Pork Tenderloin with Fig and Mushroom Sauce

Figs are one of my very favorite foods and here in Colorado, we rarely see fresh figs. So, we have to make do with dried figs. Still, they add a depth of flavor of any dish. In this recipe, they blend well with the flavor of porcini and shitake mushrooms.

Ingredients

1/2 ounce dry porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, wiped clean and tough stems removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat and silver skin - about 1.5 pounds
1 large shallot
1 cup red wine
3 dried figs, stemmed and chopped
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

Place porcini mushrooms in bowl and pour boiling broth over them. Let stand to soften, about 30 minutes.
Line a strainer with a coffee filter or cheesecloth and strain the  mushroom liquid through the filter and into a bowl or measuring cup. Squeeze mushrooms to extract any excess liquid.
Rinse the reconstituted mushrooms with cool water to remove any grit. Pat dry with paper towels. Finely chop.

In large skillet, heat one Tablespoon of olive oil and one Tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. Season pork on all sides with salt and pepper. Place pork in pan and brown on all sides - about 3 - 4 minutes per side.
Place pork in baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees while preparing the sauce.
Heat 1/2 Tablespoon of oil and butter in medium skillet. Add shitake mushrooms and cook until they release their juices and are tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat remaining half Tablespoon of oil and half Tablespoon of butter in small saucepan. Add shallot and cooked until softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine and reserved mushroom liquid and chopped figs. Bring to boil and reduce by half. Add wine reduction to skillet used to cook pork.  Bring to boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in thyme.
Add chopped porcini mushrooms. Remove pan from heat and swirl in final one Tablespoon of butter.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cut pork into 1-inch thick slices. Return them to the pan with sauce to heat through. Divide pork among dinner plates. Spoon fig and mushroom sauce on top of the medallions. Top each with a spoonful of mushrooms.

This dish is excellent with baked sweet potatoes.