Holy DELICIOUS, Batman!

'tis rare that I send around a recipe, but OHMIGOD my mom made this tonight and it was so good, I had to share. This might even be the kid-friendliest with veggies meal I've seen in a while. SO. GOOD. And, AND, I am not, not, not a fan of chard in any circumstance. Not kidding. Most importantly, though, holy crapola, the squash was amazing. We used Delicata squash and I would HIGHLY recommend it should you have it in your grocery stores. Never had it before, but it is now my hands down fave squash!!!

We used oregano because we had no sage. And this would provide a whole buncha leftovers for one person cooking...

I hope you enjoy as much as we did! No leftovers...


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Pork Medallions With Squash and Greens
The Washington Post, October 15, 2008

Dinner in 35 Minutes

* Course: Main Course
* Features: Fast, Kid-Friendly

Summary:

This dish comes from Christopher Blobaum, executive chef of the Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, S.C. He accepted our challenge to make his restaurant recipe accessible for a weeknight cook. He prefers using delicata squash, which is available now at Washington-area farmers markets. We used prepped and packaged butternut squash, keeping the dinnertime clock in mind.

Grits are almost a given, in terms of complementary low-country side dishes. Here, it really works, catching the sweet-tart pan juices.

4 servings
Ingredients:

* 6 to 8 sage leaves, plus more for (optional) garnish
* 4 large cloves garlic
* 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 12 ounces peeled and pre-cut butternut squash (may substitute 1 pound of delicata squash, peeled, cut in half, seeded and then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide crescents)
* 1 cup fresh apple cider
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, plus more to taste
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 2 pounds pork tenderloins
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 8 ounces greens, such as collard, kale, rainbow or mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 2 to 4 tablespoons good-quality cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Coarsely chop the sage leaves. Cut the garlic into very thin slices.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cast-iron or heatproof skillet over medium heat. Add the squash, then the sage, apple cider, water, sherry vinegar and season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine, then increase the heat to medium-high; bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the cider has reduced to the consistency of a glaze and the squash is fork-tender. Transfer to the stove top; taste and season the mixture with more salt and pepper as needed.

While the squash is in the oven, trim the tenderloins of silver skin and any excess fat. Cut the trimmed tenderloins into evenly sized medallions about 1 1/2 inches thick; shape them to a uniform size and season with salt and pepper; place on a plate.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter in a large saute pan or skillet over low heat, until the butter has melted. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the slices are golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to a small dish.

While the garlic is cooking, wash and dry the greens. Cut out and discard any tough center veins and stems, if desired. Tear or shred the leaves.

Increase the heat to medium and add the greens to the saute pan or skillet used to cook the garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, just until wilted; use tongs to keep them moving. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, stirring to combine. Return the garlic slices to the pan or skillet and mix to incorporate. Sprinkle with the vinegar to taste, then transfer to a bowl.

Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in the same pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the medallions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork registers 150 on an instant-read thermometer. Return the garlic and greens to the pan or skillet, just to warm through.

When ready to serve, place a serving of greens, some of the squash and some pan juices on each plate, with a few of the medallions. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired; serve hot.
Recipe Source:

From Christopher Blobaum, executive chef of the Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, S.C. As posted in the Washington Post.