Pork Marsala with a Polenta Hash

Chicken Marsala quickly became one of my favorite dishes after my Aunt Janet let scarf down her leftovers at an Italian restaurant we were dining out at 10 years ago.  I then became very spoiled living in Chicago and having the greatest Chicken Marsala's I've ever had at Lucia's Italian Restaurant in Wicker Park.  Once I moved to El Paso, I missed the dish so I bought a big bottle of Marsala wine to make it at home.  I had no size choices in the wine, so I have been stuck with this large bottle of  Marsala that needs using up.  As I was getting ready to leave for vacation I was trying to use up the remaining ingredients in my fridge which included a pork loin and the left over polenta log from my Sausage Ragu recipe.  I came up with a very delicious twist to my favorite dish.

Marsala is not to be confused with Masala, which is an Indian tomato based sauce.  Marsala wine comes in various colors and ages, and can be used in other Italian dishes such as risotto or tiramisu.  According to Wikipedia, it can be sipped and is sometimes used as an aperitif, or a drink to stimulate the appetite between courses.  I hated the taste of my Marsala wine, I wouldn't recommend it. I'm sure the restaurants serve a much higher quality though :)

Servings: 6            Time: 40-50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Pork Loin
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 2 1/2  tbs Olive Oil, divided
• 1/2 Polenta log, cubed
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 package Baby Portabella mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1/2 Shallot minced
• 1 tb Herbes De Provence
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 cup Marsala Wine
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt

Steps:

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 1 tb of olive oil, salt and pepper. Rub over pork loin and place in a 9 x 13 baking pan. Put in oven and roast for about 30-35 minutes.

2.) Next take the cubed polenta, red pepper, shallots, 1 tbs of olive oil and Herbes de Provence and toss in a baking dish.  Put in the oven and roast for approximately 20 minutes or until the polenta pieces start to look crispy on the outside. I've posted a before and after below to demonstrate the difference.

3.) In a small skillet over medium heat on the stove, add remaining oil and garlic.  Saute for 3-4 minutes and then add the mushrooms.  Saute for about 7-8 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.

4.) Add wine and mustard to mushrooms and bring to a boil.  Cook until the liquid reduces by a 1/3.

4.) Stir in sour cream and cook until sour cream dissipates but the sauce is thicker.  You may want to add some pan drippings from your roast pork once it is done.

5.) Once the pork has rested (about 10 minutes) cut it into 1/2 inch slices.

6.) To plate, scoop some of the polenta hash and top a few slices  of the pork on top.  Spoon the mushroom sauce over it  and it is ready to eat!