ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH CARIBBEAN COCONUT CURRY SAUCE (Caribbean, for four)

For the pork tenderloin:

two ¾ pound pork tenderloins

2 teaspoons Madras curry powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the coconut curry sauce:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

1 teaspoon Madras curry powder

½ cup chicken broth

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

lime wedges

½ cup fresh basil, julienned

Caribbean fruit fried rice to accompany

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1. Marinate the pork: Stir the curry powder, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. After patting the pork dry, rub it with the seasoning, making sure to coat all surfaces. Marinate, uncovered, at room temperature for at least 20 minutes (It will absorb more flavor if you marinate it longer, but if your kitchen is hot and you’re planning an extended marinade, refrigerate it, covered).

2. While the pork marinates, place a rack in the middle of the oven and pre-heat it to 425*.

3. Prepare the coconut curry sauce: Heat the canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, lemongrass and ginger and saute until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Thai curry paste and curry powder and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until lightly reduced. Add the coconut milk and simmer 5 more minutes, for the flavors to come together. Remove the curry sauce from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a small saucepan, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.

4. Roast the tenderloin: Brush a large, heavy, ovenproof (preferably cast iron) ridged grill pan with oil, heat it over a medium flame until hot but not smoking and brown the pork on all sides, about 5 minutes.

5. Transfer skillet to oven and roast 30 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of the pork registers 155*. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let it stand 5 minutes before slicing.

6. Serve the pork: Gently reheat the curry sauce. Arrange pork slices on a platter and pour the coconut curry sauce over the pork. Garnish with lime wedges and basil and accompany with fruit fried rice.

from Eric Ripert, aveceric.com