This was one of those invented-while-walking-up-and-down-the-aisles-of-the-supermarket dishes; the thought process in it is a good example of how one uses taste elements to design a dish. It was a cold day and the idea of a hearty pork roast conjured up some equally substantial lentils. Then the hard salami and figs suggested themselves for salt and balancing sweetness. We figured the bulbiness of the onions would pull up all of the strong tastes in the wild palate of this recipe. Serve with lentil stew.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Pork
Topping
Preparation
Pork
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Film a roasting pan with the oil and heat over high heat until it is just about at the smoking point. Sear the pork on all sides until golden, then transfer to the oven and roast, basting frequently with pan juices, until a meat thermometer inserted in the pork indicates a temperature of 160 degrees, about 35 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. Reserve the pan juices.
Step 2
Heat the pan juices (or oil) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden. Add the hard salami, cornichons, and figs, and continue sautéing for 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
Plating
Step 3
Slice the pork in 1-inch slices and arrange on warm plates (over the lentils if you are serving them. Spoon the topping over the pork and serve.
Our Taste Notes
Step 4
The meaty aroma in the pork is accented by the aged, slightly funky bouquet of the hard salami. Its fatty roundness is cut by the tang of the cornichons. The smooth sweetness of the figs calms down the dish, while onions are a background bulby note, which pulls everything up and adds to the sweetness. Sharp saltiness and spiciness are tempered by the starch in the lentils, which have a little bright floral sweetness cooked into them. A meaty bouquet and salt persist at the finish.
Little, Brown
