Pork Tenderloin with Madiera Fig Gravy

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 1 cup Madiera or Sherry
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 pounds pork tenderloins
• 2 tsp canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour
• 1 pounds fresh figs, trimmed and quartered

Details

Adapted from tideandthyme.com

Preparation

Step 1

Pour the Madiera and vinegar into a gallon-size Ziploc, and add the garlic, thyme, and 1 tsp of salt. Seal the bag and agitate to combine. Add the pork tenderloins and marinade at room temperature for 1 hour, turning the bag over several times.

Heat the oven to 450, with a rack positioned in the top third of the oven.
Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board, reserving the marinade, and pat the meat dry with paper towels. Brush the tenderloins with 1 tsp of the oil, and season them with 1 tsp of salt and the black pepper. Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Add the tenderloins and sear, turning them occasionally, until they are nicely browned, 5 to 6 minutes.

Transfer the tenderloins to a plate, add butter and shallots to the pan, stirring until the butter has completely melted, and then add the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the flour. Cook until the shallots have softened and are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the figs and the reserved marinade and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low, add the tenderloins to the skillet, and nestle them among the figs. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast, turning the meat once, for about 15 minutes (an instant-read thermometer should register 135 degrees).

Remove the skillet from the oven and let the tenderloins rest on a cutting board, loosely covered with foil, for 5 minutes. Then slice tenderloins into 1/2-inch thick medallions and serve with the sauce.