Spicy-Sweet Roasted Pepper Sauce & Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large roasted red bell peppers
• 1 small sweet onion – finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon himalayan sea salt
• Crushed pink peppercorn – to taste
• Dried chipotle pepper flakes - to taste

1. Roast the peppers; grill or broil the peppers until the skins are charred and blistered. Let cool in a paper bag, when cool enough peel off the skin and chop the flesh in strips. After the peppers are cool, puree the onion and roasted peppers in a blender or food processor. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan (or if cooking outdoors - in a cast iron dutch oven), add all ingredients, stir to incorporate and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes, then let the sauce gently simmer while preparing the roulade.

PORK TENDERLOIN

• 1 lb. pork tenderloin – butterflied
• Crushed pink peppercorn & himalayan sea salt
• 2-3 cloves pressed garlic
• Minced ginger to your taste
• 1/3 cup grated zucchini – with the moisture pressed out (I use a potato ricer)
• 1/3 cup grated carrot
• 1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 of a chopped roasted red pepper to scatter throughout
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Butcher string

1. Butterfly the tenderloin (or ask the butcher to do it). Sprinkle the interior with sea salt, crushed pink peppercorn, pressed garlic and ginger. Add the zucchini, carrot, parsley and roasted red pepper over the top of that.
2. Roll the meat jellyroll fashion, with the grain - to make sure it will be cut against the grain. Tie it up with butcher string, it takes about 6-7 pieces of string for 1 lb.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet, brown the meat on all sides. Deglaze pan with red wine if needed. OR...if grilling brown all sides over the hot coals.
4. Add the browned roulade to a simmering sauce, stir and baste. Cover. Simmer the meat for 1 to 1.5 hours, baste a few times.
5. Let the meat sit 10-15 minutes after is has finished cooking. Cut the string, slice into 1 inch medallions, arrange on a platter, spoon some sauce over the top - serve with additional sauce on the side.
6. *This recipe is an updated, tweaked version of my beef braciole.