Pistachio Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Place pork on a cutting board. Trim off any tough membrane, or “silver skin.” Butterfly the pork tenderloin by cutting lengthwise straight down the center, being careful to go only 75% of the way through. If pork is cut all the way to the cutting board, it will separate into 2 pieces and this recipe will not work.

Place butterflied pork on a piece of plastic wrap, and cover with another piece of plastic. Use a meat pounder to pound the pork to about 3/16-inch thick. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Coarsely chop pistachios and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine mustard, garlic, maple syrup, salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and mix thoroughly with a spoon until combined.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Remove pork from the refrigerator to a cutting board, one long side facing you. The pork will be an uneven shape at this point. To even it up more, slice a small piece off the pointed end, and place it over the gap on the wider end. Add a piece of plastic over the top, and pound with the meat pounder. The meat will adhere to itself, take on a more rectangular shape, and be easier to fill and roll evenly.

Spread mustard mixture evenly over the surface almost all the way to the edge on 3 sides, but leaving a couple inches of the edge furthest from you uncovered. Cover mustard evenly with breadcrumbs, and then with pistachios.

Roll pork up tightly, finishing with the seam at the bottom. Use kitchen string to tie pork every inch or so, trimming off any excess string.

Add vegetable oil to an oven-safe skillet, and set heat to medium-high. When oil is hot, add tied tenderloin and brown pork on all sides, turning often, about 4 minutes total.

Roast pork in the preheated oven in the skillet until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the center reads 140 degrees F (60 degrees C), 16 to 20 minutes.

Remove skillet from the oven. Transfer pork onto a plate, loosely cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, for pan sauce, place skillet back on the stove over high heat; pour in rice wine vinegar and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping bottom and sides of the pan with a spoon to help dissolve any caramelization.

Once about 75% of liquids have evaporated, and mixture is very slightly thickened, turn off heat and add cold butter. Keep butter moving by shaking the pan or stirring with a spoon until it disappears, and sauce is glossy and emulsified. Season with a pinch of salt and keep warm.

Snip the string off pork, then slice into about 1-inch thick pieces. Strain pan sauce over pork slices and garnish with fresh snipped chives to serve.

John Mitzewich