Although I am far from a finicky eater, there are some foods I just don't like, and cooked carrots have always fallen into that category. Which might make this dish an odd choice for dinner, but it looked easy, hearty, comfy and inexpensive - all things I like on a Monday night. And it turns out that my OOSP dictum holds true; if you roast anything in olive oil, salt and pepper, it will be good. Even carrots.
This was really good. It wasn't fancy or special or impressive, but it was French-y and good and I like anything with a mustard zing to it. I followed the recipe pretty closely, altering only the lentils, as I couldn't find cans of lentils and had to go with dried - to which I added additional mustard and white wine while they were simmering. It was good. I ate all my carrots. Not bad for a Monday night!
Mustard Crusted Pork with Carrots and Lentils
Gourmet, Oct 2007
Serves four
- 1 pound precut fresh carrot sticks, cut into slivers
- 5 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 (1 1/4-pound) pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided (I used way more, but am a mustard freak)
- 1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 (15-ounce) cans lentils, rinsed and drained (I used a few cups of dried French lentils)
- 2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used veggie broth because the grocery store was inexplicably out of chicken broth and higher volume of it because of the dried lentils, plus white wine)
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
Toss carrots with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a shallow baking pan and roast while preparing pork.
Pat pork dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then brown pork all over, about 3 minutes total.
Put pork on a work surface and brush with 1 tablespoon mustard. Stir together bread crumbs and 1/2 tablespoon oil, then press onto mustard on pork to form a crust.
Transfer pork to pan with carrots and roast until carrots are browned and tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 140 to 145°F, 15 to 22 minutes. Let pork stand 5 minutes; keep carrots warm, covered (or continue roasting if needed).
While pork roasts, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil with garlic and thyme in a small saucepan until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in lentils, broth, and remaining tablespoon mustard and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper and discard thyme. Serve pork with carrots and lentils.
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