Christmas is a celebration time throughout Europe. There are many different traditions in every country, but what all of them have in common are family gatherings, decorating the house, shopping for presents for friends and relatives, and above all, enjoying delicious specialty Christmas meals with family on Christmas eve or Christmas day.
Food is an important aspect of Christmas celebrations in Europe, and pork one of the preferred ingredients for this time of the year. Every country has their traditional recipes using pork, including roasted pork spareribs with chestnuts, a Christmas classic from Portugal, and pork tenderloin medallions wrapped in bacon with carrot sauce, typical of Spain.
Pork tenderloin medallions wrapped in bacon with carrot sauce
Ingredients
800g pork tenderloin
12 bacon slices
2 onions
3 carrots
1 beef stock cube
250 ml white wine
250 ml water
2 garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Cut the tenderloin into 1cm thick medallions. Season each piece with salt and pepper.
- Wrap each medallion into a slice of bacon, if the slices are too wide, they can be cut in half (lengthwise) to be around 1cm, Use toothpicks to secure the bacon around the tenderloin.
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and sear the tenderloin on both sides over high heat. Once browned on the outside, set aside all medallions on a dish.
- For the carrot sauce, peal and dice the onion and carrots. In the same pan in which the medallions were seared, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onion over medium heat. Cook for two minutes and add the carrots. Mix thoroughly with the meat juices and let cook for a few minutes.
- When the onions start to soften, include the white wine, water and crumble the stock cube. Mix well, cover the pan with a lid and let cook until the carrots are soft, stirring occasionally.
- When most of the liquid has evaporated and the carrots and onions are soft, (add more water if necessary) remove the pan from the heat and place the sauce in the blender until it turns creamy and has no lumps.
- Put the blended sauce back in the pan, discard the toothpicks from the medallions and place the tenderloin in the pan with the sauce. Cover and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
- When ready, season the sauce to taste and plate the medallions with some sauce on top. Enjoy with family or friends for Christmas dinner.
Result
Roasted pork spareribs with chestnuts
Ingredients
850g pork spare ribs
2 tablespoons bell pepper paste
150 ml white wine
1 large onion
500gr chestnuts
6 potatoes
1 bay leave
6 garlic cloves
Olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Marinate the pork with the bell pepper paste and let it sit for a few hours. You can use store-bought bell pepper paste (massa de pimentão, a traditional Portuguese ingredient), or make your own. To make your own cut and deseed some red bell peppers, salt them and leave to marinate for 24 hours. Wash out the salt and broil in he over until charred, then peel and blend with 2 garlic cloves and olive oil until a thick paste forms.
- When the pork has marinated for at least 2 hours, boil the potatoes with some salt until almost cooked through.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Slice the onions, and peel the garlic cloves and chestnuts, place into deep oven dish. Put the marinated pork on top. Drain the potatoes and cut them into quarters, place them around the pork in the oven dish.
- Mix the wine, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, bay leave and a pinch of salt and pepper and pour into the dish.
- Cook in the oven for around 40 minutes or until tender, turning the ribs halfway through so they cook evenly on both sides.
- Plate and serve with some potatoes, onions, and chestnuts. Enjoy with family or friends for Christmas dinner.
Result
