Pork Tenderloin With Fig & Stone Fruit Compote

This is a recipe requested by my mother. I created it a couple of years ago and after acquiring some California figs while I was shopping, I decided they would add a wonderful element to the original Stone Fruit version that I usually make.

Sweet onions, great white wine, and a touch of real maple syrup add dimension to this easy to make one pot dish. The pork is moist and tender, and the sweetness of the fruit and onion Compote is almost like a great jam. A beautiful accompaniment for a fantastic dish!

My mother, enjoying her use of a personal chef in the house for a few days also requested stuffed acorn squash. Both of my parents really like that dish. I found some squash at one of my favorite Mediterranean Markets that were almost white as opposed to the usual green version. I filled them with a basmati and wild rice mix, and spicy sausage that I cooked and then added a touch of maple syrup to balance put the heat with some sweetness. It turned out lovely.

Pork Tenderloin With Fig & Stone Fruit Jam

1 pork tenderloin
1 sweet onion sliced thin
5-6 figs, halved
2 yellow nectarines (and/or a mix of peaches)
2 plums
1 cup or more white wine
3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon each, butter and oil
Salt & pepper TT

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse the tenderloin in cold water and pat dry. Trim any silver skin (the white shiny stuff on the outside, it is really tough when cooked and you don't want to deal with it later). Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper.

Heat a Dutch Oven or other oven and stove safe heavy bottom dish. Add butter and oil and sauté the onions until soft. Then add the tenderloin and cook for a couple of minutes turning it so the outside is nicely seared. Remove the tenderloin.

Rough chop all of the fruit removing the stones and add them to the pot. Cook for a few minutes until they start to soften.

Add in the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Then add the maple syrup.

Replace the seared tenderloin pushing the Compote mixture away from the middle of the pot.

Cover and transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and cook for and additional 10-15 minutes or until the pork is cooked properly.

Remove the dish from the oven and allow to rest for 8-10 minutes. The fruit and wine Compote should be softened and the sauce created should thicken a bit. Slice the tenderloin and top with the Compote and sauces from the pot.

This recipe is a definite win! My mother is a happy camper this evening.