Pork Medallions w/ Balsamic Shallot Sauce

This is an easy, elegant recipe. I had cut this out of my June 2008 issue of Cooking Light. We do not eat pork very often, so this was a nice change for us.

The sauce is tangy and a tad bit sweet - delicious over the spice rubbed pork.

Instead of a 1lb pork tenderloin, I bought lean center cut piece of pork tenderloin, saving me the hassle of having to pound out and slice one large tenderloin. The magazine recommended serving this with quick cooking polenta with Parmesan cheese stirred in. I used a tube of polenta and sliced several pieces sauteing them in 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tsp of minced garlic. I then placed small mounds of shredded Parmesan on the done side when I flipped the polenta "cakes".

This was perfect alongside the pork.

Pork Medallions with Balsamic Shallot Sauce

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground allspice
Cooking spray
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tsp butter
1 tsp brown sugar
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cut tenderloin crosswise into 8 pieces. Place each piece between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound each piece to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small, heavy skillet. Combine salt, thyme, pepper, and allspice; rub over both sides of pork.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots and butter to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add brown sugar and vinegar to pan; cook 30 seconds or until sugar melts, stirring constantly.

Spoon sauce over pork.