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, minced
1 cup Marsala wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat pork tenderloins generously with mustard. Oil a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange tenderloins in pan, and brown the meat. Turn to brown evenly. Transfer meat to prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking for 20 minutes, or until desired doneness.

Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in the same pan used to cook the pork. Cook shallots in butter until soft. Stir in Marsala, mustard, and cream, and cook until volume of liquid is reduced by half.

Slice pork, and place on a serving dish. Spoon sauce over meat, and serve.

Nutritional Info: Amount Per Serving Calories: 487 | Total Fat: 30.1g | Cholesterol: 165mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pork-Tenderloin-with-Dijon-Marsala-Sauce/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=73001476&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2011-11-30&prop28=DailyRecipe&prop29=FullRecipe&me=1