Pork Tenderloin with Corn, Peaches And Lime

Pork Tenderloin with Corn, Peaches And Lime

In this juicy and colorful skillet dinner inspired by lemongrass grilled pork, tenderloin roasts alongside corn kernels, which then get tossed with sweet peaches and crunchy cucumbers. The whole dish is tied together by the lime and fish sauce dressing, which is reminiscent of nuoc cham, and is used twice: as a coating on the pork to develop a caramelized crust, and to dress the salad. Accompany the dish with lettuces, rice noodles, rice, soft herbs or a combination. Leftovers are wonderful at room temperature.

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

¼ cup lime juice (from 2 limes)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 to 3 bird’s eye or serrano chiles, thinly sliced

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), silver skin removed (see Tip), meat halved crosswise and patted dry

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or grapeseed

2 cups corn kernels (from 2 ears, or frozen and unthawed)

2 firm peaches

2 Persian or mini seedless cucumbers

½ red onion

Salt

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce and chile until the sugar dissolves. Coat the tenderloin with 1 tablespoon of the sauce, rubbing to coat. Set the rest aside.

In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the pork and cook until browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat, then add the remaining tablespoon oil and the corn. Stir to coat. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the corn is tender and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 140 degrees, 10 to 14 minutes. (The pork will continue to cook as it rests.)

Meanwhile, thinly slice the peaches, cucumbers and red onion.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board to rest for at least 5 minutes, then thinly slice and season the cut sides lightly with salt. Transfer the corn, peaches, cucumbers and red onion to the bowl of sauce. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt. Serve the pork topped with salad and all of the sauce. 

Tip: To remove the silver skin, a tough connective tissue, without cutting off too much meat, locate the white, shiny membrane and insert your knife at one edge of the silver skin to cut between the skin and the meat, creating a flap to hold onto. Pulling the flap of silver skin tight with your nondominant hand, continue to slice along the length of the skin until you’ve removed and released all the silver skin.

* With it in the 90’s, I opted to grill this. Seared the pork over hot coals, then put in a cast iron pan over indirect heat. Added the corn and peppers.

I halved the peaches, grilled them for a few minutes over hot coals. Let cool then sliced and added to the onion and cucumbers.

Served over greens from the garden. Peaches from the garden as well.

Very good. I make this same dressing and reduce it by half, then use as a baste for salmon, chicken, pork, and tofu.

Balsamic Roasted Chicken With Peaches

Balsamic Roasted Chicken With Peaches

Boneless chicken thighs, shallots, peaches and cherry or grape tomatoes are coated in a simple balsamic marinade and roasted until crispy, sweet and juicy. After roasting, extra marinade is added to the pan to simmer with the juices, creating a thick, tangy sauce that begs to be drizzled over everything or sopped up with a crusty hunk of bread. In addition to a sprinkling of fresh basil for serving, a ball of broken burrata or crumbles of feta would also be delicious. This recipe works well with any peaches, even those that may not be perfectly ripe or sweet, and can be made with other stone fruits like nectarines or plums, as well.

Yield: 4 servings

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (5 to 6 thighs)

2 medium shallots, peeled and halved

2 peaches, quartered

16 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (see Tip)

Basil leaves, for serving

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Make the marinade: In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place the chicken and shallots in a large bowl with half of the marinade (reserve the remainder to use later) and toss to coat. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. This step can be done in advance; refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days.

Place the chicken and shallots on the sheet pan in a single layer, drizzling any leftover marinade from the bowl on top. Bake for 12 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and flip the chicken and shallots over. Add tomatoes and peaches to the pan. Baste everything with the juices in the pan and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle with the reserved marinade. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes, and then toss to combine chicken, shallots, peaches and tomatoes with the pan juices, creating a sauce. Serve warm, garnished with basil.

Tip: Larger tomatoes can be used in this recipe, just be sure to halve or quarter them so they cook as fast as cherry or grape tomatoes.

Skillet Pork Cutlets With Fresh Peach Butter

Skillet Pork Cutlets With Fresh Peach Butter 

Thin pork cutlets are perfect for fast weeknight meals: They cook in less than 10 minutes and readily take on the flavors of the brown butter sauce they’re topped with. The rich sauce gets a bright lift from fresh summer peaches, coarsely grated so they release all of their fruity sweet juices. (The step also skips the trouble of peeling them.) Steamed or grilled corn is a perfect accompaniment for both the juicy pork and sweet-tart peach butter.

Yield: 4 servings 

1 medium-ripe peach, halved, pitted and grated on the large holes of a box grater (½ cup peach pulp and juices, skin discarded)

3 oregano sprigs, plus ½ teaspoon chopped oregano leaves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Kosher salt and pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 (5-ounce) boneless pork loin chops or cutlets, pounded ¼-inch thick

In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the grated peach and chopped oregano.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is browned and nutty smelling and the sizzling sound stops, about 3 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the butter.) Pour the browned butter over the grated peach — and be careful, as it may splatter. Season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.

In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium. Season pork with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Top with oregano sprigs and cook until golden on both sides and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Transfer pork to 4 serving plates. Top each with some of the peach butter and garnish with more black pepper. Serve warm.

TIP: This was good but could be better. Next time I will add the peaches to the butter and let the juices cook down to get the peach butter a little more jammy. I threw some lime juice and that helps bring everything together a bit.

Tomato and Peach Salad With Whipped Goat Cheese

Tomato and Peach Salad With Whipped Goat Cheese

Whizzed in the food processor with some heavy cream and lemon zest, earthy goat cheese becomes rich and creamy, the perfect complement to juicy peaches and tomatoes. Fresh purslane, if you can find it, provides a slight crunch to the salad, but mâche or watercress would also work well. You could also tear up some basil, parsley or other tender herbs you have lying around and toss those in just before serving. Colorful, fresh and easy, this salad works as a starter, a side or a summery supper, piled on top of grilled bread.

Yield: 4 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard, preferably Maille brand

½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest, plus 2 teaspoons juice

Kosher salt and black pepper

¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced

4 ounces soft goat cheese or feta

6 tablespoons heavy cream

2 large heirloom tomatoes (about 14 ounces total), cored and cut into 1-inch wedges

2 medium peaches (about 12 ounces), halved, pitted and cut into ½-inch wedges

1 packed cup torn purslane, mâche or watercress (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper, stir in the red onion and set aside.

Crumble the goat cheese into the bowl of a food processor and whip until creamy, scraping down the sides of the work bowl as needed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and lemon zest and whip just until fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt.

Spread the whipped goat cheese on a large serving platter or in shallow bowl, distributing it evenly using the back of a spoon. Add the tomato wedges, peach wedges and purslane to the dressing and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place on top of the whipped goat cheese and serve immediately.