Celebrate strawberry season with a succulent snack and a superb meal
Nothing like strawberries to bring in summer, if not youth, money and good looks. But after gorging on them a few times, we began to wonder if we might temper our passion to draw out the pleasure. Best You friend, the chef and nutritionist Laura Pensiero, tells us there are a number of elegant dishes that are so delicious, they taste as if they’re really hard to make. Bingo!—but they aren’t. Click on our link below for Laura’s recipe for pork tenderloin with strawberry balsamic glaze that you’ve got to try.
Tip: For an even simpler and surprising twist on strawberries, Laura suggests topping a bowl of ripe berries with really good aged balsamic vinegar lightly drizzled over the top—“very Italian,” Laura assures us. “Just a drop of the vinegar adds tremendous depth of flavor. Of course, adding a scoop of vanilla gelato makes it even better,” she says.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Strawberry BBQ Sauce
Makes 4 to 6 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for brushing the grill 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, or a combination of tarragon and chives 2 pints strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and halved 2 tablespoons sugar ¼ cup balsamic vinegar Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Two 10-ounce pork tenderloins1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium to large nonstick skillet over moderate heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and chives and cook, stirring often, until the shallots are softened, about 2 minutes. Add the strawberries and sugar and cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates to a few tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and simmer until thickened and syrupy, about 4 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Put half the BBQ sauce in a small bowl for brushing the pork and set aside to cool. Set the remaining sauce aside to serve with pork.
2. Preheat the grill to medium and brush racks lightly with oil. Rub pork tenderloins with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the pork, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and brush the pork with some of the sauce, turning and brushing occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of the pork registers 145°F, about 5 minutes longer (discard any remaining sauce used for brushing). Transfer the pork to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Cut the pork diagonally into ¼- inch-thick slices. Arrange the pork slices on plates and serve with the remaining reserved sauce.
3. Serve with sautéed spinach or Swiss chard, or an arugula salad with Parmesan shavings and a lemony vinaigrette.
—For more info on Laura Pensiero, her restaurant, or her cookbook, Hudson Valley Mediterranean, go to gigihudsonvalley.com.
