Pork Loin in garlic sauce
There were evenings when nothing had really been planned, and yet somehow dinner still appeared as if it had been thought about all day. Those were the nights Lely would reach for something quick, something she could bring together without fuss.
I remember sitting at the table while she stood by the stove, gently moving the pan, never rushing, just letting the garlic do its work. The smell would travel through the house before the food even reached the plate. You didn’t need to ask what was for dinner-you could already tell.
My grandfather would always ask if she was making it with chicken, because that was his favourite. And most of the time, she would. But every now and again she would smile and say nothing, and the pork would come out instead-just to change things a little.
It was never announced, never made into a big thing. Just a small change in a familiar dish. And somehow, those were the meals that stayed with you the most
Ingredients
500 g pork loin fillets (or the meat you prefer)
6 cloves garlic
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
200 ml white wine
400 ml water
1 carrot
A pinch of ground black pepper
1 level teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon thyme or a few stalks fresh Thyme
Cornflour (maizena) or plain flour
Instructions
1
Heat 3–4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
2
Add the peeled garlic cloves and the chopped onion. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
3
Add the chopped green and red peppers and continue cooking until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden.
4
Add a little of the water and blend the vegetables directly in a small jug using an immersion blender until you have a smooth sauce base.
5
Lightly coat the pork loin fillets in cornflour.
6
In the same pan, add a little more olive oil if needed, then place the cornflour-coated fillets in the pan and seal them lightly on both sides.
7
Pour in the white wine and let it boil for about 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
8
Add the remaining water, the blended sauce, the finely diced carrot, salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir well to combine.
9
Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. The cornflour coating on the meat helps thicken the sauce naturally as it cooks. If needed, allow the sauce to reduce slightly until it reaches the consistency you like.
10
Tip: Serve with crusty bread, rice, or potatoes to enjoy the sauce.
