Out of frustration comes happiness!

Necessity, based on the fact that my local meat guy at Zupan's Market totally f-cked up my order last night, was the mother of an awfully delicious invention last night. We were having mom over for dinner and my plan was to make this saltimbocca recipe I saw in the latest Saveur magazine. So I picked everything up...prosciutto di parma, fresh sage, etc. ...on a break from work then head to Zupan's House of Shopping Pain to pick up my veal cutlets that I had pre-ordered, and got the totally blank look from assistant meat dude (who wasn't who I ordered from originally) and found out they had forgotten to cut them, and assistant meat dude didn't know how. So I'm standing there, steam coming out of my ears, while he calls meat manager who was of no help...and oh, did I mention mom is waiting in the car after I picked her up to come to our house?...and I have no main course. It was a very special moment, let me tell you.

I didn't take it out my frustration on assistant meat dude, because he was the innocent bystander in this little butcher counter drama, so I looked around, down and to the right, and saw they had Carlton Farms pork tenderloins on sale for a mere $5.99 a pound. I haven't done much with pork loins/tenderloins lately, preferring instead to explore the slow-cooked goodness that can be rendered from a nice cheap hunk of fatty pork shoulder. But with nowhere else to go I grabbed a two pound piece, and back in the car and home with mom was I. She asked what was wrong, but not wanting mom to think she raised her son all wrong, I managed to leave the expletives out of my narration of frustration (not that she doesn't read enough of them here).

Anyway, back ay home, scotch and h2o for mom, negroni for me to calm my nerves, I started to rummage through the fridge to see what could be made from this admittedly attractive piece of pig. We had some wild morels and shiitakes from the farmer's market that had gotten lost in the drawer, I had the sage leaves, so you can read what I did with it all below. and if I can say, it was really damn good based on the props from mom and w. plus quick and easy. Even if I don't find myself in a bind, I'll be exploring this particular piece of protein in future posts!
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Pork Tenderloin with wild mushroom sauce
serves 4

I didn't take any pics of this one as I was in a hurry and winging it. Trust me when I say it looked gooood!

ingredients:
1- 2 pound strip pork tenderloin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter (divided in half)
2 cups mixed wild mushrooms
2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
Splash of marsala (optional)
1/4 cup white wine

method:
1-Turn oven on to 400*. Rub salt and pepper generously all around the outside of pork. Heat ovenproof stainless sauté pan large enough to hold pork on burner over medium-high heat. Add small splash of olive oil. When oil is shimmering place pork in pan and brown on all sides about three minutes per side. Place pan with tenderloin in oven and cook for about 15 minutes (meat thermometer should read about 130* when inserted into middle of pork).

2-While pork is in oven put olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in medium non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Heat until foam subsides and add mushrooms with a light sprinkling of salt. Sauté mushrooms until soft, about 10 minutes. Add splash of marsala if using, stir, and let evaporate. Pt mushrooms into bowl and set aside.

3-When done, remove pork tenderloin from oven (pork should be slightly pink in middle) and place on cutting board. Place the pan that held the pork back on stove top over medium-high heat (be careful, as that handle is hot ass!). Add mushrooms back to pork pan, add 1/4 cup white wine, scraping pan to loosen any porky bits (a.k.a. deglazing) and stir. Add two tablespoons butter and combine until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste. Slice pork and arrange on plates, spooning mushroom sauce on top.