Recipe: Pork Loin Medallions in Balsamic Honey Glaze over Potato Pancakes

During one of my recent jaunts to Trader Joe’s, I had to stop and ask one of the staff there if they were out of the Sweet Chili Sauce I use in my Cheater Chutney. While I was waiting for him to check the stock in the back, I meandered around and checked out what was new in the meat department. New marinated steaks and lamb were just added to their stock, but it was a beautifully lean pork loin that caught my eye. Not only was it lean and perfectly pink (you fellow foodies understand great finds like this), it was literally $4.49. Mind you, I don’t shop for pork that often because I’m more of a chicken and seafood girl, but I’m pretty sure something of this quality is not usually priced so low. Since I promised myself I’d start buying outside of my comfort zone so I could come up with some new recipes, and because I knew I had a bunch of new potatoes at home, I threw it in my basket.

I wanted to stay away from more traditional pork recipes that tend to pair the meat with apples. Though it’s a perfect pairing because the sweetness of the apples enhances the flavor of the pork, I wanted to try something new. I’m currently obsessed with making glazes and thought one with balsamic vinegar and honey would compliment the pork beautifully. I also wanted to cook the potatoes differently, and though I’m not too keen on fried foods, I figured making some shredded potato pancakes would be a nice change. I’d been craving some really crispy potatoes so this seemed perfect.

This recipe is a prime example of how to make something that looks like an expensive restaurant fare right at home for a very low price. Though this looks like something you could get at a restaurant that charges about $15/entrée, this recipe literally costs about $3/person for 4 servings. As one of my favorite college professors used to say all the time, presentation is everything. This definitely applies to food. Sure, mashed potatoes are incredibly tasty, but these little potato pancakes are a lot prettier. These are also fun to make and you can get your older kids involved in peeling & shredding the potatoes. Now, on with this super easy, but very tasty recipe!