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Recipe Detail Page
Pomegranate-Glazed Pork Medallions with Couscous
Holiday 2012
If meal time is uncertain, choose this outstanding main course. Get the components prepared and when it is time to dine, a chef-quality entrée is ready in about 15 minutes. Squash, green beans or cauliflower are delicious choices for accompaniment.
Serves 4 to 6
SAUCE
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1 large shallot, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) coriander seed, freshly crushed
1 cup (250 mL) pomegranate juice
¼ cup (60 mL) ruby port
COUSCOUS
2 cups (500 mL) chicken broth
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil or butter
¼ to ½ tsp (1 to 2 mL) salt (use less if broth is fully salted)
2 cups (500 mL) couscous
2 green onions, thinly sliced
MEDALLIONS
2 large pork tenderloins
2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
¼ cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
½ cup (125 mL) chicken broth
1 small pomegranate, seeded
Grindings of black pepper
1 To make sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic and coriander seed; sauté 1 minute or until fragrant. Add juice and port.
2 Increase heat to medium-high; boil gently for 3 to 4 minutes or until reduced by half. Remove from heat; set aside. (If making ahead, cool and cover; refrigerate up to a day.)
3 Remove pork’s exterior tough silver skins and any fat; then cut crosswise into 1½-inch thick (4-cm) chunks. Up-end on plastic wrap; cover with more plastic. Use a meat pounder or heavy frying pan to easily flatten into medallions to about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Cover and refrigerate until needed, up to a day.
4 When nearly ready to dine, make couscous. Bring broth to a boil in a small saucepan; stir in oil, salt and couscous. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes or more while sautéing medallions. Fluff with a fork when serving; stir in green onions.
5 Melt butter in a custard cup in microwave for 30 seconds; stir in olive oil. Place flour on a small plate; mix in salt. Have this, butter mixture, broth and sauce near stove as medallions sauté very quickly. Plan to sauté pork medallions in 3 or 4 batches.
6 Heat a large frying pan over medium to medium-high heat until quite hot. Meanwhile, dip a few pieces of pork into flour; shake off excess. Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) of butter mixture to pan and several pieces of pork—do not crowd the pan! Sauté, adjusting heat upwards as needed, until browned, about 3 minutes perside. Keep on a plate or tray while repeating with remaining pork, flour and butter mixture. (The sautéed pork is pink inside.) Discard any remaining flour.
7 After sautéing (and without cleaning), return pan to heat. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Add sauce; boil over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
8 Return medallions and any juices to pan; heat 2 minutes, turning medallions frequently to evenly coat with sauce.
9 Place heaps of couscous on warmed serving plates. Lean the medallions of pork against mound; nap with some of sauce. Garnish with a generous scattering of pomegranate seeds and a coarse grinding of black pepper.
Serves 4 to 6
