Black Cherry and Fresh Chevre Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Wine Reduction

To make the rub mix the salt, pepper, and sage.

Heat oven to 350 ˚F.

Cherry mix for the tenderloin:
In a small saucepan, sauté half of the shallots in half of the butter over medium heat. When the shallots are translucent, add half of the cherries and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside, this will be used to stuff the tenderloin.

Prepping the tenderloin:
Place pork tenderloin fat side down on a sturdy cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut down the center lengthwise, but not all the way through. You will want to stop about an inch from the bottom. Flatten the sides out and lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top. Use a meat mallet and pound the tenderloin out until it is all about one inch thick. On a clean surface, lay out another piece of plastic wrap a few inches larger than the meat. Place the meat in the center of the plastic wrap, fat side down. Spread the Dijon over the entire top of the meat, then layer the prosciutto on top of the Dijon. Spread the fresh chèvre and cherry mix down the center, leaving ½ inch border on all sides. Tightly roll the tenderloin around the filling using the plastic wrap to hold it in place and keep it closed. Set aside.

Starting the Cherry Au Jus:
In a small saucepan, sauté the other half of the shallots in the other half of the butter over medium heat. When the shallots are translucent add the rest of the cherries, and the wine, and simmer for 15 minutes. In a small bowl mix cherry juice, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the rub, and the balsamic glaze, then add to the pan and simmer on low until ready to serve. This is the base of your au jus.

Cooking the tenderloin:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Remove the plastic wrap from the meat and rub the tenderloin generously with the spice rub. Place the tenderloin in the skillet. Rotate every several minutes until brown on all sides, then transfer to a baking dish. Pour drippings over the top and place in pre-heated oven. Bake in the preheated oven until pork is no longer pink in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 ˚F (71 ˚C).

Transfer the meat from the pan to a cutting board and let rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Slice into 1 to 1 ½ inch slices. Take drippings from the pan and mix into the au jus base you made previously.

To serve, ladle a bit of the au jus on a plate, place one to two pieces of tenderloin on top and drizzle a with a bit more au jus. Serve over a bed of wild rice and it’s the perfect main course for an intimate dinner party. Make sure to pair with 2020 Myka Estates Snows Crossing Pinot Noir.

Note: If you want to thicken the au jus just add a bit of corn starch slurry or arrowroot.