Pork With Figs And Charcuterie Recipes

PORK WITH FIGS AND CHARCUTERIE

Steps:

• Pork
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Film a roasting pan with the oil and heat over high heat until it is just about at the smoking point. Sear the pork on all sides until golden, then transfer to the oven and roast, basting frequently with pan juices, until a meat thermometer inserted in the pork indicates a temperature of 160 degrees, about 35 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. Reserve the pan juices.
• Heat the pan juices (or oil) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden. Add the hard salami, cornichons, and figs, and continue sautéing for 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
• Plating
• Slice the pork in 1-inch slices and arrange on warm plates (over the lentils if you are serving them. Spoon the topping over the pork and serve.
• Our Taste Notes
• The meaty aroma in the pork is accented by the aged, slightly funky bouquet of the hard salami. Its fatty roundness is cut by the tang of the cornichons. The smooth sweetness of the figs calms down the dish, while onions are a background bulby note, which pulls everything up and adds to the sweetness. Sharp saltiness and spiciness are tempered by the starch in the lentils, which have a little bright floral sweetness cooked into them. A meaty bouquet and salt persist at the finish.

PORK LOIN WITH FIG AND PORT SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce: In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the first 6 ingredients. Boil over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Discard the herb sprigs and cinnamon sticks (some of the rosemary leaves will remain in the port mixture). Transfer the port mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Blend in the butter. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)
• For the pork: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Stir the oil, rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper in a small bowl to blend. Place the pork loin in a heavy roasting pan. Spread the oil mixture over the pork to coat completely. Roast until an instant read meat thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 145 degrees F, turning the pork every 15 minutes to ensure even browning, about 45 minutes total.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. Let the pork rest 15 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the chicken broth into the roasting pan. Place the pan over medium heat, and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Bring the pan juices to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Using a large sharp knife, cut the pork crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the pork slices on plates. Spoon the jus over. Drizzle the warm fig sauce around and serve immediately.

PORK CUTLETS WITH FIGS AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°F. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 pork slices and sauté until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer pork to baking sheet. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to skillet. Repeat with remaining 4 pork slices. Transfer pork to oven to keep warm.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar. Simmer until vinegar evaporates, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of skillet, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth. Simmer until mixture is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add figs and whipping cream. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 4 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and any accumulated juices from pork. Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, about 2 minutes longer. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Arrange pork on plates. Spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.