PORK WITH BRIE AND PECAN MOLASSES

Made this tonight and highly recommend it!

PORK WITH BRIE AND PECAN MOLASSES

4 oz Deli brie cheese, sliced
3-4 shallots, coarsely chopped
4 oz watercress (or arugula) leaves
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)
1/2 tesp. kosher salt
1/4 tesp. pepper
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Prep:

Cut brie into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Chop shallots (1/3 cup).
Remove stems from watercress; chop watercress leaves coarsely.

Steps:

Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Season pork with salt and pepper. Place oil in pan, then add pork; cook 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, or until golden.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cover; cook 10–12 minutes, turning occasionally, or until pork is 145°F. Remove pan from heat. Arrange cheese on pork and cover; let stand 5 minutes to melt.
Combine in small saucepan: shallots, pecans, brown sugar, water, and molasses; bring to a boil on medium-high.
Reduce heat to low; cook 5–7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat; whisk in butter. Place watercress on serving platter; slice pork and place on watercress. Top with sauce and serve.

Wow, sounds good! Anything with pecans gets my vote! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

anything with brie gets mine!
love baked brie with apricot jam and sliced almonds in phyllo dough!

yup, brie in phyllo is great!

The extra brie tasted great with the wine I was sipping while cooking. IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO GO!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Made it last night ...EXCELLENT... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />Thank you and keep the recipes coming <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

This sounds amazingly decadent... Any substitution for the pecans (I'm allergic to all tree nuts)? Or would it just "lose something" without them?

I'm not sure how good a substitution it would be, but are you allergic to peanuts?

No, I can have peanuts. But they have such a distinctive flavor I'm never sure if I can use them as a sub for tree nuts, since I have no idea what any of the tree nuts taste like!

Pecans, when they're roasting, smell sort of creamy & vanilla-y, is that how they taste?

Huhm, no one has ever asked me what pecans taste like before! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" /> They taste like pecans!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> Kinda sweet, I don't know--they taste nutty! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> ..and no, peanuts really don't taste anything like them.

How about something else altogether, like maybe dried cranberries?? Now that sounds good to me!

I think the cranberry idea is a winner. I don't like nuts at all and would leave them out or add the cranberries. Let us know what you decide and how it turns out.

Cranberries are a GREAT idea!

My impression is that the only thing peanuts share with "real" nuts is their texture. All I know for sure is that roasting pecans & hazelnut coffee smell WONDERFUL! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> But without trying to find a sub, I think the cranberries would taste great with this, thanks!

Cranberries and pork in general are a good combination.

Pretty much any fruit & pork are a good combo! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

Would like to do this for dinner tomorrow night... What would y'all suggest for sides? (nothing too involved, please, I have a crazy day tomorrow!)

I would say mashed potatoes and a green salad.

Baked sweet potatoes & green beans

Sweet potatoes go very well with pork, for sure!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Baked sweet potatoes, green beans, & salad it is then! Easy-peasy!

Thanks!

Baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon butter!!! Yum!!!

I served it will string beans but there are unlimited choices as already mentioned above.

Let us know how it came out!

Wow!

Soooo, based on what everyone said here, I made a few changes:

~Can't have nuts, so I used a cup of dried cranberries instead.

~Used a little Herbes de Provence on the tenderloin when I browned it.

~Once it was browned, I put the brie slices over the top of it & wrapped the whole thing in 8 sheets of phyllo dough (with melted butter painted in between each sheet) and popped it into the oven until the phyllo was browned.

And this is the finished product:




Served with regular baked potatoes with BVI sea salt, cream cheese & chives, (cinnamon sweet potatoes seemed too sweet with the very sweet sauce) and roasted asparagus (asparagus FOR ONCE looked good in our local supermarket!)

The watercress balances the sweetness of the sauce really nicely.

This recipe is totally worthy of dinner party status, it's a keeper!!

Thanks!!

Beautiful. Looks and sounds great. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

Beautiful!!

Gorgeous!

Thanks, it was YUMMY! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I'm impressed! You took one recipe and turned it into a very creative masterpiece. Thanks for the ideas. P.S. I agree that sweet potatoes would be too sweet a side dish due to the sweetness of the cranberries and/or molasses.