Pork Medallions with Cherry Sauce

A little over a year ago, the hard drive on my beloved MacBook died and since I hadn’t been smart enough to ever back it up, I lost everything.  You might think I would have learned my lesson from that incident, but you’d be wrong 🙂  I upgraded to a Macbook Pro last summer, but still haven’t come up with a plan to back up my data.  (I know, I know, not wise…)  The one exception relates to my photos.  Like most food bloggers, I take a ton of pictures and I don’t mess around there.  The minute the photos are transferred from my camera to my computer I upload them to my Flickr account.  There’s peace of mind in knowing my pictures are safe and sound regardless of what happens to my computer.        

The only problem with uploading so many photos to Flickr is that if I don’t organize them carefully, things can quickly get buried back on page 10 or 20 (or worse, I think I have 345 pages of photos at this point) and occasionally, that leads to me forgetting about them.  Such was the case with these pork medallions, which is a real shame as they’re great!  As I was cleaning out my photos this week, I found this dish (along with some notes I’d taken) and resolved to post it soon.  I made this recipe for the first time last summer when I wasn’t blogging much so that also contributed to its delayed appearance on the site.  

You’ll definitely want to add this dish to your list of quick go-to weeknight meals.  From start to finish, these pork medallions can be on your table in 20 minutes or less – you can’t beat that!  Even better, they’re delicious and good for you.  The recipe comes from Ellie Krieger, and while I don’t always enjoy her lighter take on things, this one is a hit.  I think pork lends itself to being paired with fruit, and the tart cherries are a perfect choice here because they also work in harmony with the slightly sweet balsamic vinegar in the sauce.  I’m not a big fan of pork chops (they always taste dry to me) but the pork medallions cook so quickly that they’re usually quite juicy.  I’m so glad to have re-discovered this recipe because not only could I share it with you, but it can also go back into our dinner rotation 🙂

Pork Medallions with Cherry Sauce
from Ellie Krieger (via FoodNetwork.com)

1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, sliced into 1/2-inch thick medallions
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup dried tart cherries

Season the pork medallions on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.  Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat.  When the pan is hot, add the meat and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side.  (We like our pork just slightly pink in the center, so cook a bit longer if you prefer yours well done.)  Transfer the pork to a plate and tent with foil.

Pour the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the pan.  Add the shallots and saute until they begin to soften, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the cherries and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.  Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper, then pour over the pork medallions.