Fennel Crusted Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Toast and crush spices

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add fennel seeds and black peppercorns and toast, stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2–3 minutes. Remove to a mortar (or a cutting board) and crush coarsely with a pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife so the seeds are broken but not powder.

Prepare pork

Trim silver skin and any excess fat from the pork tenderloins and pat dry with paper towels. Season evenly with kosher salt. Mince the garlic and mix with the olive oil. Rub the pork all over with the garlic-oil mixture.

Apply fennel crust

Press the crushed fennel and cracked pepper mixture onto all sides of the pork so it adheres to the garlic-oil coating. Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the grill or pan and other components (or refrigerate up to 2 hours covered).

Grill or pan-sear and finish

Preheat grill to medium-high (about 400°F/200°C) or heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high and add 1 tbs oil. Sear the pork on all sides until deeply browned, about 2–3 minutes per side. If using a grill, move to indirect heat after searing. Transfer skillet to a 400°F (200°C) oven or move pork to cooler side of grill and continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 140°F (60°C) for slightly pink center — about 10–14 minutes depending on thickness. Remove pork to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest 8–10 minutes (temperature will rise to ~145°F). Reserve pan drippings for the jus if you used the skillet.

Cook sausage and aromatics

While the pork rests, heat a medium skillet over medium. Crumble the fennel sausage into the skillet and cook until browned and rendered, about 5–7 minutes. Add finely minced shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

Deglaze and reduce

Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Allow the wine to reduce by about half, 3–4 minutes. Add chicken stock and thyme sprigs and simmer gently for 4–5 minutes to meld flavors.

Finish sauce

Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Whisk together cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the simmering jus to thicken slightly, then swirl in the butter off the heat to give a glossy finish. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. If you used a skillet for the pork, you can add any reserved pan drippings to the sauce during deglazing for extra flavor.

Cook broccolini

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Blanche broccolini for 1 minute until bright green, then immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking (optional). Alternatively, toss broccolini in a hot skillet with 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat, add crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, and sauté until tender-crisp, 4–6 minutes; add a squeeze of lemon at the end.

Slice pork and assemble

Slice the rested pork tenderloins into 1/2-inch medallions. Arrange broccolini on a warm serving platter or plates. Fan slices of pork over broccolini and spoon the fennel sausage pan jus over the pork (and a little onto the broccolini). Garnish with a light squeeze of lemon and additional cracked black pepper to taste.