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Marinated Pork Fillet with Thyme


Ingredients

Units Scale

ingredients

  • 2 pork [tenderloin] fillets, weighing about 400g (1lb) each
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) butter, chilled and diced

for the marinade

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) red wine vinegar
  • 300ml (1/2 pint) red wine
  • 60ml (4 tbsp) olive oil
  • 5ml (1 tsp) black peppercorns
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) salt
  • 5ml (1 tsp) sugar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 12 juniper berries

Instructions

  1. Trim the pork fillet, removing any fat or sinew from the outside.
  2. Place all the marinade ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes and then allow to cool. Place the pork in a deep, non-reactive (ceramic or stainless-steel) container and pour the marinade over the pork. Cover with clingfilm and chill for 48 hours, turning every 6 hours.
  3. After 48 hours, preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C/400°F/gas 6). Remove the pork from the marinade and dry with a clean cloth. Reserve the marinade. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat, add the oil and brown the pork well on all sides. Transfer it to a roasting tin and roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
  4. Remove the pork from the oven and place the pork to rest on a plate, lightly covered with foil.
  5. Drain excess fat from the tin and deglaze it using 200ml (7 fl oz) of the marinade. Scrape the bottom of the tin with a wooden spoon to loosen all the delicious caramelised juices. Strain into a clean saucepan and boil until you have reduced the liquid by about half. Now whish in the butter and adjust the seasoning to taste.
  6. Slice and divide the pork evenly among 4 plates and drizzle the sauce over the sliced meat. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Serve with a generous portion of mash, your favourite greens and sweet carrots.
  • If you are going to cook the pork to well done, I suggest you take the following route. After the fillets have been browned all over, remove and place on a rack in a baking dish. Add 125ml (4½ oz/½ cup) water to the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Leave in a warm place for 10 minutes before slicing in 2.5cm (1 inch) diagonal wedges. Follow the rest of the recipe.
  • While I find that the bay leaf really uplifts the marinade, it is not essential. Feel free to experiment using any of these bay leaf substitutes.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 369
  • Sugar: 4.27 g
  • Sodium: 1072 mg
  • Fat: 14.63 g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.48 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7.07 g
  • Fiber: 1.19 g
  • Protein: 29.89 g
  • Cholesterol: 90 mg