Cherry Balsamic Lamb Tenderloin

Cherry Balsamic Lamb Tenderloin *served with goat cheese and caramelized shallot potatoes

I love lamb, but don't eat it often as it can be very high in fat. I found a new cut of lamb at Wegman's this week - lamb tenderloins, which are very low in fat and calories (still high in cholesterol though....). I decided to try a new recipe since I have a standard way of serving lamb which is getting old. I found a Cherry Lamb Chop recipe on epicurious.com that called for sour cherries. I searched and searched and never did find 'sour cherries', so I decided to use sweet cherries and it was delicious. It's such a simple recipe and truly is restaurant quality! The lamb tenderloins are so small they literally took minutes on the grill and the sauce has so few ingredients it was a cinch! I served them with mashed potatoes that I mixed with caramelized shallots and goat cheese - it was just perfect! I think this same recipe would be great with many cuts of beef, including filet mignon or a simple flank steak.

origin - epicurious.com (Gourmet July 2003)
difficulty - simple
health meter - medium

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) pitted sour cherries (1/2 lb)*I used frozen sweet cherries
1 tablespoon sugar
8 (3/4-inch-thick) rib lamb chops (2 lb total), trimmed of excess fat *I used lamb tenderloins and sliced on an angle
1 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil *I used olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced shallot (4 oz)
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar I used 3 tbsp to compensate for the sweet cherries
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint*I omitted

Stir fresh cherries together (I halved the cherries) with sugar and macerate while browning chops(or grilling tenderloins). If using frozen cherries, stir with any juices and sugar and thaw, about 1 1/2 hours.

Pat lamb dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper and rosemary. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté 4 chops, turning over once, about 6 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil. Cook and transfer remaining 4 chops in same manner. I rubbed the tenderloins with oil, salt, pepper and fresh rosemary and grilled on high for less than 3 minutes per side - remove, cover with foil until ready to serve.

Pour off fat from skillet and add remaining tablespoon oil. Heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shallot, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add cherries with juices, broth, and vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and scraping up brown bits, then reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add butter and 2 tablespoons mint, stirring just until butter is melted. Slice tenderloins on the angle into 1/4 inch slices. Spoon sauce over and serve.

Goat Cheese and Caramelized Shallot Potatoes

4-6 butter or yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
4 tbsp butter (1 tbsp for shallots and 3 for mashing potatoes)
1 large shallot thinly sliced (approximately 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup light cream or milk warmed
4-6 oz goat cheese crumbled
salt/pepper to taste

Bring large pot of salted water to boil and place potatoes in. Cook until fork tender (approximately 8 minutes - make sure not to overcook). While the potatoes are cooking cook shallots in 1 tbsp butter on low heat until caramelized to a golden brown color. Drain potatoes well and place back in pot with 3 tbsp butter. Mash with a fork or pastry cutter until desired consistancy (I prefer chunky potatoes). You can always whip them with a hand mixer. Stir in light cream, shallots and cheese until well blended, but do not overmix or the result will be gluey potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.