Table Talk » Peppered Pork with Blue Cheese Plums

Cooking Light's Peppered Pork with Blue Cheese Plums is a huge hit at home and with my friends. The recipe calls for grilling, but I've adapted it to the stovetop and oven. This is definitely a company-worthy dish. And it's very simple to make.

The first task is to grind fresh rosemary, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds in a spice blender. I use this one from KitchenAid. I bought mine at the local Target. The thing that I like about this grinder is that the bowl with the blade is a separate piece and can be thoroughly washed. So that every time you grind something, you can clean out all the reside. It's even dishwasher safe. After you grind the rosemary and spices, you add some salt and pepper.

Next, I spray the pork with olive oil spray, rub the spice mixture on the pork tenderloin, then wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a few hours.

Here's where I deviate from the original recipe. Rather than cooking the pork on the grill, I sear it on all sides in grill pan or heavy skillet. Spray the pan with olive oil spray and heat it over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the pork tenderloin and cook it for 2-3 minutes until the spice crust is seared, then turn it 90 degrees, sear that side for 2-3 minutes, repeat until all sides of the pork tenderloin are seared. At this point, I remove the pork from the grill pan and set it in a deep baking pan, a 13x9 pan is deep enough. Insert a probe thermometer into the pork tenderloin, making sure to insert it lengthwise into the tenderloin while keeping the probe in the center of the tenderloin. I add 1 cup of white wine to the pan and bake the tenderloin at 350F until the internal temperature reaches 145F-150F. The wine in the pan creates a nice pan juice while keeping the tenderloin moist. When the pork reaches 145F-150F, turn the oven off and remove the tenderloin from the oven. Tent with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, slice the plums in half and remove the pits. Lightly spray the cut side of the plums with olive oil spray. When the pork reaches 140F, heat the grill pan over medium heat and add the plums, cut side down and sear them for 3-4 minutes. Remove the grill pan from the heat, turn the plum over so that they are resting on the round side. When you remove the pork from the oven and turn the oven off, put the grill pan in the oven and let the plums cook while the pork is resting. Remove the plums from the oven and place a spoonful of blue cheese on the plums.

Serve the plums with the sliced pork.

Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Plums
Adapted from Cooking Light

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
olive oil spray
1 cup dry white wine
6 plums, halved and pitted
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
Rosemary sprigs (optional, for garnish)

Place first 3 ingredients in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Combine spice mixture with salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub pork with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over pork; wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a grill pan with olive oil spray and heat over medium heat. Sear pork tenderloin on all sides, 2-3 minutes per side.

Place pork in a 13x9 pan and insert a probe thermometer into one of the tenderloins. Pour 1 cup dry white wine into the pan. Bake at 350F until probe thermometer registers 145F-150F. Remove pork from oven, tent with foil, and let stand 10 minutes; slice pork crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Spray cut side of plums with olive oil spray. Heat the grill pan over medium heat. Place plums cut sides down on the grill pan and grill 3 minutes. Remove from heat. When you remove the pork from the oven, turn off the oven and put grill pan with plums in the oven to continue cooking the plums while the pork rests. Remove the plums from the oven and top each plum half with a spoonful of blue cheese. Serve with plums with pork, garnishing with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Posted September 7, 2008 10:04 PM in Recipes

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1 Comment(s)

Amy said… (on September 19, 2008 at 07:07 AM #)

The dish looks fantastic. I love fruit and cheese in entrees. I'll will have to try this before all the peaches are gone.


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