Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Parsnips and Skhug

Ingredients

Brine

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar or molasses
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons dijon or whole grain mustard
2 bay leaves
4 cups apple cider

Pork

2-3 pound boneless pork tenderloin (Tn Grass Fed)
cajun seasoning
ground sumac
freshly minced garlic
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
12 ounces carrots, cut into 1-inch thick slices
2 teaspoons honey
12 ounces purple potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

Parsnip Purée

1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into thick pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
salt and pepper

Preparation

1. To prepare brine, place all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat, add 2 cups ice. Add pork to saucepan (or place pork and brine in a plastic container) and refrigerate 4-24 hours.

2. To prepare pork, preheat oven to 375F. Remove pork from the brine and pat dry with a towel. Season generously with cajun seasoinings, salt, pepper, sumac and fresh minced garlic. Heat a cast iron or heavy oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add butter and pork and sear until browned on all sides Remove from pan, place on a roasting pan in oven. Place carrots, potatoes and honey in remaining drippings in skillet, sear 3 minutes. Place in oven in skillet with pork. Roast pork until internal temperature of 140F, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes. Remove potatoes and carrots from oven.

3. To prepare Parsnip Puree, place parsnips in a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Strain parsnips and place into a food processor. (You can use a potato masher or ricer if you don’t have a processor.) Add remaining ingredients and purée until smooth. Adjust seasonings and serve under slices of pork with potatoes, carrots and skhug on top.