A Dreamy Dish.
My culinary subconscious seems to work overtime. A lot. Even when in the wilds of Botswana, I found myself waking up from dreams that included full recipes, ready to cook.
Like today’s Coriander-Crusted Pork Tenderloin. The dream had all the necessary details, including serving the pork on a bed of caramelized pear slices along with a dollop of fruit compote.
Of course, my dreams can be weird sometimes, too. This particular dream had me trimming the tenderloin to a perfect rectangle so that the slices would be square. Why on earth…? I chose to ignore that part of the dream.
All in all, it was a good dream, and my several test subjects agree that the dish is really dreamy.
~ David
Coriander-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
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Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cranberries (see notes)
- 2 tart-sweet apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (see notes)
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably European, divided
- 2 large firm-ripe Bartlett, Anjou, or Comice pears (see notes)
- 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 1/2 pounds
- Kosher salt as needed
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- olive oil
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, crushed (see notes)
Instructions
- Cook together the apples, cranberries, vinegar, brown sugar, cardamom, and a large pinch of salt with 2 tablespoons butter for 10-15 minutes, breaking up the cranberries as they cook, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick. The apples, depending on the variety, may cook down or maintain their shape. Either way is good. Set the compote aside.
- Slice the pears across the equator into 3/16-inch disks (you will need 20 slices) using a mandoline. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a very hot skillet until it just begins to turn golden-brown. Reduce heat to medium and add the pear slices; turn gently to coat with the butter and cook 1-2 minutes on each side to caramelize them. Turn off the heat and let them rest in the butter while you make the pork.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub the tenderloin generously with olive oil and salt, then coat with the ground coriander followed by the crushed coriander seeds, brushing with a bit more oil, if needed, to help the crushed seeds adhere. Place a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and brown the pork on 4 sides, then place the skillet in the oven for 12 minutes. Remove and transfer the meat to a cutting board, and let it rest a few minutes before slicing.
- Arrange 5 caramelized pear slices on each plate. Cut pork into 1/2-inch slices and place three slices on each bed of pears. Top with a dollop of the cranberry-apple compote and serve. Drizzle any leftover caramelized butter over your accompanying vegetables.
- Serves 4.
- Notes:
- • I buy a couple of extra bags of fresh cranberries every fall and freeze them for future use. Since the bag in which they are packaged has holes, I simply put the bag of berries in a resealable bag to avoid freezer burn.
- • I used Gala and McIntosh apples when I tested the recipe. Both worked well.
- • Make sure your pears are not too ripe, as they will quickly turn to mush in the browned butter. If available, Comice pears provided the best flavor.
- • Use the freshest coriander seeds you can find. Old seeds lose their flavor and would affect the quality of the dish.
© 2025 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
angiesrecipes
January 11, 2025 at 6:50 amWhat an intriguing recipe! The pork looks very tender and flavourful. You know, I always thought that pork has to be prepared well done..love the pinkish colour!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 11, 2025 at 7:40 amThanks, Angie — the flavors of the dish really work well together! Pork is a very safe meat now, and serving it pink is the norm here.
Mimi Rippee
January 11, 2025 at 6:58 amWhat a lovely dream! I love the base of pears. Love the cranberry topping. It’s all wonderful, and such a beautiful presentation!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 11, 2025 at 7:41 amThanks, Mimi — I was really happy it all worked out well. I thought it was quite funny — there I was in one of the most magical place in the world and I was dreaming about food!
Mad Dog
January 11, 2025 at 7:09 amThat sounds amazing, especially the coriander crust!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 11, 2025 at 7:41 amThansk, Mad Dog. Your note reminds me that I need to tell people to make sure their coriander seed is fresh; it makes a huge difference.