Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Pork Marbella

Both salty and sweet, this savory dish riffs on Chicken Marbella by substituting pork tenderloin for chicken. (Please do not confuse small pork tenderloins, usually about a pound each, for pork loin, which is a much larger cut.)

Ingredients

For the chimichurri marinade/sauce:

  • Two 1-pound pork tenderloins
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup dry white wine, preferably Spanish
  • 1/2 cup pitted prunes, torn in half
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup capers, plus 1 tablespoon of caper brine
  • 1/2 cup Spanish green olives
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Step 1

Season the pork with salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the marinade: Combine the wine, prunes, brown sugar, capers and brine, olives, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the pork, seal tightly, pressing as much air out of bag as possible, and turn to coat. Chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Step 2

Place a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 325°F. Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry; reserve the marinade. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool 1 minute. Pour the reserved marinade over the pork. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast, basting the pork once with its sauce halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 145°F, 22 to 26 minutes, depending on thickness.

Step 3

Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the butter and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sauce is slightly reduced, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Slice the tenderloin crosswise against the grain. Transfer to a platter and spoon the pan sauce over the meat.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe from bonappetit.com

Marinated Rib-Eye Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Called chuletón in Spanish, these rib-eyes can be cooked indoors or out. To get more mileage (aka servings) from the steaks, thinly slice them on a diagonal after cooking and shingle on a large platter with the chimichurri sauce.

Ingredients

For the chimichurri marinade/sauce:

  • 2/3 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
  • 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the chimichurri marinade/sauce:

  • Two 8- to 10-ounce rib-eyes, each at least 1 inch thick
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade/sauce in a medium bowl and whisk to mix. Set aside half the marinade for serving. Place the steaks in a sturdy resealable bag or in a baking dish large enough to hold them and pour the remaining half of the marinade over them. Marinate the steaks for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the steaks from the marinade and scrape off any excess. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or plancha (a Spanish griddle) on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the steaks to the pan and cook, turning once or twice with tongs, until done to your liking, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Alternatively, cook the steaks on an outdoor grill, either charcoal or gas. (Note: Really thick steaks can be browned in the frying pan or on the plancha, then transferred to a 400°F oven to finish cooking.) Transfer the steaks to a platter or plates. Serve with the reserved chimichurri sauce.

Serves 2 generously — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Sea Scallops with Romesco Sauce

Though we have published recipes for romesco sauce in the past—this iconic sauce is awesome with vegetables, especially the calçots we have enjoyed in early spring in Barcelona—we had never thought to pair it with seafood.

Ingredients

For the romesco:

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for coating the vegetables
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 6 ripe plum tomatoes
  • 1 head garlic, halved, papery outer skin removed
  • 1 Spanish onion
  • 3 ñora chile peppers (or any other dried sweet chile pepper, such as ancho)
  • 1/4 cup blanched almonds
  • 1 ounce white bread, crust removed
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
  • 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste

For the scallops:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 large dry-packed sea scallops
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Brush a thin film of olive oil over the pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and onion and lay them on a roasting pan. Roast for about 25 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft. Remove them from the oven. When cool enough to handle, peel the pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and onion. Seed the pepper and tomatoes and cut off their stems. Meanwhile, place the chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 minutes. Strain, then remove the seeds from the peppers. Place the chiles in a blender and purée until smooth. Pass the purée through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl and set aside.

Step 3

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the almonds and sauté them until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the almonds to a bowl and set aside. Increase the heat to medium and add the bread to the same sauté pan. Toast the bread until golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side. Remove the bread and set aside. Add the puréed chiles to the sauté pan and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.

Step 4

Place the peeled roasted vegetables into the blender. Add the almonds, toasted bread, chile paste, vinegar, pimentón, and the remaining seven tablespoons of olive oil. Blend into a thick sauce and add salt to taste. Pour the romesco sauce into a bowl and set aside.

Step 5

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and when hot, add the scallops and sear on both sides, until the scallops are just cooked and slightly opaque, about 30 seconds on each side, depending on their size. Season with salt to taste and set aside.

Step 6

To serve, spoon some romesco sauce (rewarm if necessary) onto a serving plate. (Reserve the
remaining romesco sauce, covered in the refrigerator for up to three days, for another use). Place the seared scallops on top. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from joseandres.com

Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms

Eggs are indisputably popular in Spain, with each Spaniard eating 237 eggs per year on average, according to the latest statistics. Here is a keto-friendly recipe that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a tapa. My wife, Meghan, and I like to give the eggs a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before tucking in.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 14 ounces mixed mushrooms, preferably wild, such as chanterelles, morels, hen-of-the-woods, etc.
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
  • Chopped fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

Step 1

Heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir, turning the mushrooms until they are tender and lightly brown in parts.

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick frying pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the eggs and sprinkle with a little salt. Let the eggs set slightly at the bottom before gently turning and stirring them with a wooden spoon or spatula so that the liquid portion on top runs toward the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat when there are still some barely runny parts—the eggs will continue to cook.

Step 3

To serve, spoon some scrambled eggs onto plates and top with the sizzling mushrooms. Sprinkle with the chives or parsley.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden (HarperCollins, 2011)