Tonight’s restaurant-inspired menu comes from Sonoma County. Mouth-watering, tender pork loin over a bed of toasted shallot and sweet pepper couscous, drizzled with a white wine brown butter sauce.
I first had a version of this dish somewhere in wine county, but cannot for the life of me remember the name of the restaurant. Just know it was phenomenal and you should go. If only, sorry! I cannot tell you the name of the restaurant, but I can do the next best thing. I can share my version of the menu.
The restaurant served theirs with a pluot gastrique sauce, but I’ve never been a fan of sweet sauces with my meat. Therefore, my version is a bit more traditional with a white wine brown butter sauce that pulls in some of the same flavors used in the couscous.
I elevate the pork by first rubbing it with Cedar Oak Farms Pork Rub. Their rub is blended with brown sugar, smoky paprika, onion, garlic, and spices offering up that perfect kiss of flavor. Searing the rub onto the meat seals the juices into the meat for a perfect tender pork loin.
But enough about all that, let’s start cooking!
Tender Pork Loin & Couscous
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds pork tenderloin
- 2-3 tablespoons pork rub
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Couscous
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt optional
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 cup pearl couscous
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 shallot peeled, trimmed, and diced
- ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt to taste
- Freshly grind black pepper to taste
White Wine Brown Butter Sauce
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon shallots diced
- 1 garlic clove finely diced
- 2 large fresh sage leaves julienned
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ cup white wine
Instructions
- Make the pork: Generously rub the pork with the pork rub covering all sides. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet or in a one-pot set to sear. Sear the meat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Add one cup of water to a pressure cooker fit with a trivet. Set the pork on the trivet, seal the pressure cooker and cook on high for 20 minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. When done, let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing into thin slices.
- Make the couscous: Bring water to a boil. Add salt and butter and stir in the couscous. Cover with a lid; reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper and shallots. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. When couscous is done cooking, gently fold in the red pepper and shallot mixture.
- Make the wine and butter sauce: Over medium heat add butter to a cast iron pan. Let simmer for about six minutes, and then add salt, shallots, garlic, sage, and thyme; continue to simmer for another two minutes. Lastly, add the wine to finish for one minute and remove from heat.
- Plate: Spoon couscous onto a serving plate and layer 3 – 4 slices of pork over the couscous. Spoon the white wine butter sauce over the dish and garnish with fresh parsley.