Pork Tenderloin with Sour Cherry Sauce

This wonderful combination is a balance of savory and sweet and really shows off the terrific cherries we have here in Michigan.  I usually pair this with a good Pinot Noir, especially those from Oregon that tend to have big cherry notes.

NOTE: Pork should be cooked 20 minutes per pound or to an internal temperature of 155.


2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins
1/2 pound shallots (about 7), peeled and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup dried sour cherries (5 ounces)
1/2 cup sugar
2 (5-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary

Special equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder or pestle and mortar
Garnish: sprigs fresh rosemary


Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Very finely grind fennel seeds, salt, and peppercorns in grinder, then rub all over pork.
Toss shallots with oil in a 13- by 9-inch flameproof roasting pan, then nestle tenderloins among shallots (without crowding) and roast about 35-40 minutes.  Remove from oven, place on cutting board and let rest.

Put roasting pan with shallots over a burner, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling, stirring and scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a 2- to 2 1/2-quart heavy saucepan. Add cherries, sugar, and rosemary and boil until liquid is reduced to about 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard rosemary sprigs (do not discard any leaves that have fallen off stems). Transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Slice tenderloin into 1" slices, arrange on platter and put back into oven for a couple minutes just to warm.  Carefully remove, drizzle with a little of the cherry sauce, garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve with the rest of the sauce in a side sauce boat.  Enjoy!