"Yeah, I'm hungry," he said. "How about bacon and eggs?" Subtle, huh? "I have a pork tenderloin that I was going to cook," I responded. "With what?" he asked. "What do you mean, with what?" I re-asked, knowing very well what he meant. "What are you doing with the pork roast?" He asked again. Poor guy. "You mean what kind of Gourmet Magazine weirdness am I doing to it?" I smiled. "Yeah," he said. "Fennel," I responded as I shut the door, but I still heard his groan as I walked away.
I was actually groaning a bit too. There are three recipes in this magazine that I've just tried not to think about. This one, the Fennel-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fennel Wedges is the least repulsive-sounding of the three, which is why I decided to make it first. The other two are the Cheesy Polenta Lasagne with Mushrooms and Seitan and the Borscht Horseradish Terrine, which I've already mentioned. I found out through the wonder of Google that seitan is a wheat glutan mean replacement. Mmmmmm, appetizing.
That aside, I was faced with using all the forms of this licorice smelling and tasting vegetable; the seed, the bulb and the fronds. I can't stand licorice and so the only things that kept me on track was my promise to myself to actually make ALL the recipes in this magazine and the fact that I've heard several times that the taste of fennel changes quite a bit when cooked. Don't be fooled by the fact that it looks like an onion when cooked up; it tastes nothing like one.
The meal itself is again easy to prepare. I think a key component that shouldn't be skipped or hurried through is the browning of the tenderloin prior to putting it in the oven. Searing the meat helps keep the juices in and puts a yummy crust around it. The meat was superbe. It was tender and juicy and the spices were simple but perfect. We just about finished off the entire pound of roast ourselves. The roasted fennel was also excellent. Sauteeing the wedges until they started to caramelize and then roasting them in the wine and chicken broth sauce was perfect. The one thing that I did not do that the recipe called for was to add lemon just before finishing the sauce. It just slipped my mind and didn't happen.
While I think Doug is ready for something simple like bacon and eggs, he admitted that the tenderloin was excellent as well and it's another recipe that I'll make again.
Fennel-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin With Roasted Fennel Wedges
from Gourmet Magazine, February 2009
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 pound pork tenderloin
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, reserving fronds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Crush fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle or wrap in a kitchen towel and crush with bottom of a heavy skillet.
Pat pork dry, then sprinkle with crushed fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cut fennel bulbs lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges.
Heat oil in a 12-inch oven-proof heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown pork on all sides, about 6 minutes total, then transfer to a plate. Sauté garlic and fennel wedges in skillet until fennel is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add wine, stirring and scraping up brown bits, then stir in broth and butter. Put pork on top of fennel and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 145 to 150°F, about 15 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, transfer skillet to stovetop (handle will be hot) and boil, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated. Stir in lemon juice and 1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds. Thinly slice pork and serve over fennel with sauce.