Pork Tenderloin

I’ve often fantasized about purchasing a whole pig but lack the freezer
space. I find breaking down a carcass or primal cut gratifying on many levels.



Recently some friends joined forces to butcher and share a half pig. This
creature came from one of my favorite pig farms upstate New York, they 
pasture raise heritage breeds that deliver great flavor and good fat. Along
with a good dose of virtue, self butchering also gives you the flexibility
to customize the cuts. Do you want double chops? Single? Bone in shoulder?
Loin? Loin Chops? Who wants the Tail? I have a small  bit of liver in the
freezer waiting for a chilly afternoon and as well as a few more good
meals to come.

I nabbed the tenderloin thinking of fainting-with-hunger Hubbo at home.
I usually turn my nose up at such a lean piece, it is called tenderloin for
a reason; the muscle gets little workout and there is little intramuscular fat.
But given the breed, we suspected this one was a Gloucestershire Old Spots
from the faint spots still visible on the skin, I was expecting to end up with
a tender, quick cooking, and yet flavorful piece. The best treatment would
be the simplest of seasonings and a quick sear.

            

I did trim off just a few pieces of fat and a bit of silver skin before seasoning
with salt and pepper. Some of this extra fat went into the pan to render for
the sear and the rest went into a pan to be rendered along with the veggies.
Veggies?: sautéed rainbow Swiss Chard stems and Choi.



While the meat rested on a cutting board I couldn’t resist the impulse to
make a quick sauce using the fat left in the pan. We would eat it all.
Just add some roughly chopped parsley, fry for a minute and deglaze with
homemade red wine vinegar, season with salt and pepper.