It isn’t thanksgiving without a cranberry dish, and the vibrant cranberry red is a welcome addition to the earthy colors of the Thanksgiving turkey and traditional sides. Cranberries are tart, so tart as to be inedible without some sweetener. This Cranberry Sauce recipe, however, goes lighter on the sugar to highlight the cranberry and complement the other naturally sweet sides, such as sweet potatoes, butternut squash and cornbread. For an interesting little twist, I’ve added a couple of Clementines.
Method
Rinse and pick through the cranberries for any bad ones.
Bring the cranberries, water and sugar to a boil in a medium-size covered pot.
Lower the heat to a gentle boil, leave the cover ajar, the cranberries pop and spatter.
Cook until cranberries are thick, about 12 minutes.
In the meantime, peel the Clementines, and remove all the pith and strings.
I love figs and pork. Walking through Stew Leonard’s the other day I saw a crate with 24 lovely purple figs. Along with the figs, I bought pork tenderloin and made Grilled Pork Medallions with Fig Sauce.
Method
Preheat the grill.
Remove the small tail. Cut the pork in half and each of the two pieces in half.
Stand each piece of pork cut side down on the board, cover the top with plastic wrap and using a meat mallet or heavy-bottomed pan, pound the meat to a one-inch thickness. Place on a tray.
If you want to use the tail, pound it on the uncut side to a one-inch thickness. Otherwise, freeze and save for another purpose, such as a stew or for grinding.
Season each medallion with salt and pepper on both sides.
Remove the tops from the figs and discard. Chop the four ripest figs in to small pieces. Slice eight figs into quarters.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
Stir in the onions and garlic and sweat for three minutes, or until the onions have softened.
Add the wine, bring to boil and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the figs, chicken stock, sage, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, grill the pork over high heat for about 4 minutes per side, turning halfway through to get the grill marks.
Remove from the heat and let sit, lightly covered, on the serving platter for four minutes.
Sauce the medallions and serve or serve the sauce on the side.
1 whole pork tenderloin 12 fresh figs 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 large shallot, minced 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup dry red wine 1 cup chicken stock, preferably unsalted* 2 sprigs of fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Preheat the grill.
Remove the small tail. Cut the pork in half and each of the two pieces in half.
Stand each piece of pork cut side down on the board, cover the top with plastic wrap and using a meat mallet or heavy-bottomed pan, pound the meat to a one-inch thickness. Place on a tray.
If you want to use the tail, pound it on the uncut side to a one-inch thickness. Otherwise, freeze and save for another purpose, such as a stew or for grinding.
Season each medallion with salt and pepper on both sides.
Remove the tops from the figs and discard. Chop the four ripest figs in to small pieces. Slice eight figs into quarters.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
Stir in the onions and garlic and sweat for three minutes, or until the onions have softened.
Add the wine, bring to boil and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the figs, chicken stock, sage, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, grill the pork over high heat for about 4 minutes per side, turning halfway through to get the grill marks.
Remove from the heat and let sit, lightly covered, on the serving platter for four minutes.
Sauce the medallions and serve or serve the sauce on the side.
Notes
Reduce the amount of salt added if using a salted stock.
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