Pork Tournedos Pimenton on a Bed of Balsamic Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

This is a quick, but elegant dish, great for last-minute weeknight entertaining.  You could also use beef tenderloin if you prefer. 

2 pork tenderloins, cut into 1-1/2 inch disks
2 red peppers
1 Tbsp pimenton, Spanish smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp fresh (or 1/2 tsp dried) thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Toss the pork disks in a large bowl with the pimenton and some salt and pepper.  Allow to sit until the peppers have roasted.  Now roast the peppers on a gas flame or grill (or in a 450F oven), turning often  until they are charred and withered. 

Throw them into a paper bag and wrap up, to allow them to further soften while you cook the pork.

Meanwhile, heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet.  Sear the tournedos over high heat to brown each side, about a minute.  Continue cooking over lower heat to cook the pork through (internal temperature should reach 140F), about 3-5 minutes total per side.   Remove pork from skillet, and cover with foil for about 5-8 minutes. Add another tablespoon olive oil and toss the garlic and thyme into the skillet and sauté for the 2-3 minutes.

Remove the charred skin, ribs and seeds from the peppers (they should still be warm).  Coarsely chop and place in a food processor. Add the vinegar and a dash of salt and pepper.  Scrape in all the garlic, thyme and browned bits from the skillet into the processor.  Pulse just enough to form a smooth coulis sauce.

Plate a few tablespoons of sauce and place a tournedo on top.  Sprinkle with a bit of blue cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Cook's note:  I char my peppers on my gas stove.  Alternatively, you can use a gas grill, which works nicely.  A hot oven will also work, but you won't get as much charring.  I'd cut the peppers in half, seed them and lay them skin-side up in a single layer on a jelly roll baking pan.

I left the sauce a bit chunky because I like the texture.  A coulis is more often pureed to a very smooth consistency, and often strained.  The consistency is up to you.