Pork tenderloin in a crust of nuts and almonds with a side of couscous
Pork tenderloin with a nut and almond crust is a recipe I tried after I enjoyed the nut crust version. I kept the cooking method of the meat but chose a side dish of couscous with pleurotus mushrooms, green onions, and a bit of cooking cream. The tenderloin is briefly seared in a pan and then finished in the oven to remain tender and juicy. Quick Info Total time: about 1 hour and 15 minutes, excluding the actual preparation time of the ingredients Preparation time: not specified exactly; the tenderloin needs to be refrigerated for 30 minutes and then brought to room temperature Cooking time: about 25-30 minutes for the tenderloin, plus 15 minutes for the side dish to puff under the lid Servings: the quantity is for one tenderloin and 200 g of couscous; the exact number of servings depends on the size of the tenderloin and the portion served Difficulty: easy to medium Type of recipe: main course, suitable for lunch or dinner Ingredients For the crusted tenderloin 1 pork tenderloin Salt Freshly ground pepper 1 handful of walnuts 1 handful of almonds 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil For the couscous side dish 200 g couscous 2 tablespoons of olive oil 3 green onion stalks 250 g pleurotus mushrooms Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 1 small cup of semi-dry white wine 1 small cup of cooking cream 1 teaspoon of cornstarch 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley 2 cups of water Preparation method 1. Prepare the tenderloin Wash the tenderloin and dry it well with paper towels. Rub it all over with olive oil, then season with salt and freshly ground pepper. The walnuts and almonds should be chopped or ground, but not too finely. For the crust, it's good to have small pieces remain, not to be turned into powder. Roll the tenderloin in the walnut and almond mixture, pressing lightly to adhere well to the meat. Place the covered tenderloin in the refrigerator and let it sit for 30 minutes. After this time, take it out and let it reach room temperature before cooking. 2. Sear the meat Take a piece of parchment paper large enough for the tenderloin. Run the paper under a stream of water, squeeze out the excess, and lay it in a grill pan. The damp paper lays down easier and forms a layer between the pan and the nut crust. Place the tenderloin in the pan and cook it over high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Do not leave it longer than necessary at this stage. The crust should set and brown lightly without burning. 3. Finish the tenderloin in the oven Transfer the tenderloin to a baking dish, along with the parchment paper. Place it in the preheated oven at 180 degrees and let it bake for 20-25 minutes. At the end, brush it with a little olive oil and sprinkle a bit more of the walnut and almond mixture on top. Wrap it in the parchment paper and leave it in the warm oven until you prepare the side dish and are ready to serve. In the original recipe, this step helps keep the meat warm and prevents the crust from drying out immediately. 4. Start the side dish Wash the green onions and slice them into rounds. Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small pot and sauté the onions until they soften. Clean the pleurotus mushrooms and cut them into pieces. Add them to the onions and let them cook until they soften. Pour in the semi-dry white wine, season with salt and pepper, and let the mixture cook for another 3-4 minutes. 5. Add the couscous Wash the couscous in several waters, then add it to the pot with the onions and mushrooms. Add the 2 cups of water and the chopped parsley. Stir, cover the pot, and let it come to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn off the heat and do not lift the lid immediately. Let the side dish sit covered for 15 minutes. During this time, the couscous will absorb the liquid and cook in the remaining heat. A Zepter pot was used for this stage, but it is important that the pot remains well covered. 6. Incorporate the cream Mix the cooking cream with the cornstarch until the mixture is smooth. After the 15 minutes, pour the mixture into the pot and stir well. Keep the side dish covered until serving. Slice the tenderloin and serve it alongside the couscous with mushrooms and green onions. Why I make this recipe often I love the combination of tender meat and the slightly crunchy nut and almond crust. The tenderloin does not need a long list of spices, and the cooking method is quite simple: brief searing, then oven. The side dish is heartier than simple couscous, thanks to the mushrooms and cooking cream. It can be prepared at the same time as the meat and stays warm for a few minutes if kept covered. Tips and variations Tips Dry the tenderloin well before rubbing it with oil and rolling it in nuts and almonds. If the surface is wet, the crust will adhere less effectively. Do not chop the walnuts and almonds too finely. Small pieces give texture to the crust, while very fine grinding can make the mixture resemble flour and detach more easily. Respect the short searing time in the pan. The crust can burn quickly over high heat, especially when it contains nuts and almonds. It is important that the tenderloin taken out of the refrigerator reaches room temperature before cooking. This way, the transition to the pan and then to the oven is more even. Keep the couscous covered for the 15 minutes