Pork Tenderloin with Parma Ham
Pork tenderloin, wrapped in Parma ham and chicken mousseline, is accompanied by rich truffle sauce and braised leeks. Chef Jorgensen uses Vitalius pork, a particularly lean pork. Tenderloin is naturally lean; just be sure any outer fat is cut away. The chef also salt-cures and dries pork tenderloin into a sort of jerky and uses pieces of the dried meat for garnish.
Ingredients
- Pork Tenderloin - 1
- Sea salt
- Sunflower Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Thyme - 2 sprigs
- Freshly ground pepper
- Caul Fat - 1 piece, about 16 inches square
- Chicken Mousseline - 3/4 to 1 cup (recipe follows)
- Parma Ham (Prosciutto) - 8 thin slices
- Braised Leeks
- Sunflower Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Leeks - 3, cleaned, tops trimmed, and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
- Salt
- Szechuan Pepper - 1 tablespoon, coarsely ground
- Thyme - 2 sprigs, stemmed and chopped
- Garlic Cloves - 2, chopped
- Chicken Stock - 1 cup
- Truffle Sauce
- Truffles - 1-3/4 ounces, chopped
- Cognac - 1/4 cup
- Pork Stock - 1-1/4 cups
- Garlic Cloves - 2, chopped
- Shallot - 1, chopped
- Rosemary Sprigs - 1, stemmed
- Veal Demi-Glace - 3/4 cup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Unsalted Butter - 3 tablespoons
- Salt-Cured Pork Tenderloin - 1 ounce, cut into very fine, small julienne (optional)
- Chervil Sprigs - 4
- Chicken Mousseline
- Chicken Breasts - 2, bones removed
- Egg White - 1
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1 cup
Instructions
To prepare the pork and the leeks: Season the tenderloin with sea salt. Heat the sunflower oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the thyme sprigs to flavor the oil. Sear the tenderloin on all sides until well browned. Season with pepper. Remove from pan and let cool; set the pan aside with the oil and thyme sprigs still in it.
Meanwhile, prepare the leeks: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Heat the sunflower oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat and brown the leeks, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Add the chicken stock and stir up the browned bits from the bottom. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes.
Spread the pork caul on a work surface and coat it with the chicken mousseline. Cover the mousseline with a layer of Parma ham and spread with more moussline. Put the tenderloin at one side of the caul fat. Roll up in the caul fat, pressing the edges to seal. Trim any excess caul fat. Reheat the skillet over high heat and add the pork roll; sear on all sides. Place in the oven with the leeks for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest. Set the skillet aside with the drippings still in it.
To make the sauce: Pour off all but a skim of drippings from the cooking skillet. Put the truffles in the pan and toss to brown for 1 minute. Add the Cognac, avert your face, and ignite. Shake the pan until the flames die down. Stir up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the pork stock, garlic, shallot, and rosemary and cook until reduced by one-third. Add the veal demi-glace and cook until reduced by half. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the butter, a piece at a time. Keep warm.
To serve: Slice the tenderloin diagonally into 12 pieces. Place three pork medallions on each. Place 2 leek pieces on each serving plate and cross with a third. Spoon truffle sauce around the leeks and meat. Optionally, sprinkle with salt-cured tenderloin bits. Garnish each plate with a sprig of chervil.
Chicken Mousseline
Keep all ingredients very cold as you work. Coarsely grind the chicken breasts in a chilled meat grinder, then put in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the egg whites, one at a time, and process briefly until incorporated. Add the spices and pulse. Scrape down the sides. With the machine running, slowly add the cream. Scrape down the bowl, then process again until smooth. Press through a fine-meshed sieve if very smooth texture is desired. Put in a container set in an ice bath until ready to use. To taste, poach a small ball of the mixture first, then taste and adjust seasoning. These precautions are taken because the raw chicken, raw egg, and cream must all be handled carefully for food safety.
