Playing off the tart-sweet-aromatic flavors of sherry vinegar and seared strawberries, this modern Spanish dish is outstanding as sophisticated and striking as it is easy to make. The amount of sugar you use will depend on how sweet you’d like the sauce and the tartness of your sherry vinegar. The strawberries likewise need some acidity; choose berries that are fragrant and seasonal but just a touch underripe. They should be tangy sweet and seared very briefly. The pork is best when slightly pink and moist; a meat thermometer is indispensable here.
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloins (each about 1 pound)
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons crumbled dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing the griddle
- 12 large aromatic but firm strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 0.33 cup chicken stock or broth or water
- ½ cup sherry vinegar, preferably aged
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for garnish
- Minced fresh chives, for garnish
How to Make It
- Rub the pork generously with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until richly browned on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the pork, turning several times, until it is tender and an instant-read meat thermometer registers 155°F, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest, covered with aluminum foil, while you prepare the strawberries and the sauce. The internal temperature will rise as the meat stands. Set the skillet aside; you’ll use it to make the sauce.
- Rub an unridged rimmed griddle pan or a large, heavy skillet with an oiled paper towel and heat until almost smoking.Add the strawberries and sear for about 45 seconds, turning once. They should be cooked until slightly softened but should not release too much juice.
- Add the chicken stock to the skillet in which the pork cooked and place it over medium-high heat, scraping the bottom of the skillet to dislodge the brown bits. Cook until the stock is almost syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons of the sugar and continue cooking until the sauce is almost thick enough to coat a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes longer. After about 1½ minutes, taste the sauce and add more sugar to taste if it seems too tart.
- Cut the pork into thick slices and arrange them decoratively on dinner plates. Spoon some seared strawberries beside the meat and drizzle the sauce on and around the meat and the strawberries. Sprinkle flaky salt over the pork and garnish it with chives. Serve at once.
