If you’ve followed the CorkPopper Project for any length of time, you know that some months are better than others. Spain, I’m happy to say, has been a great month. The wines have been consistently good, and, even better, quality Spanish wines are still available at consistently good prices. Moreover, it’s been a blast coming up with delicious recipes to compliment the best of each week’s wines, and this week is no exception.
There was a tie this week in terms of corks popped scores – both the 2006 Bodegas Bilbainas Vina Zaco Rioja and the 2001 Campo Viejo Gran Reserva Rioja garnered 4 corks popped each. But, as in life, there can only be one CorkPopper wine of the week, and, although I quite enjoyed both wines, the 2001 Campo Viejo Gran Reserva Rioja is an especially food-friendly wine.
Even though we feasted on tapas last week, I decided to start off tonight’s dinner with a tapas platter as well. I included some Drunken Goat and Young Mahona cheeses (both Spanish), some Spanish chorizo, Marcona almonds, dried persimmon, marinated mushrooms and baby artichokes, and roasted red and yellow tomatoes. Delicious and gorgeous all around…
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
8 large cloves garlic, 4 finely minced, 4 thinly sliced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon hot paprika
1/2 bottle dry white wine
Extra virgin olive oil
Baby arugula
6 oz. jarred roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed, patted dry and sliced
6 oz. jarred roasted yellow peppers, drained, rinsed, patted dry and sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
Preparation:
Season the pork with salt and pepper. Place in a large ziploc bag with the minced garlic, 1 tablespoon paprika, and the wine. Allow to marinade several hours (at least 4 and up to 24).
Prepare your grill to medium-high heat. Grill pork, turning occasionally and using the marinade as a basting liquid, until a meat thermometer inserted diagonally into the center reads 150 degrees. This should take about 20-25 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and allow to stand another 10 minutes.Heat a couple of tablespoons olive oil in a small pan. Add the almonds and garlic and saute, stirring frequently, until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel to drain.
Add 1 tablespoon paprika, cayenne and a pinch of salt to the oil. Stir for about 30 seconds and then add the vinegar and allow to boil, stirring occasionally, for about a minute.
Slice the pork. Drizzle the hot dressing over the arugula and peppers and top with sliced pork. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and garlic.
Serve with crusty grilled bread, of course.
And to finish things off, some beautiful mini cupcakes brought by NG, our guest for tonight’s CorkPopper dinner. Thanks, NG!!
