Pistachio Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

• 1 , 1 1/4 pound
• 0.5 cups roasted salted pistachios
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 0.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 0.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   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.

3. 3

   Coarsely chop pistachios and set aside.

4. 4

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

5. 5

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

6. 6

   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.

7. 7

   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.

8. 8

   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.

9. 9

   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.

10. 10

    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.

11. 11

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

12. 12

    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.

13. 13

    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.

14. 14

    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.