Small but punchy pork tenderloin sliders that layer herb roasted pork tenderloin, bacon onion jam, mustard and peppery arugula. These have a hearty, savory bite that marries with a smooth red like a Syrah.
Requirements Met
It was request that I incorporate a pork tenderloin sandwich to the event, and luckily it was a great fit. It is relatively easy to make (as meat dish), it is very budget friendly, and it makes a good base to build flavor upon. Which is how the bacon Onion Jam comes into play.
Wine Pairing
Original Pairing: Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2015 “JET BLACK” Syrah General Pairing: Syrah, Merlot, Carbernet Party & Menu Overview
Specialty Ingredient
Bacon – I recommend a standard cut bacon and not too thick. Make sure that is a good amount of fat marbled in. You want the bacon to break apart when eating, not feel like a piece of jerky.
Mustard – there are a lot of good mustard options out there. I would use a really good quality deli mustard for this dish. But it would be interesting to try out some sweeter to spicier options – whatever pairs well with your wine and the dish.
Equipment
Large Saute Pan
One solid large pan can work for making the onion jam (caramelizing onions) as well as searing the tenderloins.
Sheet Pan
Standard pan, but large enough to fit two tenderloins side by side with space around them.
Parchment Paper
Consistently use for oven cooking meats that don’t require long cook times. Keeps them from sticking without compromising the meat. I don’t like silicon mats for cooking meat at it tends to absorb the flavor/smell even if you soak them.
Bread knife
If you don’t have a good bread knife in you life, you should get one. It makes life so much easier for quickly cutting baguettes vs. some tiny steak knife.
Skewers
Used to hold the sliders in place so they don’t slide around. Doesn’t have to be heavy duty, but nice looking is a plus.
Planning the Dish
Prepare the bacon onion jam well in advance and refrigerate it. If you are going to have other dishes with caramelized onions, do all the onions together for both dishes and separate them for individual recipe use.
Timing Elements
1+ Days to Serve: Make bacon onion jam.
1 Day to Serve: Make sure pork tenderloin is fully defrosted for the day you are cooking it.
Early Day to Serve: Prepare all ingredients in mis en plus style so they are at the ready. Wash and dry lettuces and herbs.
3 hours to Serve: Take pork out to clean and season Cover lightly with wrap and let come to room temp. Prep all assembly items: jam, sliced bread, mustard, greens, skewers.
1 hour 30 min to Serve: Sear and cook pork tenderloin. Let rest 15 min prior to cutting. Slice meat and prep on plate for assembly step.
20 min to Serve: Assemble sandwiches and hold together with skewer.
Plating Tips
For the event, these were served on a large tray. Large bamboo skewers held the pork tenderloin sliders together.
For Plating individually, consider adding some more flare like a rosemary skewer or sprig.
see plating supplies in resources section
Pairing Alterations
These pork tenderloin sliders have layers of flavors , which provides various elements you can adjust to better pair with your wine
Pork Seasoning
The base seasoning is a basic thyme/rosemary mix which is very traditional for pork. You can change up the herb mix such as using oregano or tarragon. Or you can go more for garlic (if your wine can take it. There’s a lot of pork rub blends you could try – and probably most will go well with bacon jam (what doesn’t go well with bacon jam?)
Mustard Type
I mentioned earlier to get a good quality mustard as it makes a difference as it is a stand out flavor in this sandwich. So the type of mustard can also shift around from standard yellow, deli brown, dijon-y, sweet and spicy. I got a wasabi mustard once that was awesome. Or – maybe you don’t like mustard – you can try some mayonnaises (again, wasabi!) or some different aioli.
Bread Base
The bread we used was more of a neutral element. But that said, it doesn’t have to be. You can tweak what bread you use from potato roll to a light rye.
Companion Recipe: Bacon Onion Jam
You will need to make the Bacon Onion Jam ahead of time to use during the assembly of the pork tenderloin sliders.
Bacon Onion Jam
Ingredients
- 8 pieces bacon
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 medium yellow or sweet onions
- 6 medium shallots
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 5 tsp sea salt
- 4 tbsp fresh chives chopped
- 4 tsp fresh thyme chopped
Instructions
- Cook bacon in pan over medium heat until crispy. Set aside bacon but leave drippings in pan.
- Add butter to pan to melt, then add onions and cook for10-12 minutes until soft. Do not stir too much as you want them to start to caramelize. (If you are using premade caramelized onions, just add to pan without butter)
- Add shallots, vinegar, sugar to pan and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved. About 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally allowing it to bubble. Cook down for about 20 minutes and it should start getting thick.
- As jam is cooking down, chop up bacon and herbs.
- Remove from heat and add bacon and herbs. Let cool down a bit before pouring into a container.
