Peanut-Spice Crusted Pork Medallions

People associate "crust" with crunch and flavor. Peanut crusts do not let down: grinding peanuts then combining them with herbs and spices makes for a variety of crispy coatings for poultry, pork, meat and fish. Try this recipe with the 1 ½-2-inch thick medallions cut from the pork tenderloin or crust the whole tenderloin. Some other peanut-herb-spice mixes include: Cajun - cayenne, black pepper, onion power, garlic powder, chili powder, thyme ; Southwestern: chili powder, cumin, cilantro; Italian: oregano, basil

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Peanut Crust:
1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
3/4 cup all-purpose or peanut flour
1 teaspoons ground curry
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 14-16-ounce pork tenderloins, each cut crosswise into 6 slices (about 1 1/2-2-inches thick)
2 beaten egg whites
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons peanut oil

Prepare Peanut Crust, grind the peanuts in a food processor and then pulse them until fine; do not overdo this step or the nuts will turn oily and pasty. Add ¼ cup of the all-purpose or peanut flour, curry, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne, and pulse 3 to 4 times to combine. Transfer the spice mixture to a large plate.

Dredge the pork medallions in the remaining flour; shake off excess. Dip in egg whites, season with salt and pepper, and pat both sides in the peanut spice crust to evenly coat. Heat the peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet or well seasoned cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the spice crusted pork and sauté until crusted and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Turn the medallions over, lower the heat to medium-low and cook until just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Take care when turning not to rub off the crust. Transfer pork to a platter or individual serving plates.

Serving suggestions: Serve over dressed salad greens or a whole grain such as polenta, whole wheat couscous, brown rice, wild rice or barley pilaf.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 275 (42% from fat); FAT 13g(sat 2.5g, mono 6g, poly 5g); PROTEIN 35g; CARB 5g; FIBER 2g; CHOL 86mg; CALC 28mg

© Chef4Life, Laura Pensiero, RD