It was a case of mistaken identity.
I was at the freezer case and in a hurry. And instead of grabbing the shelled edamame I wanted, I got the fava beans. I didn't notice until I was home.
Despite the confusion, I plowed ahead with my plan to cover the bottom of a Dutch oven with garlic cloves and edamame, splash in some white wine, olive oil and seasonings, set a chicken over it, then pop it in to roast while I did other things.
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AP Photo - - Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fava Beans and Garlic. The recipe may have arisen unexpectedly, but the outcome is delicious.
Except I used the favas.
And it was brilliant.
The fava beans took on rich, savory flavors from the chicken and a gentle sweetness from the wine. The first night I ate them as is; the second night I pureed the favas into a hummus-like spread that was beyond delicious.
So I was determined to turn this accident into a winner of a recipe. For no particular reason I decided to change the meat. The chicken was great, but a second attempt with pork tenderloins turned out even better. Either works with this recipe, though you will need to adjust the cooking time for the chicken.
If you can't find frozen fava beans (check near the frozen Hispanic foods if they aren't alongside the other frozen veggies), you also can use lima beans or edamame.
The longer you can marinate the pork, the better. If possible, get it ready the night before or the morning of the day you plan to make it. After that, it's just a matter of tossing everything in the pan and walking away.
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fava Beans and Garlic
Start to finish: 1 hour. Serves 6.
For the pork:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2-1/4 pounds pork tenderloin
For the favas and pork:
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for hummus (extra is optional)
1-pound bag frozen fava beans
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
In a large zip-close plastic bag, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and rosemary. Mix well, then add the pork, turning to coat all sides. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
When ready to cook, heat the oven to 375 F.
In a medium Dutch oven or large, oven-safe saute pan, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and add to the pot. Sear until brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the tenderloins to a plate.
Add the fava beans, wine, broth, salt, pepper and garlic to the pan. Toss well. Set the tenderloins over the favas. Cover the pot and roast for 25 minutes, or until the pork reaches 145 F at the center. Remove the pot from the oven, transfer the pork to a plate, cover with foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, set the pot of favas over medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated.
To serve, cut the pork into thin slices.
The fava beans can be served as is alongside the pork, or turned into a hummus and served over it. To make a hummus, transfer the fava beans to a food processor. Pulse until smooth, adding olive oil as needed to get desired texture.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 449 calories; 182 calories from fat (41 percent of total calories); 20 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 111 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrate; 40 g protein; 4 g fiber; 739 mg sodium.