Pan-Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Molasses

This is a delicious treat although Pomegranate Molasses or concentrae is a bit difficult to find.

Pan-Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Molasses


One of the flavors often found in pinot noir is pomegranate, which inspired me to create this easy dish. The sauce is based on pomegranate molasses, a thick, savory syrup used in Middle Eastern cooking that acts as a fascinating bridge to the pinot noir. Look for pomegranate molasses in Middle Eastern markets. Serve with a simple side dish of steamed asparagus and roasted onion wedges. To prepare the onions with the pork tenderloin, remove pork from pan after browning on all sides. Cook the onion wedges in the pan for one minute, then return the pork to the pan and bake as directed.


Sauce:
1 cup less-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup pinot noir or other spicy dry red wine
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon butter

Pork:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray

To prepare sauce, combine broth and the next 4 ingredients (through honey) in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat 30 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup. Remove from heat; strain over a bowl. Discard solids. Add butter to the molasses mixture, stirring with a whisk until the butter melts.

To prepare pork tenderloin, preheat oven to 500°.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Combine salt, five-spice powder, and pepper; rub evenly over pork. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan, and cook 1 minute, browning on all sides. Place pan in oven; bake at 500° for 12 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink). Let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice pork, and serve with sauce.

Perfect wines: Sanford Pinot Noir 2001 "Santa Rita Hills" (Santa Barbara County, CA), $26. This wine's beautiful flavors of earth, pomegranate, grenadine, mocha, and cherry preserves come into focus when you serve it with the pork tenderloin and pomegranate sauce. The sauce also mirrors the wine's wonderful silky, plush texture. As a less expensive alternative, consider the Echelon 2002 Pinot Noir from the Central Coast of California, about $12.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces pork and about 1 tablespoon sauce)

CALORIES 220 (29% from fat); FAT 7.1g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.6g); IRON 2.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 81mg; CALCIUM 37mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.1g; SODIUM 404mg; PROTEIN 25.2g; FIBER 0.1g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2004