Pork is strange meat. If you cook it too long, it turns out like tough sawdust. If you don’t cook it enough, you could be chewing for hours and get sick on top of it. Since loin of pork has very little of its own fat to keep it moist, it’s important to find that sweet spot where the pork turns out safely cooked and tender. Pan searing is a good way to go.
Pork does very well with fennel and garlic. Fennel seeds have a licorice taste to them and are an essential ingredient in Italian sausage. If you don’t like either of those things, you won’t like these pork medallions. Garlic is like David and Goliath – the smaller the piece of garlic, the stronger it is. In this case, I pounded that fennel seed and garlic in a mortar and pestle then pounded it into the medallions for extra flavor. I made a pan wine sauce to go over them and garnished with parsley flakes.
About Garlic
The smaller a piece of garlic is, the stronger the flavor. For example, if you slice garlic and saute it, it has a lovely, light flavor, almost like a caramelized onion. If you chop the garlic, the pieces are a lot stronger in flavor. But, if you really want to get the strongest possible flavor, use a garlic press.
The garlic press I have is old-fashioned and a pain to clean. I found a new one that had a bottom that was supposed to easily clean and get the pieces of garlic out. Well, in order for it to work, the pieces of plastic had to be a certain size to not fall apart. However, that meant that my garlic pieces were too large. I wound up giving the new one away. So, I recommend getting the old-fashioned garlic press for the best flavor.
Let’s Make Pan Seared Pork Medallions with Fennel and Garlic
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Pan Seared Pork Medallions with Fennel and Garlic
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 1 pound pork loin
- 1 tablespoon Fennel seeds
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Tuscan Sunset
- 2 tablespoon *Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup Red wine
- 1 tablespoon parsley
Instructions
- Mise En Place
- 1 tablespoon Fennel seeds, 2 cloves Garlic, 1 teaspoon Tuscan SunsetPut the fennel seed and Tuscan Seasoning into a mortar. Use a garlic press to press the garlic cloves in with the fennel. Grind the mixture with the pestle until it's a paste.
- 1 pound pork loinSlice the pork loin into medallions about 1/4 inch thick.
- Rub some the spice mixture on to the top of each medallion leaving enough for the bottom pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and use a mallet to pound the spice into the meat. Turn the medallions over and repeat. Cover with plastic in refrigerate for at least a half an hour.
- 2 tablespoon Olive oilWhen you are ready to cook, heat an iron skillet to high heat and add oil when the pot is very hot.
- Carefully place the medallions in the pot and let them sear. Cook for 5 minutes on one side, then turn and cook on the other about 3 to 4 minutes or until the meat reaches 145F/63C on an instant-read thermometer.
- 1/2 cup Red wine, 2 tablespoon unsalted butterRemove the pork from the pan. Add the wine to the pan and scrape up all the good fond, then add the butter and whisk into a nice sauce.
- 1 tablespoon parsleyReturn the pork to the pan and get the pieces coated with the sauce, then plate pouring the sauce over the medallions and garnish with parsley.
Nutrition
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Wow, these were just delicious, moist, tender and flavorful. It’s a keeper!
I made these, and I gotta say, they were great. They turned out nice and moist, not tough, and really flavorful. I made them with mashed potatoes and salad. I’ll make these again.
The picture isn’t the greatest, and they’re really not the prettiest medallions in the world, but they sure are tasty. Thanks for posting!