Pork Tenderloin au Gratin

 

Suggested side dishes: Pasta (with the sauce obtained during cooking or a little butter), Farmer-Ratatouille and/or Greek Flatbread

Preparation You'll need: A pan A casserole dish
Ingredients (for 2 persons) 400 g pork tenderloin approx. 100 g Mozzarella (the soft kind, not that dry stuff) 4 pieces of semi-dried Tomatoes in oil. 2-3 Tbsp. Pesto 1 small onion (to fry in the pan after the meat; goes into the sauce. I would only recommend that when there's no onion with the side dish) Olive oil Salt and pepper
Preparation Dice 100 g Mozzarella and cut 4 pieces of semi-dried tomatoes into small pieces. If wanted, cut a small onion into thin stripes. Cut the tenderloin lenghtwise in half and flatten the meat a bit with your hand. Heat up normal olive oil in pan and quick fry on high heat the meat (on just one side). Fry until underside is dark brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Now fry, if you want, the onion stripes on medium to high heat. If you fry onion stripes, do so until they are dark brown. Set the pan aside, don't clean, we need that stuff later on :-) In the meantime heat up the oven to 170℃ and continue with the meat: Place the two pieces of meat, with the fried side down, into the casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, spread 2 or 3 Tbsp Pesto on top and add the mozzarella and tomato pieces. Bake in oven for 35 to 45 minutes. As soon as the topping on the meat has browned to the desired colour, remove the oven dish from the oven, carefully place the two pieces of meat on a plate and return them to the oven when it has been turned off. Also pre-heat a small bowl for the sauce in the oven. Tip the sauce that has collected in the oven dish into the pan and bring to the boil briefly. Stir well and season lightly with salt and pepper. Then pour the sauce into the preheated bowl and place on the dining table for self-service. This sauce goes particularly well with pasta or pita bread. Add the garnish to the meat and serve.