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Autumn Fruit and Almond Encrusted Tenderloin
Serves 4 to 6 depending on the crowd.
We paired pork tenderloin with a wonderful Pinot Noir, Treasure Hunt, at a wine tasting at Chuck’s Fine Wines in Chagrin Falls, Ohio this weekend and everyone raved!
I put this recipe together from the input of two other people. Katie and Mickey from Thomasville, Georgia, with a little bit of my own creativity. I’ve made this three times in two weeks using Pork and venison tenderloin and chicken breast. I really can’t decide which is better. So if you are not privy to properly field dressed venison, than you’re in luck. Just to the market and pick up a few pork tenderloins. If you have any left, it will make great sandwiches. The extra fruit won’t last long because once you make this, you’ll make three days later.
Ingredients:
Either venison or pork tenderloin will work for this recipe! Even chicken breast!
One venison tenderloin or two pork tenderloins
Venison - I brine the venison for a couple of hours. To brine: I use 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and add enough water to cover the loin. Let sit for 2 hours. Drain and rinse in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Pork - Rinse the loins in cold water and pat dry. Let them set out to get to almost room temp while you make the coating. Just don’t let the dog get it!
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1 heaping tablespoon Yellow Dog Sweet Shake
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs - they are courser and lower in sodium
1/8 cup dried apricots - two to three apricots
1/8 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried tart cherries
1/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg and a splash of any kind of milk
In a blender (or whatever device you use, I use my Mom’s old Waring blender) grind:
Almonds until they are coarsely chopped and set in a bowl
Preheat oven to 375
Take half of the Panko, Yellow Dog Sweet Shake, 1/2 of the dried fruit and blend together until the fruit is ground well and the mixture looks dark. I add Panko first to prevent the fruit from getting too paste like. You may have to take a knife and unclog the blades (just make sure you unplug the blender before doing this). You want the coating to be fairly fine but not paste. Add to the almonds. Then add the remaining Panko and then dried fruit and grind that. Mix that to the rest of the fruit/Panko mixture.
Put the Canola or vegetable oil in a frying pan, I still use a cast iron skillet. And heat to medium to high.
In a shallow glass dish, pie plates work great, mix egg and a splash of milk until well blended. In the other pie plate add the fruit/Panko mixture.
Place the tenderloin in the egg mixture and coat well. Roll the tenderloin in the fruit/Panko and coat well. You can even press the coating onto the loin.
Place the tenderloin in the skillet and sear the tenderloin on all sides until the coating is a nice brown. Then place the tenderloin onto a small roasting pan and roast in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes depending on the thickness. You want the loins to medium rare. Serve and be ready for oooohhs and aaahhhhs, even if its just for you!
Cooks note: This is wonderful on chicken breast too!
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