without lifting the lid. The steam and heat in the pot are part of the cooking process. Substitutions In the basic recipe, the walnuts and almonds together form the crust, so there is no need to replace them or use other types of nuts. If you have more walnuts or more almonds, you can keep the proportion roughly equal between the two without changing the preparation method. For the side dish, the wine used is semi-dry white, and the cream is cooking cream. These are the ingredients specified in the recipe and contribute to the final taste and texture. Variations You can use more or less of the walnut and almond mixture depending on how thick you want the crust to be, without changing the other steps. The side dish can be kept simpler, with less cream, if you prefer the couscous grains to remain less creamy. However, in the presented version, the cream mixed with cornstarch is added after the 15 minutes of resting. Serving ideas Slice the tenderloin after it has been in the warm oven and place the slices next to the couscous side dish. It is easier to serve if sliced before reaching the table, as the crust distributes over each piece. Serve the meat alongside the mushrooms and green onions from the side dish, so that each portion contains both couscous and the creamy sauce. Frequently asked questions Does the tenderloin need to be marinated beforehand? No. In this recipe, the tenderloin is rubbed with oil, seasoned, rolled in nuts and almonds, and left in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. A liquid marinade is not used. Why is wet parchment paper used in the pan? The wet parchment paper forms a layer between the tenderloin and the grill pan, so that the nut and almond crust does not come into direct contact with the hot surface. The paper is squeezed before being laid in the pan. Can I skip the searing step? This step is part of the recipe method. The tenderloin is cooked for 2-3 minutes on each side over high heat before being transferred to the oven. If you skip it, you no longer follow the same preparation method, and the crust does not set in the same way. When is the cooking cream added? The cream is mixed separately with cornstarch and added to the side dish after the couscous has been covered for 15 minutes. After incorporation, the side dish is kept covered until serving. Do I need to lift the lid during the 15 minutes? No. The pot should remain covered so that the steam cooks and hydrates the couscous. Nutritional values The values below are estimates and depend on the exact weight of the tenderloin, the amount of oil absorbed, and the number of servings. For a division into approximately 4 servings, one serving can have around 520-620 kcal, 35-42 g of protein, 28-35 g of carbohydrates, and 28-36 g of fats. Most of the protein comes from the pork meat. The fats come mainly from the nuts, almonds, olive oil, and cooking cream. The couscous contributes carbohydrates, while the mushrooms and green onions add a smaller amount of fiber and micronutrients. Storage and reheating Store the tenderloin and side dish in closed containers in the refrigerator. For the best texture, it is preferable to consume them within 1-2 days. Reheat the portions over low heat or in the oven, covered, so that the meat does not dry out and the side dish does not harden. The tenderloin is best fresh, as the nut and almond crust loses its texture after storage and reheating.
Preparation
The tenderloin is washed, dried with paper towels, brushed with olive oil, and seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper. The walnuts and almonds are not ground too finely. The tenderloin is coated in a crust made of walnuts and almonds. It is left in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. It is taken out of the refrigerator and allowed to reach room temperature. A piece of parchment paper is taken, passed through a jet of water, squeezed of excess water, and spread in a grill pan. The tenderloin is placed on the paper in the pan and cooked over high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. It is transferred to a baking tray, with the paper, and baked in the oven at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes. In the end, I brushed it a little more with olive oil, sprinkled a bit more of the walnut and almond mixture, wrapped it in the parchment paper, and left it in the warm oven until served. For the garnish: green onions are washed and sliced into rounds, sautéed in a little olive oil. The mushrooms are added, cut into pieces, and left to sauté and soften. White wine, salt, and pepper are added and left for another 3-4 minutes on the heat. I added the rinsed couscous in several waters and 2 cups of water plus chopped parsley. I mixed it, put the lid on the pot (I used a Zepter pot), let it boil, turned off the heat, and did not lift the lid for 15 minutes. I mixed the cooking cream with the starch, and after 15 minutes, I poured the mixture into the small pot. I mixed it and left the garnish covered until serving. Enjoy your meal!
Tags
Categories
Appetizers
Beverages
Celebrity chefs
Chef in the city
Children
Coffee
Conserve
Cook and smile
Culinary Games
Culinary School
Dessert
Diverse
Doughs and pastries
Drinks
Fish
Healthy Delights
International
Jakob Hausmann
Jam
Jamie Oliver
Meat
Miscellaneous
Over
Pasta/Pizza
Pickles
Plague
Salad
Sandwiches
Sauces
Savory
Season
Sezon
Slow cooking
Soups
Star Recipe
Syrup
Translated
Various
Vegan
