Makes about 40 hors d’oeuvres
- Active time:35 min
- Start to finish:4 hr (includes chilling)
December 2006
A balance of savory and sweet, this wonderful combination can also be presented more casually; the pork tastes just as good when the slices are simply served on a platter with the sauce on the side.
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2
teaspoons
fennel seeds
-
2
teaspoons
salt
-
1/2
teaspoon
whole black peppercorns
-
2
(1-lb) pork tenderloins
-
1/2
lb
shallots (about 7), peeled and halved lengthwise
-
2
tablespoons
olive oil
-
2
cups
dry red wine
-
1
cup
dried sour cherries (5 oz)
-
1/2
cup
sugar
-
2
(5-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary
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Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
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Very finely grind fennel seeds, salt, and peppercorns in grinder, then rub all over pork.
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Toss shallots with oil in a 13- by 9-inch flameproof roasting pan, then nestle tenderloins among shallots (without crowding) and roast until thermometer inserted into thickest end of pork registers 155°F, about 30 to 35 minutes. Put 2 layers of foil on a work surface and transfer pork to foil. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then wrap in foil and chill until cold, about 2 hours.
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While pork cools, put roasting pan with shallots over a burner, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling, stirring and scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a 2- to 2 1/2-quart heavy saucepan. Add cherries, sugar, and rosemary and boil until liquid is reduced to about 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard rosemary sprigs (do not discard any leaves that have fallen off stems). Transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and chill, uncovered, until cold, about 1 1/2 hours.
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Cut chilled pork with a carving knife or an electric meat slicer diagonally into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Roll up each slice into a cornet (cone) shape and pierce in center with a rosemary sprig to secure. Fill opening of each cornet with about 1/2 teaspoon cherry sauce. Discard rosemary sprigs when eating.
Cooks’ note: Pork and cherry sauce can be chilled separately up to 1 day. Cover cherry sauce after 1 1/2 hours of chilling.
