My Mom’s Pork Medallions

Ingredients:

 

• 2 lb(s) of pork tenderloin
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 pimenta de cheiro or 4 droplets of red pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1/2 cup of water
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons of rosemary minced
• 1 tablespoon of corn starch

Procedure:

 

Marinate the Pork

 

• Trim the tenderloins by removing the silver skin and all the fat.
• Cut the thin ends of the tenderloins and reserve for another use.
• Slice the tenderloins in 1 1/2 to 2 inch thick slices.
• Smash the garlic with the salt using a chef’s knife on a wooden cutting board to obtain a paste.
• If using the pimenta the cheiro, also smash the pepper into the garlic paste.
• Otherwise add the drops of hot pepper sauce to the garlic paste and stir well to incorporate.
• Rub the garlic paste into the pieces of pork tenderloin.
• Mix the ground cinnamon with the ground cloves and pulverize over the pork.
• Add the 1/2 cup of water, cover, and put in the refrigerator for at least one hour. This can be done several hours ahead of time.

Air Dry the Pork

 

• Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.
• Squash each piece of pork with the palm of your hand against a cutting board to create thiner and wider medallions.
• Place each medallion on top of the rack leaving some space between then.
• Place, uncovered in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours to get the pieces of pork to dry some. This way they will brown better later.

Brown the Pork

 

• Choose a heavy-bottom pan with a fitting cover. I use a stainless steel one. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the cooking oil and heat it up until the butter has melted and is starting to color.
• Place pieces of pork in the pan, without crowding it. Do not move the pieces after you place them. Let them cook under high heat until the first side is browned.
• Turn the pieces and brown the second side.
• Be careful to not overcook. The medallions should still have a ring of very pink raw meat in the middle.
• If needed, brown the pieces of pork in batches, keeping them in a warmed covered plate once their are brown.
• Once you are done with all pieces of pork, put all of them in the pan, remove the pan from the hot burner into a cold one, cover tightly and let seat, covered, for thirsty minutes.
• Meanwhile, put your serving plate in an oven at 200 F to warm it up.

Finish the Sauce and Serve

 

• Mix the cornstarch with two tablespoons of water in a small bowl or cup until dissolved.
• Remove the pork medallions to the serving plate, cover, and keep it warm.
• Add the soy sauce to the pan.
• Scrape all brown bits from the pan into the sauce.
• Add the dissolved corn start to the pan.
• Place the pan over moderately high heat and cook stirring until the sauce thickens.
• Remove from the stove and add the two tablespoons of butter and the minced rosemary, stirring constantly until the butter dissolves.
• Pour the sauce over the pork medallions and serve.