Catalonian Pork Tenderloin with Figs

Created by ForeverMama on October 3, 2022

Ingredients

4 pounds pork tenderloins (a total of 4, one pound each tenderloins)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 oregano sprigs
2 rosemary sprigs
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoons Spanish sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Spanish bittersweet smoked paprika (if you can't find bittersweet, use partially hot and sweet depending if you want it spicy)

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pints fresh figs, stemmed and quartered (I can imagine that dried figs can be used with some adjustments to the recipe by possibly soaking them in the honey and vinegar before roasting, if fresh is not available in your area)
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon Sea or Kosher salt
1 cup honey (the pourable kind)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 cup good quality chicken stock (homemade preferred or can use a good quality bouillion or canned)
4 ounces Cabrelas cheese, crumbled (Cabrelas is a Spanish blue cheese, so you can substitute with a good quality blue cheese that is available in your area)
1 cup whole almonds (Marcona almonds preferred if you can find it, otherwise use regular almonds)

Step 1: Place the pork tenderloins in a shallow baking dish. Place the garlic, oregano, rosemary, peppercorns, and coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle (or if you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can run it through a small spice electric mill or through a small food processor). In the mortar and pestle, pound the herbs and spices to release their aromas and the oils. Add the paprikas and olive oil and stir to mix. Pour over the pork tenderloins, making sure they are coated evenly. Cover and refrigerate to marinate overnight.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F. Place the figs in an even layer in a roasting pan, sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and drizzle with the honey and sherry vinegar. Roast until the figs soften slightly but still have shape and the honey starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Gently remove the figs from the pan. Pour the chicken stock into the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Set the pan over high heat and reduce slightly for 1 - 2 minutes, then pour over the figs.
Step 3: About 45 minutes before cooking, remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator. Preheat a grill or large saute pan to very hot. Season the pork tenderloins with the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt. Grill or sear on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Place in the preheated oven to finish cooking, 6 - 10 minutes for medium (be careful to not overcook and take in mind the thickness of each tenderloin, some are thinner and some are thicker, adding variability as to the time spent in the oven). Remove from oven and let rest a bit before slicing the pork tenderloins on a slight bias (the resting period is to prevent all the juiciness from the tenderloins to run out like a river). Stir the cheese and almonds into the fig mixture and spoon over the pork. Enjoy!