That is beautiful. The colour is amazingly vibrant. How did you make the fig sauce?
Jane
PS I love the piggy too!

Yes please.......share that fig sauce!

Definitely looks like a winning
and delicious,
combination.

And artfully arranged, as always.

But what is the white "stuff"?
Looks almost like some sort of white, translucnt pods of some sort?

Love the "Figgy Piggy", too.

Rusty

I'm sure the white stuff is some sort of alien food from his garden. (wink)

I assumed that the "white stuff" was fennel.
J

dcarch, you've outdone yourself with this one. Many fruits are good with pork but figs would be exquisite. I'm saving that idea (or maybe I'm savoring it). And the pig head is a gas!!! You sure know how to have fun with your food.

tobyt, I think you are right with fennel. The little ferny frond I see in one pic clinches that. Fennel would fit nicely into this scheme.

Jim

Dcarch:
I like everything, especially the Piggy Figgy.

Did he cry wee wee wee, all the way home.

I hate that commercial !!!

Lou

DC:
Are you going to tell us about the fig sauce ?
LOU

So where was this post when I had a thousand figs dropping from my tree in July?!?! Seriously, Figs & Pigs is a good combo. Would love to hear your take on the sauce.

Ann

I am so envious that you have a fig tree!

Thanks everyone. Here is the recipe:
>>>>--------------->

Now what's with figs and prosciutto? They just donâÂÂt do much for each other (IMHO), itâÂÂs OK. I much prefer eating figs and prosciutto separately. Figs are nice, but they are rather modest and sweet. They are not like strawberries, mangos, or pineapples, fruits with assertive personalities. Prosciutto is expensive, delicate in flavor, I like it by itself, may be with a glass of unpresumptuous Pinot Grigio.

Figs however, with a little s e x ing -up, like a lady with a little eye shadow, will be quite alluring, and can complement pork very nicely.

In this dish, the sweetness of the fig is dressed up and spiced up with star anise. Interestingly, long used medicinally in China, star anise recently has been found to have compounds which may be effective in the some aspects of swine flu treatment, but swine has nothing to do with this pork recipe. Of course, donâÂÂt go any further if you donâÂÂt care for licorice type of flavor, which is the theme of this recipe.

The sauce:
========
1. Star anise, just 2 cloves.
2. 1 1/2 tablespoon of dark soy sauce.
3. 4 tablespoons of light soy sauce.
4. 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke.
5. pepper to taste
6. ü cup fig, scoop out the center sweet part of figs.
7. 2 cloves minced garlic.
8. 3/4 cup of red wine (Beaujolais or Burgundy)
9. 2 tablespoons Bal. vinegar.

10. 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (not EVOO)
11. 1 teaspoon tomato powder (or a few slice of sun dried tomatoes finely chopped)
12. 1 tablespoon of real bacon powder.

Simmer and stir the above on low fire for 20 minutes.

Gravy mix
=======

Remove about ü cup of the sauce to a metal container to cool it down to lukewarm then thoroughly stir in 2 teaspoons of tapioca powder (or corn starch, if you prefer).

Pork
=====

1 lb, Pork tenderloin half inch thick slices, brine for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. Then quickly brown tenderloin in hot pan both sides.

After the sauce has been simmered, braise browned pork in sauce for 20 minutes on low fire. Turn pork slices frequently so that all slices are braised evenly. Add some water if sauce is getting dry.

Stir gravy mix well and add to sauce to make gravy.

Remove star anise and pour pork with gravy on veggie of your preference. I used arugula.

Garnish with fennel thin slices which has been pickled in white vinegar for about an hour, and fresh fig slices which have a few drops of fresh lemon juice in the center.

Now, with the dish nicely plated, drizzle 1 tablespoon of Pastis mixed with 1 tablespoon of water on top,

or,

3 tablespoons of Galliano (84.6 proof) and flambe immediately, if you want to be dramatic.

And serve.

Note: This recipe is a modified recipe combined from several other recipes.

dcarch