Quick-Fried Pork Tenderloin with Lentil Purée and Tomato Coulis

How to prepare quick-fried pork tenderloin with lentil purée and tomato coulis

1. Wash the lentils until the water runs clear. Put them in a pot with plenty of water to boil. Add salt, the bay leaf broken in half and the thyme (just the leaves if using fresh). Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat until completely done. If the lentil grain "bursts" it's not a problem.
2. Drain the water from the lentils (but reserve 150ml in a cup). Remove the bay leaf.
3. Put the lentils in a food processor/blender, add the butter cut into cubes, sprinkle with salt and grind in plenty of black pepper. Blend at high speed until you have a fine purée. Taste for salt and pepper and add if needed. Check the consistency of the purée, if it's too thick start the processor again and while blending gradually add a tablespoon at a time of the reserved lentil water. I added 4 tablespoons of water. At the end it should be like a soft cream, but not so liquid that it spreads on the plate.
   The purée can be prepared a few hours ahead, it's good reheated. But after cooling it becomes denser. So, in this case, don't throw away the reserved lentil water and when you reheat it adjust the consistency using that water.
4. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices and coat with oil.
5. Heat a grill pan very well and place the tomatoes on the grill. Cook about 4 minutes on the first side and another 2 minutes on the second side.
   
6. Remove the tomatoes to a bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let them cool completely. The tomatoes will release juice at the bottom of the plate. Drain the juice.
   
8. With a fork, mash the tomatoes into a not-too-fine purée. Remove the tomato skins from the sauce (they come off easily while mashing) and any other stem pieces that can't be mashed with a fork.
9. Add the balsamic vinegar and mix gently.
10. Cut the tenderloin into thin slices about 1-1.5 cm thick (you get about 15 slices). Pound them lightly with a meat mallet on both sides (I use a bag that I put over the meat and then pound) until the meat slices become thin... like for schnitzel. Sprinkle a little salt over them and then drizzle a little oil and massage to coat evenly.
11. Heat a pan as wide as possible, preferably non-stick or cast iron. Add meat slices, as many as fit without crowding. Cook the slices 45 seconds on the first side and then another 15 seconds on the second side (the first batch may take a bit longer, but then the pan will be hot and 1 minute is enough for such thin slices). The meat will be slightly browned in places, don't leave it longer in the pan or it will become dry.
    
12. Remove the meat slices to a dish and grind black pepper over each batch.
    *At this point you can stop preparing the recipe and resume only at serving time (the purée will be reheated and you continue with the following steps).
14. Add the bacon cut into strips to the pan and fry until slightly browned. Add the butter and chili flakes and leave just until the butter is completely melted.
15. Add the tenderloin and mix with the butter and bacon for about 2 minutes, just enough to simmer together briefly and coat with sauce. Add the remaining butter and mix everything until it melts too. Remove the pan from heat.
16. For each serving, put 2 generous spoonfuls of lentil purée. Place 2-3 slices of tenderloin on top, making sure to put pieces of bacon over them. Next to them put 1/4 of the tomato coulis. Pour the remaining butter sauce from the pan over the coulis.
    

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