pork with sage and capers

We’re finally having some beautiful spring days in Marin, so this weekend we decided to go for a hike around Bon Tempe, one of the nearby lakes.

“Back in the day,” as Patrick likes to say, hiking was one of our favorite weekend activities.

Especially when we lived in Salt Lake City, we made an effort to hike as often as we could. The views from the top of the Wasatch Mountains were spectacular, but Marin has a lot to offer as well!

I have several books with Marin trail information. I am not kidding that we could hike a different trail each weekend until we are too old to hike and never run out of options.

Both Patrick and I are ready to tackle the pounds we gained last year, and hiking is the perfect way to ease back into exercising more. And with these views and weather, who can complain!? Plus, it’s fun to hike together like we used to.

Today, I am sharing a recipe we cooked this week. This recipe has some of my favorite flavors: lemon, capers, and bacon. We don’t often buy sage, but there was some in the fridge from another recipe, and I wanted to find a way to use it up.

I remembered we’d made this recipe some time ago and that I had really liked it. I could not remember which book it was from, but I finally found it: “The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook.” I love this book. I’ve made churros and Sicilian cannoli from it, and it has my favorite homemade pasta recipe. Let me know if you try this.

Pork Tenderloin with Sage and Capers

adapted from The Mediterranean Cookbook

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion finely chopped
1/2 cup plain Panko/bread crumbs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (from one lemon)
2 1/2 tablespoons salted baby capers
1 egg
2 large pork tenderloins
10 thin slices of bacon
2 teaspoons flour
1/3 cup white wine
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
8 whole sage leaves (garnish)

1. Preheat the oven to 325º F.
2. In a medium-sized pan, heat one tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.
3. Add the onion. Cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly golden.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, sage, parsley, lemon zest and capers, and onions with the egg. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Butterfly each pork tenderloin. Spread the stuffing down the length of one and cover with the other one.
6. Wrap the bacon slices over the two filets and tuck underneath to hold the filling inside.
7. Carefully, move the meat to a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.
8. Bake for one hour, or until juices run clear after inserting a skewer in the thickest part.
9. Remove the meat from the baking sheet, place it on a plate, and tent with foil.
10. Make a quick sauce with the drippings left in the pan on your stovetop by adding 2 tsp. flour to the pan. Stir well and add the wine. Allow to bubble for one minute. Add the chicken stock and stir well to remove any lumps. Simmer for about 5 minutes and add the remaining capers. (If you cannot fit your pan on top of your stove, simply pour all the drippings into a saucepan and follow the same instructions.)
11. In a separate pan, heat the remaining oil and fry the sage leaves until crisp. Drain the leaves in some paper towels.
12. To serve, slice the pork into 1/2-inch slices; spoon sauce, and a little of the fried sage leaves on top.