Pork Tenderloin, Polenta, Kale Chips

Although I tend to grill year round, Memorial Day still feels like the beginning of grilling season. I happened to see some good looking pork tenderloins at the store, so I picked them up. I also decided rather than simply making grilled pork and a few sides, that I would make a full composed dish. Bit by bit, it started to come together. Continuing through the store, I saw some smoked cheddar, which would go great with the smokiness of the pork so I fit it into the dish in the form of smoked cheddar polenta. I also enjoy making Chinese char siu with pork tenderloin, so I thought to marinate it in the char siu-style, but I didn't baste it to keep it from having an overwhelming char siu flavor.

To go with the smokey polenta and sweet-ish pork, I thought some dark greens would add a nice bitter contrast. I made some kale chips by very lightly oiling kale leaves that had been torn from the fibrous stalk. Simply seasoned with kosher salt, they went into a 350 degree oven for about 12-15 minutes. They are finished when they are crisp and beginning to turn in color slightly. The kale chips remind me of the crispy bits of roasted broccoli. I also found some smokey braised collard greens at Real Kitchen, which we recently found makes tasty sides. While I can't see myself getting an entire meal there, I think they have great sides that can add another flavor note to a dish without any work.

After about a 10 hour marinade, the pork tenderloins were patted dry and thrown onto the grill. I grilled these over high direct heat to sear the meat, and finished them over lower indirect heat. Grilling over hickory wood chips gave the pork a nice, smoky aroma.

Thanks to the new FDA regulations that just passed, pork can now be cooked to the same levels of doneness as beef. Now I don't have to feel guilty for eating pink/red pork!

I made a simple batch of polenta by stirring coarse polenta into chicken stock. When the polenta has cooked for about 20-25 minutes and is the correct consistency, I added some grated smoked cheddar as well aged gouda. I also made a quick sauce by reducing homemade beef stock with a touch of the char siu marinade. The beef stock was full of gelatin, which aided in creating a silky sauce.

The final plated dish consisted of the smoked cheddar polenta, a bed of collard greens, sliced pork tenderloin, kale chips, and the char siu-stock reduction. The flavors worked well together, with the bitter greens providing a counterpoint to the smoky polenta and sweet pork. The kale chips were delicious with the dish, but I would leave them on the side next time to ensure they stay crispy.