Pork loin with brandy

We always like to see proposals for family celebrations -more so now, Three Kings Day is near!-. Loreto, author of Sabores de Colores , brings us an ideal recipe: a pork loin with a spectacular sauce.

I love these parties, parties where we all get together around the table and share delicacies like the Lomo al Brandy that I bring you today. You will see that it can be a delicious proposal for a family meal (I certainly encourage you to try it for the next Three Kings Day if you celebrate it!).

Those of you who know me know that I always try to prepare recipes that are not excessively complicated, so that you are encouraged to prepare them: recipes that will dress up your table even more than if you propose to go out for dinner, without it taking a world to get into the kitchen. In the kitchen, everything is a matter of what you prepare with a lot of love and present it with a little grace.

That is why I propose this tenderloin with a Brandy sauce that you will want to take by the spoonful, because it is a very aromatic creamy sauce, ideal to accompany it with some duchess potatoes or egg parppardelle.

I have prepared it in the Le Creuset casserole type cocotte , but the same recipe will turn out just as delicious in a round or oval cocotte.

Acacia cutting board with T&G painted handle, Pallarès carbon steel knife and Le Creuset casserole pan

Ingredients (for 6-8 people)

1 piece of pork loin 1.5 kg.
4 garlic cloves
10 fresh sage leaves
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 large or 4 small shallots, julienned
500 ml chicken broth
250ml Brandy
100ml cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon of water
1 tablespoon butter
Olive oil
Pepper
Salt

Elaboration

1. Remove the pork loin from the fridge at least half an hour before preparing it. Salt-pepper and reserve.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and butter in our low Le Creuset cocotte and brown the pork loin on all sides. Remove to a plate and reserve.

3. Next, add the unpeeled crushed garlic cloves and the aromatic ones, cook for a few minutes to flavor the fats. Ideally, everything should be lightly browned but be careful not to burn as the butter and oil could bitter. Once it has browned, we remove the garlic and the aromatics.

4. Add the julienned shallots and cook well over low heat. Once poached, raise the heat and add the Brandy and cook until the alcohol has completely evaporated.

5. Next we add the pork loin and half of the broth. We cover and cook over medium-low heat for approximately 45 minutes or until when we pierce the loin in the central part we have reached a temperature of 68ºC. Halfway through cooking, we will turn the loin piece over and add the other half of broth.

6. After the cooking time, remove the pork loin to a plate, cover with silver paper and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting it into thin slices.

7. While the loin rests, we will salt and pepper the sauce, add the cream and thicken slightly with cornstarch, mixing this with a little cold water to avoid lumps when adding it to the hot liquid. It is important that the amount of cornstarch is a little to everyone's liking, but make sure that the sauce is not too thick.

8. Once the sauce with the desired texture is achieved, we serve the loin slices on a tray and cover with the sauce or if you prefer, served in a sauce boat.

Acacia cutting board with T&G painted handle, Le Creuset casserole cocotte
and corrugated ceramic mold Emile Henry

I recommend that you cut the loin with a very sharp ham knife , as it is more flexible you will get very thin and perfectly cut slices.

Another little trick that I wanted to tell you about is that if the piece of loin is a little dry, all you have to do is cut it and put the slices in the sauce.

And finally, remember that once the tenderloin is prepared, if you have any left over or you have prepared it in advance, do not heat it: serve it at room temperature and yes, with the sauce very hot.

Happy new year!