It was canasta night again, and we decided to have an appetizer meal for a change. I had seen Paula Deen make this dish, so I mostly followed her lead, and we all really loved it. Surprisingly the pork alone tastes a little too sweet, but when layered with the other things, it is really yummy. None of us thought the balsamic was predominant enough in the sauce, but when we drizzled a teeny bit more over the top of the whole thing, it was perfect. Next time I will stir balsamic over the diced fresh strawberries for the garnish which might work better than having to be careful about how much to drizzle over the whole bite. The cream cheese with strawberry sauce on leftover crostini was quite tasty too. It was a winner!
1 c. ground pecans
1 c. bread crumbs
¼ c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
½ t. ground red pepper flakes
2 large eggs
2 – 1 lb. pork tenderloins, trimmed
French bread rounds (or bagette)
2 c. baby arugula leaves
Herbed Cream Cheese Spread
Balsamic Strawberry Sauce
Diced strawberries for garnish
Balsamic vinegar, optional
Make the Herbed Cream Cheese Spread and Balsamic Strawberry Sauce and refrigerate.
Spread the french bread rounds on a cookie sheet and broil until the outside edges begin to brown -- probably less than a minute so watch carefully.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Lightly grease foil. In a shallow dish, lightly beat the eggs. Dip the tenderloins in the eggs to coat and dredge them in the pecan mixture, completely covering them. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 155 degrees – start checking in about 18-20 minutes. Remove the tenderloins from the oven to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/3” slices.
Spread Herbed Cream Cheese Spread evenly over the bread rounds. Top each with arugula, then a slice of the pork, and then about 1 TB of the Balsamic Strawberry Sauce. Top with some diced strawberries and if desired drizzle with a little more Balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.
Herbed Cream Cheese Spread:
1 – 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
¼ c. mayonnaise
2 TB minced fresh thyme leaves
1 TB minced fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Balsamic Strawberry Sauce:
2 c. diced fresh strawberries (about 1 lb.)
2 TB sugar
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 TB cornstarch
¼ c. chicken broth
In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
In a small container with a lid combine the cornstarch and chicken broth and shake until well mixed. Stir it into the strawberry mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute, stirring frequently; remove from heat and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
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