Meat mains
Pork medallions with tomatoes, white beans and chard
Tinned beans are a great time saver as they avoid the pre-emptive soaking of dried beans overnight. Although cooked they are still able to soak up plenty of flavour if reheated gently. They'll take on the bay, wine and salt very well. For a more intense flavour, add some sturdy herbs such as rosemary and thyme.
Cook's notes
Make sure that the pan is very hot when you add the meat as you have a short time to get some nice colour, which all adds to the flavour. The dish is gluten free but check your mustard pot for anything hiding in there.
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- light olive oil
- 2 large or more small shallots
- 1 celery stick
- 200g chard
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tin cannellini beans
- 1 bay leaf
- 75ml white wine
- 300g pork medallions
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Remove the pork from the fridge to allow it to come up to room temperature. Cut the tomatoes into quarter's. Sit them on the baking tray, cut sides facing up. Sprinkle over the sugar, drizzle with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Pop them in the oven to roast for 20 minutes.
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Step 2
Peel the shallots and slice them finely. Wash the celery stick and dice it finely. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan. Add the shallots and celery. Gently cook for 5 minutes until they start to soften. While they cook, wash the chard and strip the leaves away from the stalks. Finely dice the stalks, as you did with the celery. Add to the pan with the shallot mixture. Cook for a further 10 minutes, until everything is tender.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, finely shred the chard leaves. Peel and finely chop or crush the garlic cloves. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Add the garlic and bay to the saucepan of shallots. Fry for a further 2 minutes before adding the white wine. Let this bubble and reduce by half.
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Step 4
Tip in the beans and add 60ml (4 tablespoons) of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and season with salt and pepper. You want the pork to be cut about 1½ cm thick. This may vary depending on what part of the loin they've been cut from, so slice any thicker pieces in half.
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Step 5
Rub the pork medallions well on both sides with a little oil. Season with salt and pepper. Put the frying pan on the heat and allow it to get very hot. Fry the medallions for about 2 minutes a side until well coloured. Remove the pork to one side to let it rest for a few minutes.
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Step 6
Keep the pan on the heat. Add the chopped chard leaves and a dash of water to loosen any pork scraps. Let them wilt and collapse, adding a dash more water if they look like they are catching or drying out. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
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Step 7
Stir the wilted chard into the beans along with the mustard. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your taste. Spoon the beans into shallow bowls. Top with the roasted tomatoes and pork, making sure to spoon over any liquid from the rested pork.