Pork loin with a secret ingredient

Cocoa crusted pork loin medallions with Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

• 1 pork tenderloin (about 2 pounds)
  
• 4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 2 tsp hot paprika
  
• 1 tsp coarse salt
  
• 1 tsp fennel seed
  
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  
• ½ cup Black Noddy Dark Lager Beer
  
• 1 Tbs brown sugar
  
• ¾ cup pasteurized heavy cream. Do not use Ultra Pasteurized heavy cream
  

Directions:

1. Grind the fennel seed with coarse salt in a spice grinder or coffee mill. Mix this with the cocoa powder and paprika.
   
   
2. Cut the pork tenderloin into one inch medallions, pound them out slightly to flatten and coat well with the cocoa spice rub mixture.
   
   
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and sauté the pork medallion until golden and cooked through.
   
   
4. About 3 minutes per side to an internal temperature of of 155 degrees. Remove the medallions to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
   
   
5. Deglaze the sauté pan with the Black Noddy, and add brown sugar. Reduce until the liquid gets thick and sticky, then add the cream. Reduce slightly, until sauce is smooth, brown and slightly thickened.
   
   
6. Place the medallions on warm plates. Top with the Black Noddy Cream Sauce and Rosemary Sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ½ in slices
  
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  
• 2 Tbs minced fresh rosemary
  
• salt & pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. Toss the sweet potatoes with 2 Tbs olive oil and rosemary, and spread out on a baking sheet.
   
   
2. Sprinkle with salt to taste, and bake in 350-degree oven, turning once after about 15 min.

>> PRINT A SHOPPING LIST FOR THIS RECIPE

Fun Facts about Lager

Lager is one of the two major styles of beer, the other being ale. The primary characteristics of a lager are:

• It is bottom fermented, meaning the yeast settles at the bottom of the fermenter rather than floats on top.
  
• It is fermented at cold temperatures, generally below 50°F.
  
• It is stored, or "lagered," for some period, usually several weeks to months, before being ready to drink.
  

There are several different kinds of lager:

• Bock (and the variations of bock)
  
• Dunkel lager (Dunkel means "dark" in German)
  
• Märzen (often associated with Oktoberfest)
  
• Pale lager (Variations include Pilsner, which is the beer that most Americans know, e.g. Budweiser)
  
• Schwarzbier ("black" beer)
  
• Vienna lager (often reddish in color)
  
• Kellerbier (unfiltered)
  

About Barbara Mills:

Barbara Mills is a classically trained chef with 20 years of cooking, catering & teaching experience. Her training included farmstead cheese making, artisan bread baking, food & wine parining, regional and international cuisines.

She has travelved the world in search of great food and conducts food & wine tours and farm-table cheesemaking courses in Unionville, Nevada.

Barbara has taught for Viking Culinary Art Center & Parmount Distilleries. She was the Special Events coordiantor for the The Chef's Garden in Huron Ohio, famers to America Rock Star Chef's.

She is the Chef/Owner of the Award-Winning Back of the House Cooking School & Whim Cafe, located at 800 W. Second Street in Reno, NV, where she teaches cooks how to be happy in the Kitchen.

For more information on Barbara Mills, visit backofthehousecooks.com


About Buckbean Brewery:

Buckbean beer is available in markets and bars in Castro Valley, Berkeley, Concord, Hayward, Livermore, Oakland and Truckee.

For more information on Buckbean Brewery, visit www.buckbeanbeer.com