Pork fillet with mushrooms and port

One of the best standbys I find to have in the freezer is a pork loin. It's weird because when I was younger, I wouldn't eat pork unless it was smothered in a sauce such as curry to render it almost unidentifiable as a meat in it's own right. Now, I love pork, whether a 6 hour roasted shoulder, chops sizzling in some Herby marinade or a loin with endless culinary possibilities, like that other blank canvas of the food world, the chicken breast.

I decided my dinner creation should play double duty and allow me also to release some pent up frustration by bashing the pork into flat fillets. Very therapeutic, like bread kneading, I used a rolling pin to flatten 1 inch pieces of the loin to about 1/4 inch thick. I then seasoned well with salt and pepper and fried in a pan with butter and oil until well browned on both sides.

 

I'd like to take a moment to mention this wonderful ingredient. It's called mushroom ketchup but is more like a thin liquid and tastes like concentrated mushrooms with a hint of something sharp like vinegar. It's only available in British or gourmet shops here but is so versatile you can use a drop in almost anything. It intensifies the mushroomy-ness of soups, stews, casseroles etc. but also works well as a marinade or sauce. I buy one once a year and it lasts for ages. I guess you could say it is similar to that other quintessential British condiment, Worcestershire sauce. You should try it if only to visit Mary's British Home Store in Steveston if you live in this part of the world.

 Anyway, back to my dinner. I removed the pork once cooked and kept it warm. I added a large handful of mushrooms, 1/4 red onion, sliced thinly and 1/2 cup port. and 2 tbsp chopped herbs, (I used oregano, chives and thyme). This all simmered down until the mushrooms were soft and the final touches of 1 tsp of mushroom ketchup (see above) and 1/4 cup whipping cream added.

The pork pieces were then added back to the pan with a sprinkling of paprika and black pepper and left to heat through, turning once.