Just Five: Pork Medallions with Pears

Garam masala  tastes like winter to me. This heady spice blend includes cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, cumin and brings immediate, comforting warmth to a dish. Here, I spiced pork tenderloin medallions with this aromatic blend, then turned my attention to the accompanying sauce. While pork and apples are a long-standing culinary marriage (What ’70s kid doesn’t remember Peter Brady‘s Bogart-inflected “Pork chops… and applesauce!”),  pears are delicious seasonal alternative – especially when paired with marsala.

Pork Medallions with Pears 4 servings

1 1.75- to 2-lbs. pork tenderloin
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. garam masala
2 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup thinly sliced shallots
2 pears, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup marsala wine

• Slice the pork tenderloin into 8 even medallions and season generously with salt, pepper and garam masala.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the medallions 2 minutes, then flip and sear 2 minutes more. Remove and set aside.
• Add the shallots to the skillet and saute 2 to 3 minutes, then add the pears and saute another 2 minutes. Return the pork to the skillet, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Add the marsala wine and cover, reducing the heat to medium-low, and simmer 3 minutes. Flip and simmer, covered, another 2 minutes. Divide evenly among 4 plates and serve.

This article appears in December 2014.