Riesling really doesn't get the play it should. First of all, most people (myself included) pronounce the word incorrectly. Reese-ling. There's no 'z' in that word. Ask Jancis Robinson. She'll set you straight. Slap you around a little. Second, people assume that riesling is sweet. No. I'm sorry, but no. Not all riesling is sweet. Alsace riesling is, in fact, bone dry. Steely. Minerals. Petroleum. Notes of glacial waters. I blame this misconception on Black Tower. That crap my dad bought at Christmas to fulfill the wine quota, which would inevitably loom at the back of the fridge like a blunt hammer until some summer party, when an uncle would get hammered enough to finish it and then begin pooning with a sprinkler. Growing up in the suburbs was an education.
So, riesling is great. Get used to the idea. Forget Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for a little while. Try a few rieslings. Alsace. Mosel. Ontario. You'll see. These are complex, food-friendly, mouth-watering wines. Talking yardsticks, riesling's trademarks are acidity, minerality and that whiff of petrol or diesel. Sounds strange, but it is delicious in a white wine. I can't explain it. I love that scent of diesel. Also, with respect to Alsace at any rate, there is nice roundness to the wine. Substance. Texture. Which means that you can match Riesling with heartier fare. Tonight, I'm giving Anthony Bourdain's pork tenderloin recipe a go. Should be very, very nice. That Bourdain is magic with the pork.
Mignons de Porc a l'ail (Garlic Pork Tenderloin, Anthony Bourdain, Les Halles Cookbook)
Okay. Buy or steal these things. You can also barter, which is great fun if you find an appealing butcher. Mine's not too fetching. So I paid with cash. Moving on:
- 2 pork tenderloins (we're strapping them together with a string!)
- 2 heads of garlic
- 2 slices of bacon
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- white wine for deglazing (1/4 cup at most)
- 1/4 cup of chicken stock
- parsley
- some olive oil
- a tablespoon or so of butter
- sprig of flat parley, finely chopped
1. An hour before you'd like to eat, prepare garlic. We're making confit. Heat oven to 350 F. Slice the top off of each garlic head, so that the interior of each clove is visible. Wrap head with tinfoil. Add a drizzle of olive oil, salt and some herbs (thyme if you have it) to the packet before you wrap it up. Cook for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Squeeze each clove from its skin. Smash all but 4 cloves up with a fork. Put your 4 intact cloves aside.
2. Top one of the tenderloins with the mashed garlic, spreading along the length of the tenderloin. Lay bacon length-wise. Now lay Tenderloin 2 on top of the first tenderloin, so that the garlic and bacon are in the centre. This might read complicated, but it isn't. Pork tenderloins have a fat end and a thin end. You want to match the fat end of tenderloin 1 with the thin end of tenderloin 2. The result is an even tube-shape. Using kitchen string, tie the double tenderloin together tightly and evenly at several points along the tube. It's recommended that you refrigerate overnight. I didn't. No adverse effects.
3. You still have your oven at 350 F. I always forget to turn mine off, so I'm assuming you're an equally dangerous fire-hazard. Bravo. In an over-proof saute pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over high heat. Add tablespoon of butter. When butter stops frothing, season the pork tube with salt and pepper and put in the pan. Sear the pork for about 6-8 minutes, letting the sear really take. Don't mess with the pork! Let this sweet double-decker get a nice crispy skin. Put the pan in the oven and finish cooking for about 20 minutes. When cooked, but still moist, remove from oven and allow to rest on a plate.
4. Add a little oil if necessary to the saute pan and heat to med-high heat. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in white wine. When reduced to glaze consistency, stir in stock. Cook over high heat until reduced by half. Add any drippings from the plate that's holding cooked tenderloin. Whisk a little butter into the sauce as well as remaining whole cloves of garlic and parsley. Slice your tenderloin and serve.
Tasting Notes for the 2008 Chateau Isenbourg Alsace Riesling:
A round of applause for Anthony Bourdain. Why eat one tenderloin when you could eat two tied together with bacon and garlic confit in the middle? Well played, sir. Great, simple bistro fare. The wine swung with this recipe, too. On the nose, the riesling showed pear and peach. Under-ripe melon. Just a touch of that typical petroleum aroma. Citrus. There was also something of sea in the nose as well: wet stone, salt in the air. A bit of clean coastal wind. On the palate, there was a much greener aspect to the wine. Granny smith apple, lemon peel, and on the late-palate a spicier quality, like white pepper. Fuller in body than the flavour profile would suggest. Bright, zesty acidity. Even if you pass on this wine or this match, you have to try this recipe. Help me to help you.
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