Kelly Rossiter
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Saskatoon berries have been around for a very long time indeed, and at one time were an important food for Native Americans. In Canada, the word saskatoon is derived from the Cree language, but I believe the fruit is more commonly known as serviceberry in the United States. It's appearance is similar to the blueberry, but it is actually a pome, more closely related to the apple. The taste is certainly similar to the blueberry, but it has a pronounced nutty taste and aroma, reminiscent of almonds. I really don't know why you don't see this fruit in grocery stores along with blueberries, but I never have. Of course, it is getting increasingly difficult to get Ontario blueberries in our local markets, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.
I got these berries from the farmers' market from Forbes Wild Foods. The people at Forbes are foragers, not farmers and their wares reflect that. I first met Seth at the Brewers' Plate in February. He not only has a regular booth at my local farmers' market, I also see him at the eco shows in town such as Green Living Show. Every week I check out the booth to see what Seth has on offer. Earlier in the season, I got my fiddleheads and ramps from him. I bought a number of ingredients from him for my big dinner party. And this week I tried out the saskatoon berries.
I had a pork tenderloin in my refrigerator at the cottage and it seemed like a pretty good fit with the berries. This is one of those recipes that I made up on the fly. I considered making a glaze for the pork while barbequing, but I decided on making a sauce that I would spoon over the pork once I had sliced it. The berries really held their shape through the cooking and made an attractive sauce. I still have lots of berries left and I may just make some jam from them.
Pork Tenderloin with Saskatoon Berry Sauce
1 pork tenderloin
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
3/4 cup or so of red wine
1 cup saskatoon berries
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp corn starch (optional)
- Rub the pork tenderloin with the garlic cloves. Place both pork and garlic in a bowl and pour a 1/2 cup or so of red wine over it. Cover and let marinate for an hour or two.
- In a small pot place the berries, sugar, 1/4 cup red wine and lemon juice and heat until boiling. Lower heat and let cook for 15 minutes or so, until berries are tender. I broke some of the berries up to release more juice, but you can keep them whole if you like. If you are using corn starch, mix the starch with a bit of water and pour into the berry mixture, stirring constantly. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring. If the consistency is too thick, you can add a bit of water.
- Meanwhile barbeque or grill pork until pink in the middle. Remove from the heat and let rest for a moment. Slice and spoon berry mixture over top.
Difficulty Level: Easy
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