Pork Tenderloin with maple-miso butter, over wild rice, kale and wood ear mushrooms.

The aim here was earthiness (actually, the aim was “use up random shit in the pantry/fridge” but I digress), and I am happy to say I achieved it. 

I started with a chopped garlic and parsley mixture, which ended up going into everything.

The tenderloin was salted, then covered in an equal mix of smoked paprika and cocoa powder. It was then rolled in some of the garlic/parsley. It was seared in a hot cast-iron pan, then put in a 400F oven until the middle reached 145F.  It was then rested for 10 minutes before slicing. 

Dried mushrooms were soaked and kale was chopped, and those plus 1/2 cup of wild rice were stirred in a mix of oil and butter over medium heat for a few minutes. Some of the parsley/garlic mix were added after. 2 cups of water were added, the mixture was brought to a boil, then simmered for 30 or so minutes. At the end of this, I added about 1 tsp each of: worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce.  The end product was extremely earthy, and somewhat soupy. The rice was more or less al dente, retaining some chewiness. 

Miso, maple syrup and butter were placed in a bowl then microwaved for 15 seconds. The mixture was then stirred together. 

I added some raw garlic/parsley on top which added some bite/freshness to the dish.  

To try something with this many components a year ago would have been a disaster. I think I am getting better at cooking.