Praising Braising : Jiffy Braise

For a fast, wine-braised meat, nothing beats a small pork tenderloin.

Pork tenderloin has the satisfying mouth appeal of a beef tenderloin, with about half the fat: 4 ounces of choice grade roasted beef tenderloin that has been trimmed to zero fat has about 11.5 grams of total fat; 4 ounces of roasted pork tenderloin has 5.5 grams of total fat. Pork tenderloin with capers and green olives is a livelyMediterranean-influenced recipe that is quickly prepared for two. The combination of oregano, capers, olives, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes delivers great taste in this relatively low-fat dish.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH CAPERS AND GREEN OLIVES

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large clove garlic

1 small onion, cut in half, then into thin half circles

1 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloin, sliced 1 inch thick

1/2 teaspoon crushed, dried oregano

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon capers, drained

6 to 8 cracked Greek green olives

1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil

Salt, optional

Freshly ground white pepper

Cooked orzo or rice

Heat oil in medium skillet. Add garlic and onion and saute until transparent, about 5 minutes. Push onion and garlic to side and add pork. Brown on both sides. Remove pork and set aside.

Stir in oregano and wine and cook over medium heat, scraping up browned bits in skillet. Stir in capers, olives and tomatoes. Return pork to skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until pork is thoroughly cooked, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Serve over cooked orzo. Makes 2 servings.

caption