Lovage, Onion and Sour Cherry Tenderloin with Six Leaf Salad

Lovage, Onion and Sour Cherry Tenderloin

~½ kilo beef tenderloin, fresh, not frozen, aged day or so in the fridge
4 large sweet onions
1 slice of cabbage
1 bunch fresh spring lovage
30 peppercorns
1 small branch rosemary
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons dry oregano
1 ½ teaspoons salt
30 sour cherries and their juice (fresh, canned or compote)
Cooking oil
Splashes of red wine (Vida Kadarka—too sour to drink)

Clean and cut the tenderloin into four medallions, setting aside any extra for the next round. Rub medallions with the mortared mixture of cracked black pepper, rosemary, oregano, salt.

Heat skillet to medium high and sauté roughly diced onions and cabbage in light amount of oil, stirring occasionally, splashing with red cooking wine, salt, grind of nutmeg, grind of black pepper, set aside when onion soft and nearly done on a plate.

Fire up the skillet to max, oil lightly, add medallions, five minutes a side, adding 30 sour cherries about midway, splashes of red wine, splashes of cherry juice, and near the very end, the stalks of the lovage.

Add again the onion and cabbage mix, simmer for a minute.

Deglaze again with red wine and cherry juice, leaving some gravy.

Serve on a large rustic plate.


Six Leaf Salad

Liberal handful fresh spring spinach
Liberal handful fresh spring sorrel
Liberal handful fresh rucola
1 smallish fresh spring iceberg lettuce
1 smallish romaine lettuce (optional)
Mixed green onion tops
1 bunch lovage (lestyán) leaves, the stalks going into the tenderloin above
Sea salt to taste
Pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
3 tablespoons olive oil
Splash of cherry juice
Splash of apple vinegar
2 tablespoons lightly roasted sesame seeds

Wash, drain, dry and tear up the leaves on a large serving plate/salad bowl. Toss in sea salt and sugar with your hands, add olive oil, pomegranate, cherry juice, vinegar, sesame, etc.

The stress here is on the freshness of all the leaves, which took me a few early mornings on Thursday and Friday at Hunyadi tér to coordinate. Likewise, the tenderloin was a special inside the market hall, bright red, unfrozen, fresh and looking very appealing.

Serve with Vesztergömbi Cabernet Franc 2008 (Vino Veritás)

Enough for a greedy man and a hungry woman on a Friday night.

Bread/starch optional.

Good for an evening stroll thereafter.