PREP: Mise the recipe ahead of time.

1. Make the rhubarb gastrique:

• Mince the step 1 shallot and place it in a non-reactive saucepan along with the step 1 butter.
• Trim away the tough end of the rhubarb stalk.  Fine-dice the rhubarb and add it to the saucepan along with the step 1 salt.
• Place the saucepan over medium heat and sauté the vegetables until coated with butter, and just beginning to brown at the edges. 
• Add the sugar, vinegar, stock, a little salt, and the rosemary.  Cover the pan, bring to the boil, and then lower the heat to the simmer.  Cook for about 10 minutes, checking often to ensure that the pan doesn’t run dry.  If necessary, add water to maintain a liquid consistency.
• Cool the mixture enough to handle.
• Place a mesh strainer in a bowl and pour the mixture into the strainer.  Use a wooden spoon to force the mixture through the strainer and into the bowl.
• Evaluate the consistency.  The gastrique should have a light nappé consistency (thick enough to lightly coat a spoon and free-flowing on a plate).  If too thin, return it to the saucepan and reduce over heat.  If too thick, thin with a little water.
• Evaluate the flavor.  If necessary balance with additional sugar, vinegar, or salt.
• If prepping ahead, store the gastrique in a non-reactive container.

2. Trim and pre-season the pork tenderloin:

• Mix together the step 2 salt and pepper.
• Rinse the pork tenderloin under cold water and blot dry with paper towels.
• Use a sharp, flexible-blade boning knife to trim off visible silverskin, or connective tissue, from the exterior.
• Sprinkle the salt-pepper mixture evenly over the pork and then massage it into the meat.
• Place the pork in a plastic bag and refrigerate until needed.

3. Par-cook the fregula:

• Bring about 1 qt water to the boil and add the step 3 salt. 
• Stir in the fregula and return to the boil.  Cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes until the fregula are chewy but not hard in the centers.
• Drain the fregula, rinse briefly under cool water, and shake dry.
• If prepping ahead of time, place the fregola in a plastic bag.

4. Fabricate, blanch, and refresh the snap peas:

• Bring at least 2 qt water to the boil.  Have ready a “spider” strainer and a bowl of cold water at the stove.
• Use a paring knife to cut a diagonal slit into the stem end of the snap pea, then pull with the knife and your thumb to remove the string from one side of the pea.  Repeat with the other end of the snap pea, removing the string from the other side.  Repeat with all of the snap peas.
• Drop the snap peas into the boiling water and blanch for about 30 seconds until slightly softened but still crisp. 
• Transfer to the bowl of cold water and then place the bowl under cold running water for about 3 minutes to refresh.
• Drain the snap peas and blot dry on paper towels.
• If prepping ahead, place the snap peas in a plastic bag with a folded paper towel in the bottom.

5. Prep the optional porcini mushrooms:

• Bring the step 5 water to the boil.
• Place the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and pour in the boiling water.  Allow to soak for about 10 minutes until soft.
• Remove the porcinis from their liquid, squeeze them dry, and coarse-chop them.
• Pour the porcini soaking liquid into a container; leave behind and discard any sediment in the bottom of the bowl.
• If prepping ahead, place the chopped porcinis in a container.

6. Fabricate the aromatic vegetables for the fregula:

• Mince the step 6 shallot.
• Mince the step 6 garlic.
• If prepping ahead of time, combine the shallot and garlic in a container.

7. Clean and fabricate the fresh mushrooms:

• Inspect the mushrooms for soil and grit, and wipe it away with damp paper towels.
• Trim away any tough or discolored stem ends.  (If using portobellas, scrape out and discard the black gills.)
• Cut the mushrooms into bite-size pieces.
• If prepping ahead, loosely wrap the mushrooms in a paper towel and place in an open, unsealed plastic bag.

HOLD: Refrigerate all ingredients up to 5 days.

COOK! Finish and plate your dinner.

8. Place the rhubarb gastrique in a saucepan on the back of the stove.

9. Preheat an oven to 425°F.  Have ready a cutting board placed in a sheet tray.

10. Mise the snap peas:

• Place the snap peas in a microwave-safe gratin or bowl and toss with a little salt. 
• Cover with plastic wrap and place in the microwave.

11. Pan-roast the pork tenderloin:

• Place a sauté pan over high heat until hot.  Blot the pork tenderloin dry on paper towels.
• Add the step 11 olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat the inside surface.
• Add the pork and sauté, turning to brown all surfaces, for about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the pork to a sizzle pan or baking dish and place it in the oven.  Retain the sauté pan with its sucs (browned protein residue). Roast about 20 minutes until the interior temperature reaches 140°F.
• Rest the pork on the back of the stove, allowing the internal temperature to reach 145°F through carryover cooking.

12. Finish the mushroom fregula:

• Combine the step 12 olive oil and step 12 butter in the pork sauté pan, and place the pan over high heat until the butter sizzles.
• Add the fresh mushrooms with a pinch of salt and sauté them, stirring and tossing, until they shrink and begin to brown. As you do so, scrape up the sucs.
• Add the step 6 shallot and garlic along with the chopped porcini mushrooms.  Stir to mix them with the mushrooms.
• Add the chicken stock and porcini mushroom soaking liquid, and bring to the boil.
• Stir in the fregula, cover the pan, and cook about 8 minutes until the fregula becomes chewy-tender.  
• If necessary, uncover and reduce any excess liquid, leaving the fregula moist but not wet.

13. Carve the pork tenderloin:

• Place the pork on the cutting board and cut it on the diagonal into oval-shaped slices a little less than ¼-inch thick.  Keep the portions of overlapping slices intact.
• Pour any juices accumulated in the roasting pan or cutting board into the gastrique, and stir them in.

14. Plate:

• Turn on high heat under the gastrique.
• Place the snap peas in the microwave oven and reheat them for 1 to 2 minutes until hot through.
• Mound the mushroom fregula on the back left of each warmed dinner plate.  (Using a 3-inch food ring makes an attractive presentation.)
• Mound the snap peas on the back right of each plate.
• Slide a knife under each portion of pork and transfer it to the front of each plate.  Fan out the slices.
• Use a plating spoon to drizzle a portion of the gastrique across the pork and into the plate well in front of the pork.