by Colu Henry

Pork tenderloin is lacquered in a mix of Calabrian chili paste, honey, crushed fennel seeds and dried mint, before grilling, and then served atop a bright, shaved salad of cabbage and hazelnuts. The sweet heat and slight licorice note plays nicely with the Pinot Noir Laurène 2023’s earthy spice and acidity. Make sure to pull the pork on the early side.  Tenderloin is a lean cut of meat and will continue cooking while it rests and you don’t want it to dry out. To turn this dish into a dinner party, I’d start the evening off with some marinated Castelvetrano olives with orange peel and rosemary, as well as some Italian cheeses such as Piave and Taleggio. To round out dinner, I’d also serve a warm farro salad with char-grilled tomatoes topped with basil and tarragon. Serve outdoors at magic hour.

Serves 4 

Time: 30 minutes, plus marinating time

 

INGREDIENTS

For the pork:

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb each

3 tablespoons Calabrian chili paste (or crushed Calabrian chilis in oil)

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle 

2 teaspoons dried mint

2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

4 garlic cloves, grated

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

For the cabbage:

4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage

2 tablespoons olive oil 

Juice of one lemon

¼ cup roughly chopped hazelnuts

2 ounces Parmesan, shaved and divided 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Flaky salt for serving 

METHOD

Make the marinade: In a bowl, stir together the Calabrian chili paste, honey, fennel seeds, dried mint, mustard, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. 

Season the pork with salt and pepper and place the tenderloins in a resealable bag or shallow bowl and pour over the marinade. Rub to coat evenly. Marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight in the fridge. Let the pork come to room temperature before grilling.


Heat a grill to medium-high. Remove the pork from the marinade and sear on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Lower heat or move to indirect heat, cover grill, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes more, turning occasionally, until an internal temp of 135°F is reached. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Reserve any juices that have accumulated. 

While the pork rests, make your cabbage: In a large bowl combine the cabbage, hazelnuts and half the Parmesan. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust with more salt and lemon juice as needed. Top with remaining cheese and a few pinches of flaky salt. 

To serve, evenly distribute some of the salad onto each plate and top with a few pieces of thinly sliced pork. Spoon any remaining juices over top.