Friday, February 4, 2011

Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Bourbon Coulis

Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Bourbon Coulis
Divas, I'm still rocking out my Sous Vide Supreme, a sous vide machine for the home cook. It makes the best pork tenderloin on the planet Earth!

So last Sunday, the A-Girl, my frequent dining companion, came over for nosh and movie night. When she walked in the door, The Adorable Monster nearly lost his fur brain, crying and jumping for joy. He loves the A-Girl, and I think that the feeling is mutual.

For our dinner, I decided to make a dish that captured the best flavors of breakfast--savory, creamy, meaty, sweet. This is a take on pork and apple sausages with grits. To make it, I sous vide pork tenderloin and pan seared it. I served it sliced with a topping of Apple-Bourbon Coulis, all over Parmesan Grits.

The results were heavenly, with flavors of tender, juicy pork, apple, a hint of bourbon, and the parmesan and soft grits. It was breakfast for dinner!

Serve with Parmesan Grits and Butter Lettuce Salad with Feta and Pomegranates


Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Bourbon Coulis
Serves 4 people
Prep time: thirty minutes; Sous Vide cooking time: 2-3 hours
Print Recipe

Ingredients
2 pork tenderloins (about 1.5 pounds), cut into four even portions
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, refrigerated or frozen until solid (for vacuum sealing)
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil for searing
salt and freshly ground pepper

apple-bourbon coulis
2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup apple cider

Directions
Fill the Sous Vide Supreme with water and preheat to 140 degrees.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the pork tenderloin with salt and freshly ground pepper. Vacuum seal each of the four pieces into its own bag with a quarter of the solid olive oil (this will prevent it from being sucked out of the bag).

Vacuum Sealed Pork Tenderloin
Once the Sous Vide Supreme has reached 140 degrees (hint -- filling it up with hot water will help it heat up faster), place the pork tenderloin bags into the water bath making sure that the meat is submerged and that the bags are not touching.

Cook in the Sous Vide Supreme for two to three hours (for one inch thick -- longer cooking time is needed for thicker cuts of meat -- see the temperature chart that comes with the Sous Vide Supreme).

When at least two hours have passed, remove the pork tenderloin bags from the Sous Vide Supreme and cut open them open. Remove the pork tenderloin pieces and pat them dry. In a saute pan, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Quickly, sear the pork tenderloin on all until nicely caramelized (about 1-2 minutes per side). Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, make the Apple-Bourbon Coulis by heating the olive oil over medium heat. Add the apples and saute until tender. Add the cinnamon and a pinch of salt and saute for one more minute. Then, add the bourbon, stirring to combine. Cook until reduced in half. Add the apple cider and cook until reduced in half and the consistency has thickened into a sauce.

To plate, slice the pork tenderloin and lay out on a plate over Parmesan Grits. Spoon the Apple-Bourbon Coulis on top of the slices. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients
organic Granny Smith apples, organic pork tenderloin, organic cinnamon, and organic apple cider from Whole Foods 

grapeseed oil, extra virgin olive oil, and bourbon from Trader Joe's

Wine Pairing
Saxum 2007 Heart Stone Vineyard

From Saxum:
"The Heart Stone Vineyard is a small 7 acre vineyard planted on a gentle South slope of limestone and shale. With 8 different clones of Syrah, 4 of Grenache and 1 Mourvedre, we aim to produce a wine that is both compelling and complex. We typically co-ferment all the varieties together with a high proportion of whole clusters, producing a tannic and spicy wine that has great purity and complexity. We age this wine with very little new oak in mostly larger puncheons for 20-28 months. Like all our wines, they are never racked off their lees and are bottled unfined and unfiltered."

5 comments:

  1. ohhhh I really want to make this but I am sans sous vide! any suggestions?

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    Replies
    1. Google "beer cooler sous vide" and you will find an economical way to try out sous vide, Thomas Keller approved!

      Delete
  2. Yes, this recipe would be great using traditional cooking methods!

    Take the tenderloin out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Film an ovenproof skillet with grapeseed oil and sear the tenderloin over medium-high heat to brown all sides, about 5 minutes in all.

    Place skillet in the oven and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until internal temperature is 145F degrees. Remove from the oven, tent the pork with foil and let it rest about 5 minutes before serving.

    You can make the apple-bourbon coulis in the pan where you roasted the pork while it's resting, using the bourbon to deglaze the pan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Also, make sure to salt and pepper the pork (as in the recipe) before searing it!

    ReplyDelete