Chilean holiday meals can be effortless.... often for Christmas or New Year in my family, rather than a formal dinner, my grandmother, aunts, and mother set up a cold buffet: a collection of dishes with cold cuts like the Cerdo Nogado, salads, rice, or pasta salads, fruit, and sauces to be enjoyed during the afternoon and evening without rushing.
Christmas in Chile coincides with the beginning of summer. The atmosphere is usually relaxed because the holidays are near and the school year ends.
It is also very easy for guests or family members to contribute a dish that does not require heating upon arrival. I recommend a cold buffet for the Holidays if you've never tried it. It takes a lot of pressure off the cook!
My recipe today, an adaptation of the traditional tongue Nogada, is the perfect example of a more elegant, but not complicated, dish. You can have it ready in less than 1 hour. During the holidays, the vital part is enjoying family and friends' company.
For a juicy and delicious pork tenderloin, follow these three key points: look for a dark pink piece of meat at the store, like in the picture. Do not overcook your pork tenderloin: the perfect range is 145 -160F. Before cutting the meat, let it stand for 5-10 minutes.
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Cerdo Nogado Pork Tenderloin in a Walnut Sauce
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Meat
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Chilean
Description
A traditional dish for Christmas in Chile.
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin
- salt pepper
- 4 slices of white bread, crust removed
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups finely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F or 200C.
- Soak bread in milk in a medium bowl.
- Clean the tenderloin, removing the white membrane. Season well.
- Over high heat, one tablespoon of olive oil is in a large skillet. Sear the loin on all four sides, 2 minutes per side.
- Place the seared meat on a baking sheet covered with foil and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature between 145-160F. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce in the same pan where you seared the pork. To the still-hot pan, add the wine and scrape all the stuck bits.
- Reduce heat to low and add the bread with the milk and nuts. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If you want a smooth sauce, blend it.
- Serve the pork on top of the walnut sauce.
Notes
This recipe was part of a sponsored collaboration with DiMe Media and the National Pork Board in 2016. All opinions on Pork in a walnut sauce, "Cerdo Nogado" are 100% mine.
Rhoda Ansong says
Pork nogada es muy delicioso y muy fácil a
prepara.