Lauren Ready’s Pork Loin with Blueberry Jalapeno Sauce

        If we lived in a more progressive country, Lauren Ready would be my sister-in-law.  Alas, we don’t and given that Lauren lives in the great state of Texas, where hell will freeze over before that happens, we never will have those comforting titles to attach to each other.   Instead, Lauren will remain Andrew’s sister, a phenomenal cook, a great friend of mine and an inveterate reader of Chewing the Fat. And now she’s a contributor as well.  Lauren sent me this recipe for a great weeknight dish that’s really worth making.

 

It is, however, another one of those dishes whose picture leaves a lot to be desired.   The key to the whole recipe is the Blueberry Jalapeno Sauce which, unfortunately for photography, tends to ‘swallow’ every bit of light and you’re left with, as you can see, some very dark images of meat.  However, it is a phenomenal sauce—a fascinating combination of the sweet and the slightly spicy, the perfect thing to pour over Pork Loin.  I’ll confess, I know there are people who cook pork loin constantly but I am not one of them.  I love the tenderness but I also like a little more fat and prefer chops and roasts. However, this recipe will certainly encourage me to use Pork Loin more.   And I hope it will encourage you to cook it.  Because I think Lauren’s on to something awfully good here.

Recipe for Pork Loin with Blueberry Jalapeno Sauce:

Serves 4.

2 1-lb pork loins, cut into slices ¾ to 1 inch thick

For the Sauce:

1/2 cup minced shallots

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups blueberries

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. water or lemon juice

1-   Saute shallots and jalapeno in oil in a saucepan over medium high heat until soft, about 2 minutes. Add blueberries, vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon, garlic powder and salt; simmer until sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes.

2-   Transfer mixture to a blender; pulse until pureed. Return sauce to pan over medium heat. Stir in water or lemon juice; simmer sauce 1-2 minutes stirring often. Take pan from heat.

3-   Season pork with salt and pepper. Put oil in frying pan to cover bottom. Heat to medium high. Brown tenderloin pieces on both sides. Lower heat to medium*. Brush sauce on pork. Turn over and brush on other side. Cook until desired cooked to taste. Serve with sauce on the side.

*Because if the sugar content in the sauce, go easy on the stove temperature because the sauce will burn if you do not.

Lauren also included this note—and one of those home made cures I’d never heard of before…read on:

“You probably know this already but just in case I will admit what I did. I thought I remembered that after cutting a jalepeno it was very important to wash your hands which I did. A few minutes later my hands started burning badly. I washed them again. The burning was getting worse. I have tiny little cuts all over my fingers for some odd reason. Just washing my hands was not enough. I should have worn gloves. Caitlyn (ED NOTE: Lauren’s daughter, Caitlyn Pepe) told me once my hands started burning I should have lathered them in sour cream. I wish I had known that because my hands burned for 18 hours.”