Grilled Pork Tenderloin Hash

Chef Chris Vander Meer

For the Marinated Pork Tenderloin (Nuoc Cham)

• 5 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp water
• 5 Tbsp fish sauce (I use the BLiS brand)
• 4 oz lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 medium shallot, minced
  
  

For the Green Veggies

• Use whatever green veggies you’d like!
• For this dish, I used broccoli, green beans, kale, peas, and zucchini. Here’s how I cut them:
  • Broccoli: Cut to florets
  • Green Beans: Trim the ends and either cut in half or leave whole
  • Peas: Whole, of course
  • Kale: Remove and discard stems. Tear leaves to the size you like to eat.
  • Zucchini: If they’re small enough, just cut rounds. If they’re bigger, cut lengthwise first and then into half-moons.
    
    

For the Celeriac Puree

• 1 celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into large chunks, about 12 oz
• ½ lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 bay leaves, whole
• 1¼ c pork or chicken stock
• Kosher salt to taste
  
  

Directions

For the Marinated Pork

1. Whisk everything together in a non-reactive bowl.
2. Place pork in marinade and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
3. Marinate in fridge overnight, or up to 3 days.
   
   

For the Green Veggies

Ahead of time, blanch the broccoli and green beans, but keep the kale, peas, and zuke raw. Blanching is a very quick process so you want  to be set up for it first.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil (make sure the pot is big enough to hold the quantity of veggies you have).
2. Add enough salt to the water so that it tastes like sea water.
3. Find a container big enough to hold your veggies and fill it with ice water. (It should be about equal parts ice and water so it stays cold when you put your hot veggies in it).
4. Have a slotted spoon or strainer available. When the water is at an intense rolling boil, drop in your broccoli and greens beans for about 20 seconds.
5. Quickly remove the veggies after 20 seconds and place them in the ice water to fully cool. Leave them there for at least 5 minutes and give them an occasional stir.
6. Strain and reserve.
   
   

For the Celeriac Puree

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Shape a sheet of foil into a bowl and put in the celeriac chunks, lemon wedges, bay leaves, and ½ cup of the stock.
3. Sprinkle in some salt and wrap the foil tightly at the top so the stock doesn’t leak out. 
4. Place the foil package in an ovenproof pan in case the stock does leak out.
5. Cook this in the oven for approximately 45 min, or until the celeriac is fork tender.
6. Discard the lemon and bay leaves, but save the liquid!
7. In a blender, puree the celeriac, stock from the foil, and remaining stock until it is very smooth.
8. Taste it and add more salt if necessary.
9. Cool and set aside.
   
   

For the Pickled Mustard Seed

1. In a pot of boiling water, cook the mustard seeds for 4-5 minutes. Strain and discard water.
2. Place boiled seeds in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a pot, add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Whisk to combine everything.
4. Pour hot liquid over the mustard seeds and set aside.
5. Allow to cool to room temp before covering/storing.
   
   

Putting the Dish Together

1. Get your grill nice and hot. Take the pork out of the marinade and lightly salt it. Do NOT rinse or pat dry!
2. Char that baby on the grill so it has good, dark color and is about medium/medium well, maybe 3 minutes or so per side.
3. Make sure you rest your meat for 2-3 minutes before cutting it!
4. In a sauté pan over high heat, add a touch of grapeseed oil (1 Tbsp or so) to the pan and the veggies you have prepped. Add a bit of salt and pepper to your veggies in the pan while they’re cooking. I like a bit of caramelization on mine, so I keep the pan quite hot and toss/stir them a lot.
5. When they’re almost done, add an ounce or two of the celeriac puree to the veggies in the pan and stir that in so it is evenly incorporated. The veggies should have a light, even coat of the puree and not clumps of it in there.
6. Turn off the flame and toss your toasted almonds into the veggies. Don’t add a ton of almonds, but enough to add some crunch and nuttiness, maybe an ounce of almonds.
   
   

To Plate

1. Place your veggies down in a shallow bowl 
2. Slice the pork and lay over top of the veggies.
3. Strain out the liquid from the mustard seeds (and save it to store any unused seeds in).
4. Sprinkle the pickled seeds over the veggies to add a bright flavor to the dish.