You Deserve a Medal(lion)

Pork tenderloin is one of our favorite meats. We love it just about any way you'd think to cook it, but perhaps sliced into medallions and sautéed is our favorite. You get all that lovely caramelization on the top and bottom, and juicy pink pig in between. I discovered these when I was still working and needed a quick but scrumptious dinner.

I'm always inventing sauces for the medallions, usually riffs on the fruit theme, since pork loves fruit. This time, I combined chopped apples, onion, Dijon mustard, plain yogurt and a little mayo into a honey of a sauce. Tangy and sweet at the same time, with lots of texture and pizzazz, it was apple sauce for grownups.

It's a simple preparation and the whole meal takes just minutes to throw together, especially if you have some leftover rice or spuds. Here's the deal:

Mustardy Medallions

1 pork tenderloin, cut into medallions about 1-1/2 inches thick

Small knob of butter

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped (I used Pink Ladies, because I had them)

1 Tbs mayonnaise

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 to 1/2 cup Dijon mustard (depending on your preference)

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional) or 1 tsp dried thyme

In a wide pan, sauté the medallions in a little butter until they are nicely browned on both sides. Keep warm and set aside.

In the same pan, sauté the onion until soft and add the apples. Cook together for a few minutes while you mix the next three ingredients together. If you are using thyme (and why wouldn't you?), add it to the apple-onion mixture and let them cook together until the herb is bright green. Pour in the mustard-yogurt-mayo mixture and stir together for a few minutes to heat through. Spoon over the medallions to serve.

Orange Vitamins

I already told you about the caprese salad (except to remark that it's still good the next day) and, although the pork tenderloin rubbed with Chinese five spice was perfectly roasted and utterly delicious, it's really all about the kabocha squash puréed with orange juice.

I roasted the squash with the idea of making soup but the weather was suddenly summer so I just peeled the squash and shoved it in the fridge, thinking we'd be back to spring in a few days.

Those days flew by and, apparently, summery weather is here to stay. So, I put it into the blender with a splash of OJ and whirled it smooth and silky. Gently reheated and served alongside the tenderloin, it gave us a healthy dose of orange vitamins, a taste treat and a perfect pairing for the pork.