Pork With Prunes
As the weather gets cooler, my dinner thoughts turn to comforting roasts. Then the time crunch of real life intrudes. To satisfy my craving but keep cooking time short, I slice pork tenderloin (the small filet, not the loin) or less costly pork loin roast (the rib end, not the tougher center cut) into medallions and quickly saute them. Problem solved.
Pork goes well with dried fruit such as prunes and is nice with a side dish of spinach. If you have time, serve this dish with rice or a salad of greens, pears and walnuts.
To saute spinach, heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add a pound of baby spinach by the handful, stirring and adding more as the spinach cooks down. This should only take a few minutes. Season with salt and serve.
Soak the prunes in the Cognac in a small bowl.
Meanwhile, season the meat with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the garlic. Cook until the garlic is rich golden brown, then discard. Add the pork slices to the skillet, in batches if necessary; do not crowd the pan.
Brown the meat quickly, 1 to 2 minutes, then turn and brown the other side. Remove the meat to a platter.
Add the onion to the pan and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rosemary and sage and cook and stir 1 minute more. Reduce the heat to medium, add the prunes and Cognac and cook a minute so the alcohol evaporates.
Add the broth and stir, scraping up the brown bits, and cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the pork to the pan, spooning the sauce over and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper, if needed.
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