Stuffed Pork Tenderloin in Coconut-Chili Sauce

This recipe is inspired by the flavors of Thai cuisine. A pork tenderloin is stuffed with fresh cilantro and a puree of mild chili pepper, bell pepper, ginger, garlic, cilantro and lemongrass and cooked in coconut milk and more of the puree.

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin
• 4 stalks of lemongrass
• 4 pasilla chiles
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2½ oz / 75 g fresh ginger, peeled
• 12 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• ½ bunch of cilantro, finely chopped (keep a few leaves for garnish)
• 1 medium red onion
• ½ cup / 120 ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 can (13.5 fl oz / 400 ml) coconut milk
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Core pasilla chiles and bell pepper. Peel garlic and onion. Peel off outer layer from lemongrass, trim off base and top third. Remove stems from 1 bunch of cilantro.
2. In a food processor, blend together chiles, bell pepper, onion, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro and ginger. Blend in salt and oil.
3. Set a heavy saucepan over low-medium heat and cook the vegetable puree until smooth and soft, about 40-50 minutes. Cover, but stir frequently. At the end, stir in the sugar.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the tenderloin. With a sharp knife, cut lengthwise so that the tenderloin "unrolls" in a spiral, resulting in a sheet of meat. Pound the meat lightly if necessary to equalize thickness.
5. When the puree is done, set a sauté pan over medium heat and bring the coconut milk to a boil. Stir in 1½ cups / 350 ml of the cooked vegetable puree. Reduce heat and simmer while you stuff the tenderloin.
6. Cover the flattened tenderloin with some of the remaining puree and the chopped cilantro and roll it up carefully. Secure with a skewer.
7. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and sear the tenderloin over high heat until nicely browned on all sides.
8. Transfer the tenderloin to the pan with the coconut milk and vegetable puree mixture. Cover and simmer over low heat until the meat is almost firm to the touch, about 10-15 minutes. Remove, wrap in aluminum foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.
9. Adjust seasoning of sauce with salt.
10. Cut tenderloin into thick slices, serve with sauce and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Notes

• Serve with fried potatoes (as in my photo) or jasmine rice.
• You can cook the puree in a pressure cooker: 15 minutes at high pressure is about right.
• The idea for the stuffing was inspired by a "chili jam" in Jamie Oliver – Jamie's Kitchen.

Preparation time 1-2 hours

Yields 3-4 servings