Pork Medallions with Wild Blueberry Pan Sauce (Manitoba)

Believe it or not, Canada is the world's largest producer and exporter of wild blueberries, also known as “lowbush blueberries,” mostly grown in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces.

12 oz pork tenderloin, well-trimmed (0.375 kg)
1½ tsp. fresh thyme, chopped (7 mL)
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tbsp. Canola oil

Wild Blueberry Pan Sauce:
¾ cup dry red wine (175 mL)
1 cup wild blueberries (250 mL)
1 Tbsp. raw sugar (15 mL)
1 tsp. lemon peel, grated (5 mL)
1½ tsp. cornstarch (7 mL) combined with 2 Tbsp. water (25 mL)

Preheat oven to 200°F (90°C).

Cut tenderloin into six equal pieces. With cut side down, pound gently to an even thickness, about ½”. Pat medallions dry with paper towels; season with thyme, salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown medallions, about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer medallions to a rack on a rimmed baking tray in an oven to keep warm while making the pan sauce.

Wild Blueberry Pan Sauce: Drain any fat from skillet. Pour in wine; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium; boil an additional 3 minutes. Stir in blueberries, sugar and lemon rind; return to a boil. Stir cornstarch mixture into sauce and simmer just until clear.

Pool sauce onto warm dinner plates. Top with medallions.

Makes 3 servings.

Serve with: Sledgehammer Zinfandel (Red Wine, USA) or Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz (Red Wine, Australia)