Brined Pork Medallions with Dijon-Caper Butter Sauce

Method

1. Stir the water, salt and sugar in a bowl until fully dissolved. Strip the silver skin from the tenderloin, cut it into rounds 3 cm thick and submerge them in the brine. Refrigerate for 30 min. The salty water seeps into the muscle so the meat stays juicy; more than an hour makes it too salty.

   Add in this stepWater (for the brine) 500 mlSalt (for the brine) 2 tbspSugar (for the brine) 2 tspPork tenderloin 360 g

2. Lift the pork out, rinse briefly under cold water and pat it bone dry, then season with pepper only (the brine has already salted it). Heat the oil in a 26 cm cast-iron or heavy-based pan over medium-high heat for 3 min, until it just starts to smoke.

   Add in this stepCoarsely ground black pepper 2 pinchVegetable oil 1 tbsp

   medium-high heat

3. Lay in the medallions with space between them (batches: 1) and sear without moving for 3 min, until deep brown. Flip, turn the heat down to medium heat and add the butter, thyme and garlic. Tilt the pan and keep spooning the foaming butter over the pork for 2 min. If you cook in two batches, split the butter, thyme and garlic between them. Take the pork out at 60 °C and rest it on a rack for 5 minutes; it will climb to 63 °C.

   Add in this stepButter (for basting) 20 gThyme sprigs 2Garlic cloves, lightly crushed 2

   medium heat

4. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and discard the thyme and garlic. Over medium heat, cook the shallot for 1 min 30 sec, until soft and translucent.

   Add in this stepShallot, finely chopped 1

   medium heat

5. Add the wine and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon, then boil over medium-high heat for 2 min, until reduced by about two-thirds. Stir in the stock and mustard and reduce for 2 min 30 sec more, until syrupy enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.

   Add in this stepDry white wine 80 mlChicken stock 100 mlDijon mustard 1 tsp

   medium-high heat

6. Turn the heat to low heat and whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time, swirling until each melts; after about 1 min the sauce turns creamy and glossy. Never let it boil or the butter will split. Stir in the capers, lemon juice, parsley and the resting juices, then taste.

   Add in this stepCold butter, diced 20 gCapers, drained 2 tspLemon juice 1½ tbspFlat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 tbsp

   low heat

7. Spoon sauce onto warm plates, set the medallions on top and drizzle over a little more. Serve straight away.