"Straw-Sherry" Pork with Brabant Potatoes

Ingredients

Pork

2 lbs pork tenderloin or boneless pork loin

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 tsp black pepper

2 cups hulled and halved fresh strawberries

1 tsp granulated sugar, plus more to taste

2 tbsp canola oil

1/3 cup finely chopped shallot

3/4 cup sweet cooking sherry

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

5 thyme sprigs

1 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

Potatoes

2 russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Vegetable oil, for frying

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, grated

3–4 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation

1. Place the cubed potatoes in a medium pot and cover with generously salted cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook until the garlic is soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes — do not let it brown. Remove from heat, stir in the scallion greens, and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Crush the coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a heavy skillet until coarsely ground. Combine with the salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar and set aside.

3. Heat the canola oil in a 12-inch ovenproof stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the pork dry, then sprinkle the coriander mixture over all sides, pressing firmly to adhere. When the oil is just smoking, add the pork. Sear, turning occasionally, until deeply browned all over, about 8 minutes. Scatter the strawberries around the pork.

4. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 130°F, 8–10 minutes. Without removing the skillet, reduce the oven to 200°F and continue roasting until the thermometer registers 140°F, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Reserve the strawberries and pan drippings in the skillet. Note: if using pork loin, increase roasting time as needed — the thicker cut takes longer, but the strawberries will not burn at these temperatures.

5. Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the shallot to the pan drippings and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, 2–3 minutes. Add the sherry and cook, stirring and mashing the strawberries with a spoon, until the sauce holds a clean line when dragged across the bottom of the pan, 7–9 minutes. Stir in the stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 13–17 minutes.

6. While the sauce reduces, add vegetable oil to a large high-sided pot to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F. Working in batches, fry the potatoes until deeply golden and crispy, 3–4 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a paper towel-lined plate, and season immediately with the spice blend. Once all the potatoes are fried, toss with the garlic butter and any remaining spice blend.

7. Pour the sauce through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a small saucepan, pressing firmly on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. Over low heat, whisk the butter into the strained sauce a piece at a time until fully incorporated. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Slice the pork and serve with the sauce and the Brabant potatoes.