Pork Marbella

Directions

1. 1
   Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the pork and stir to coat. Cover the bowl or transfer contents to a big Ziploc bag and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
2. 2
   Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. 3
   Remove the pork and wipe it off, reserving the marinade. In a medium roasting pan, over medium heat, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and brown pork on all sides, for a few minutes total. Remove pork to a plate and add a couple of splashes of white wine to the pan to deglaze the tasty bits. Turn off heat.
4. 4
   Place the pork back in the pan. Pour marinade, olives and all, over the meat and add 1 cup of wine and enough of the chicken stock so the liquid reaches halfway up the sides of the meat. Sprinkle pork with the brown sugar.
5. 5
   Roast, basting once with the pan juices, until an instant read thermometer reads 140, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a cutting board. Let pork rest for 5 minutes.
6. 6
   Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over one or two burners on medium high and simmer to reduce the sauce a bit.
7. 7
   Slice the pork into medallions. (Great served over a puddle of soft polenta. Use instant polenta, but add twice the amount of liquid called for on the box: a mix of half milk, half water. After cooking, season with salt and whisk in several tablespoons of butter and a handful or two of freshly grated Parmesan.).
8. 8
   Spoon a good amount of polenta onto each plate and place medallions on top. Sauce the pork and pass the remaining juice in a gravy boat.