Balsamic Plum Pork Loin

Ok. This recipe may seem a little strange to some, but it is rich and deep in flavor! The balsamic plum reduction pairs perfectly with a nice juicy pork loin. This is a recipe I have made for years! It looks lovely on a Christmas table and is WAY different than the traditional ham or turkey (and way more YUM!). SO, if you are ready to be brave and make your taste buds tingle, then go make this! It is de-lish!

Suggestions:

1. I have made this recipe with both sweet onions and red onions. They are very similar to the flavor of the shallot, which is what I prefer. The trick is just to make sure they are minced very tiny.
2. I use a small pork loin, between 2-3 pounds. I buy the ones that have two in a pack. They cook faster, they come out juicier!
3. Balsamic vinegar is POTENT! Like burn your eyes and nose hairs when you cook it. So don’t get your face too close!
4. The balsamic plum reduction gets pretty sticky when it cools. If it becomes too sticky, just stick it back on the heat for a minute, or put it in the microwave, until it thins out again.

Ingredients:

4 Tsp Olive oil divided

Small pork loin

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

5 TBS Unsalted butter, divided

2 Shallots

3 Cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup Balsamic vinegar

½ cup Plum preserves

2 Beef bouillon cubes

Directions:

1. In a deep sided frying pan, drizzle about 2 tsp of olive oil and turn heat onto medium high.
2. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Pat pork loin dry with a clean towel or paper towel and salt and pepper both sides.
4. Place pork loin in the frying pan and brown quickly on each side. *This is a hot frying pan and the oil will pop while browning, so be careful! You do not need to cook through at this point.
5. Remove pork loin from the frying pan and place in a baking dish with two tbs of butter on top, place in the preheated oven. Bake until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Cooking times will vary depending on size of the pork loin.
6. Turn the heat of the same frying pan down to medium and sauté the minced shallots until they become translucent.
7. Add garlic to the frying pan. Sauté with shallots for about 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
8. Add in the balsamic vinegar to the frying pan. Let reduce for about 5 minutes.
9. Add in plum preserves and let simmer, stirring occasionally until the preserves dissolve.
10. Add in the beef bouillon cubes and let simmer, stirring occasionally until they dissolve.
11. Reduce heat to medium low and add in the remaining 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once butter is melted and incorporated remove from the heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
12. Spoon the sauce over the cooked pork loin and serve!