Greek-Style Pork Loin Medallions

We found some pork tenderloin on sale recently, and I wanted to do something really simple with it as we are still spending so much time in the garden.

This fit the bill, and also used up several green garlic plants that had come up in undesirable places - apparently there is a reason garlic is a weed in this town - as well as the patch of oregano growing by the side of the garage. Oregano is actually very early to get started and it is best before it starts to flower so this is getting made none too early. Very tasty, we thought. 

4 servings
10 minutes prep time
4 to 8 hours to marinate
15 minutes to cook

1/3 cup loosely packed fresh oregano leaves (10 to 12 stems)
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, OR 1/4 cup minced green garlic or garlic scapes
the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
the juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon hot paprika, OPTIONAL
2 tablespoons olive oil
500 grams (1 pound plus) pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil

Strip the leaves from the stem, and mince them (leaves, not stems) and put them in dish which will  hold the pork in one or two layers, and which can be covered.

Peel and mince the garlic. If you have green garlic or garlic scapes, trim off any tough bits and mince the remainder finely. Add it to the oregano. Wash and dry the lemon, and grate in the zest. Squeeze in the juice, add the salt, pepper, and paprika, and add the 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Slice the pork tenderloin into slices about 1" thick. Put them in the marinade and turn them to coat them. Cover and marinate them in the fridge for 4 to 8 hours.

Bring the pork out of the fridge to warm up a bit about 15 minutes before cooking it. Heat the last of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lift the pork out of the marinade and let as much liquid drain off of it as possible. Cook the medallions in the oil for 4 or 5 minutes per side, until lightly browned and cooked through. While they cooked, I lifted the oregano, garlic, etc from the marinade with a slotted spoon and added them to the pan. It's up to you if you want to be bothered.

When the pork is cooked, remove it to a serving plate and let it rest 5 minutes before serving. 





Last year at this time I made Strawberry Cucumber Salad. Wow, are things late compared to last year. There are piles of strawberries coming, but honestly, half of them are still flowers, never mind ripe. What a different year!

Posted in: Ontario Food