Fennel Rubbed Pork Tenderloin With Roasted Fennel Wedges Recipes

FENNEL-RUBBED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROASTED FENNEL WEDGES

Steps:

• 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.

ROASTED PORK WITH FENNEL SPICE RUB

Steps:

• PORK: Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until hot. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 1 minute. Add the sage and cook until the onions stop releasing water (about 3 minutes). Add the water, cover and cook until the onions are very tender (about 10 minutes). Uncover and saute until the onions are very soft and the pan is dry again (about 2 minutes). Season well with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Peel back the pork skin and spread the onions directly on the fat layer. Fold the skin back over the onions and tie closed with kitchen string. Season well all over with the Fennel spice. Arrange the meat on a rack in a roasting pan and cook until the meat is very tender (approx. 6-8 hours). The meat is ready when it pulls away easily if picked at with a pair of tongs. It is often easiest to cook the meat overnight or put it in the oven in the morning and let it cook all day - it doesn't need to be attended.
• FENNEL SPICE RUB: Put the fennel seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns in a heavy pan over medium heat. Watch carefully, tossing frequently so the seeds toast evenly. When light-brown and fragrant, pour the seeds onto a plate to cool. They must be cool before grinding or they will gum up the blades. Pour the seeds into a blender or spice grinder and add the salt. Blend to a fine powder, shaking the blender or grinder occasionally to redistribute the seeds. Store in a tightly-sealed glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.

ROAST LOIN OF PORK WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• With a mortar and pestle, or in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, grind together the garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and thyme leaves. Add the mustard. Spread the mixture over the loin of pork and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the fennel bulbs in thick wedges, cutting through the core. Toss the fennel, carrots, potatoes, and onions in a bowl with the olive oil, melted butter, salt, and pepper to taste. Place the vegetables in a large roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes. Add the pork loin to the pan and continue to cook for another 30 to 50 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the pork reads exactly 138 degrees. Remove the meat from the pan and return the vegetables to the oven to keep cooking. Cover the meat with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the strings from the meat and slice it thickly. Arrange the meat and vegetables on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH SAUTEED ONION AND FENNEL AND FENNEL CREAM

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in sliced fennel and onion and sauté until vegetables are very tender and caramelized, about 40 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Fennel mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in another heavy large skillet over high heat. Season pork tenderloins with salt and pepper. Add pork to skillet; cook until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer pork to baking sheet; reserve drippings in skillet. Roasts pork until thermometer inserted into center registers 150°F, about 5 minutes. Remove pork from oven; cover with foil and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, add minced shallots and remaining 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds and 1 tablespoon garlic to skillet with drippings and sauté over medium heat until shallots are tender, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add white wine and boil until liquid is reduced to glaze, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and whipping cream and boil until reduced to sauce consistency, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Rewarm fennel mixture over medium heat until heated through. Divide fennel mixture among 4 plates. Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Arrange pork atop fennel. Spoon sauce over pork. Garnish with fennel fronds.

ROASTED PORK LOIN WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Blend first 8 ingredients in processor until mixture is finely chopped.
• Using tip of small sharp knife, make about twenty 1 1/2-inch-deep incisions all over pork loin. Press 1 generous teaspoonful of pancetta paste into each incision. Rub remaining paste over outside of pork. Arrange bay leaves in bottom of roasting pan. Place pork loin atop bay leaves. Cover; let pork stand at room temperature 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle pork with salt. Roast 45 minutes. Pour 1 1/2 cups stock into pan. Continue to roast until thermometer inserted into center registers 155°F, adding more stock if it evaporates and basting pork with juices occasionally, about 45 minutes longer.
• Transfer pork to cutting board. Discard bay leaves. Transfer pan juices to small saucepan. Skim fat from top of juices; boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer to platter. Pour juices over. Surround with fennel and lemon wedges (squeeze lemon over fennel at table).

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add fennel and half of garlic and sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1/3 cup chicken broth and sprinkle over half of fennel seeds. Cover and simmer until fennel is very tender and liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool.
• Starting 1/2 inch up on 1 long side, cut through tenderloin to within 1/2 inch of opposite side. Open as for book. Continue cutting through thick portion of tenderloin until meat forms 1;/2-inch-thick rectangle. Spread fennel mixture evenly over pork. Beginning at 2 long end, roll pork up jelly roll style. Tie pork with stirring to secure. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place pork in same skillet. Rub pork with remaining garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until pork is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Remove pork from skillet and keep warm. Pour remaining 1/3 cup chicken broth into skillet. Boil until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Remove string from pork. Cut pork into 1-inch pieces. Divide between plates, cut side up. Spoon sauce over pork and serve.