Pork Marbella is easy for a weeknight but also worthy of a special occasion
Have you ever eaten something and thought: "I have to have this recipe"? That was me about a year ago when a kind friend brought dinner for my husband and me one night while I was feeling under the weather. Pork tenderloin is combined with the most unusual list of ingredients, including prunes, green olives and capers, resulting in the slightly sweet but still savory Pork Marbella. It was so good. My husband and I found ourselves looking forward to enjoying the leftovers.
Thank goodness my friend readily shared the recipe, which turned out to have been re-created by the folks at Bon Appétit magazine. I say re-created because, according to the magazine, their version is modeled after a recipe they refer to as a beloved classic, Chicken Marbella, from "The Silver Palate Cookbook."
"The Silver Palate Cookbook" is considered by many to be an essential part of any cookbook collection. Written by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, the women who founded the original New York City gourmet shop by the same name, it is full of recipes served in their shop along with menus and tips for pulling together the perfect meal.
I purchased my copy of "The Silver Palate Cookbook" more than 20 years ago and have tried many of its delicious recipes. And, as luck would have it, Chicken Marbella was one of them.
When I saw the recipe's name, I immediately thought it must be from Spain, but I couldn't have been more wrong. As it turns out, Chicken Marbella was the first main course dish to be offered at The Silver Palate and was invented by Sheila Lukins herself.
The updated Bon Appétit recipe includes sauce ingredients similar to the original. Still, it substitutes pork tenderloin for the chicken, noting it helps to make the dish weeknight-friendly because it cooks quickly. But don't think for a minute this dish can't also serve as a special occasion meal, because it can.
When I first saw the recipe for the chicken version of this dish, the combination of ingredients wasn't appealing to me. But based on the recommendation of a friend, I eventually made it. It was good, but the pork version is excellent, so please don't let the unique combination scare you away.
Pork tenderloin is a lean, healthy protein and a favorite in my house. It is always tender and easy to prepare, but it can dry out quickly if overcooked because of its lack of fat. The best way to keep this from happening is to use a meat thermometer. My favorite is a digital model that includes a probe that monitors both my target temperature and the actual temperature of the meat. Mine is an older model that connects using a cord, but many newer models are wireless.
I like to cook this recipe in my iron skillet, as I find it sears the meat well, is oven-safe and can be returned to the stove to reduce the sauce. However, when I doubled the recipe, I browned the meat in a skillet and then combined everything in an oven-safe baking dish with equally good results.
Before making a recipe, I usually look at reviews left by others who have already made the dish, and this was no exception. So, when I saw several comments about decreasing, or eliminating, the brown sugar in the recipe, I was tempted, but I chose to make the recipe as written and am glad I did.
Unfortunately, the photos can't show you the layers of flavor created by this unique combination of briny, salty, sweet and acidic ingredients. I like to serve it with steamed green beans and either potatoes or rice, along with some bread to mop up any leftover sauce.
No one will ever guess how easy this recipe for Pork Marbella is to make. My friends and family have commented that this recipe tastes like it could be served in a restaurant, which to me is high praise. It is a keeper in my book and a recipe I will continue to make many times in the future.
• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge.