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Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Its impressive appearance belies how easy this dish is to make, whether for a weeknight meal or guests. Small potatoes roasted in olive oil and our citrus salad make appetizing accompaniments, as does piquillo pepper sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 1/2 pounds
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly grated black pepper
  • 4 ounces grated Manchego, Ibérico, or provolone cheese, divided use
  • 4 to 5 thin slices serrano or Ibérico ham
  • A generous handful of baby spinach leaves
  • 6 piquillo peppers, drained, seeded, halved, and dried on paper towels

Directions

Step 1

Using a sharp knife and working on a sturdy cutting board, make a lengthwise cut in the pork tenderloin to butterfly it, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. Sandwich the meat between sheets of sturdy plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet to flatten. Remove the plastic wrap. Brush the inside and outside with extra virgin olive oil, then generously season the meat with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese on the cut side of the tenderloin, then arrange the ham, spinach, and piquillo peppers down the length of the tenderloin, using the remaining cheese to “glue” the stuffing together. Bring the edges of the tenderloin together and tie securely with butcher’s string. (Trim any excess ends.)

Step 2

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, then brown the meat, turning with tongs until it’s nicely caramelized on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the tenderloin on a wire rack suspended over a roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Remove the butcher’s string, then slice the tenderloin crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. (An electric or serrated knife works best for this.) Serve with extra virgin olive oil for drizzling.

Serves 4

Zorongollo

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This colorful salad, popular in Cáceres in western Spain, makes a great starter, light lunch, or midnight snack. Do not confuse it with zarangollo, a dish from Murcia that features stewed zucchini and scrambled eggs.

Ingredients

  • 3 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, or a mix
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 small head of garlic, the top removed
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • Best quality sherry or red wine vinegar
  • A few leaves of Bibb, Boston, or romaine lettuce, washed and dried (optional)
  • 1/2 small sweet onion, peeled and sliced lengthwise into thin strips
  • 2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered lengthwise
  • 2 to 4 slices crusty bread, sliced on a diagonal and toasted

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the peppers and tomatoes, cut sides down, on a rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then loosely wrap the garlic in a square of aluminum foil (to keep it from burning), drizzle the garlic with olive oil, and place in a corner of the pan. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables soften. Let cool.

Step 2

Working over a shallow bowl, peel and seed the peppers and tomatoes. Reserve the juices.

Step 3

Cut the peppers into strips; dice the tomatoes. Combine, adding the reserved juices. Unwrap the garlic and squeeze 2 or 3 softened garlic cloves into the pepper-and-tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper and mash lightly with the back of a wooden spoon. Drizzle with a liberal amount of olive oil and vinegar to taste.

Step 4

Divide the lettuce leaves, if using, between two chilled shallow bowls. Top with the pepper-and- tomato mixture and the onions, then add an egg to each bowl, along with a piece or two of toasted bread (also drizzled with olive oil) and the remainder of the roasted garlic (2 or 3 cloves per plate). Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serves 2

Composed Salad with Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Sounds complicated and even more exotic in its original French—“salade composée”—but a composed salad is nothing more than an artful way to arrange your ingredients rather than tossing them together. Salade Niçoise and Cobb salad are two that are typically presented this way, but a composed salad can be made of any ingredients you choose—and it’s a great way to showcase fresh seasonal vegetables and even fruits. The following ingredients and directions are merely guidelines—let your imagination be your guide and remember that unusual combos can be delicious. Whatever you choose should have a flavorful dressing, so I’m including the recipe for one of my favorite vinaigrettes. It uses apple balsamic vinegar, a great change from classic balsamic of Modena.

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

  • 1⁄4 cup Apple Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed 
  • 1 small shallot, minced 
  • 1 garlic clove, minced 
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the platter, choose any combination:

  • Protein: pick 1 or 2, such as sliced chicken, hard-boiled egg halves, or strips of prosciutto
  • Cheese: pick 1 or 2 such as cubes of fresh mozzarella or aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, or thin rounds of goat cheese
  • Greens: pick 1 lettuce or another leafy green, like arugula or baby spinach
  • Vegetables: pick 3 or 4, raw, steamed, or grilled, such as asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and string beans
  • Fruit and nuts: pick 1 or more, such as grapes, apple or pear slices, raisins or another dried fruit, avocado, and almonds or walnuts 
  • Legumes: pick 1, such as cooked beans or chickpeas

Directions

Step 1

Make the vinaigrette: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, basil, shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Compose your salad: Rinse and pat dry all raw ingredients. Cut all ingredients into bite-size pieces or thin slices. Lettuces and other greens can be sliced into ribbons. Choose a large platter and place one ingredient at a time, going from left to right. 

Step 3

Place the vinaigrette on the side so each person can add as much or as little as they want.

Yields 4 servings

Bikini Sandwiches

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Back in the 1950s, the Barcelona nightclub La Sala Bikini started serving croque monsieur, the French grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Because the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco didn’t allow French (or English) words in the lexicon, it was simply called the home sandwich, but patrons soon referred to it as the Bikini. Delicious when made with quintessential Spanish foods, it can also be personalized with other ingredients you have on hand.

Ingredients

  • 4 large slices of crusty bread
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 ounces Manchego, Ibérico cheese, or provolone, very thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces Ibérico chorizo or jamón, thinly sliced
  • jarred piquillo peppers, drained, seeded, and slivered
  • Spanish orange blossom honey

Directions

Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil and build the sandwiches on two of the slices, layering on half the cheese, the meat, the peppers, and the rest of the cheese. Drizzle on some honey and then top with the remaining bread slices. Brush the outsides of the bread liberally with olive oil. Grill the sandwiches in a panini press or on a heated griddle until the cheese melts. If using a griddle, press down the sandwiches with a cast iron pan or other heavy pan for 5 minutes, flip and repeat. Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board and cut into slices.

Serves 2 (4 as tapas)