Image: Kate Madden
Martha Holmberg is on your team. She knows a whisper of the word “sauce” evokes visions of veal bones simmering for days, egg yolks curdling in hot cream, and scalding geysers of tomato erupting from the blender. With her new book, Modern Sauces, she’s here to help. “Frankly, I’ve never made anything as time-consuming as a demi-glace at home that was any good,” she says. “But if you can whip up a great vinaigrette, caramel, and butter sauce, you can make a piece of cardboard transcendent.” Indeed, Holmberg brings creativity to the saucier’s rigid artillery, demystifying classic sauces for even the most reluctant cooks.
Holmberg spent years studying in Paris and Burgundy at La Varenne, a tiny, rigorous culinary school where classic sauces were dispatched with precision. Stateside, she kick-started the popular food magazine Fine Cooking and, more than a decade later, took the helm at the Oregonian, dreaming up Mix Magazine and helping to shape some of the state’s most seminal food years before heading off to focus on cookbooks. This tome is Holmberg’s love letter to both worlds—bridging the gap between French relics and the modern Portland kitchen.
Of the more than 100 recipes in her book, Holmberg describes the butter sauces as the “poster child for misunderstood French sauces.” One of the simplest sauces to make and master, a butter sauce plays on the delicate balance between an acidic reduction and the slow incorporation of the rich, buttery body. This dark, glossy balsamic-and-citrus recipe takes an herbaceous hit from rosemary, with a mellow fatty undertone that goes well on anything from seared scallops to pork medallions—though drinking it straight is not frowned upon.
Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Wilted Spinach and Orange-Rosemary Balsamic Butter Sauce
Serves 2
- 1 pork tenderloin, 14–16 oz
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 10 oz spinach, large stems removed
- ½ cup orange-rosemary balsamic butter sauce*
(1) TRIM away any patches of silver skin and big pieces of fat with a very sharp knife. (2) CUT tenderloin into slices 1 in thick, flatten each slice lightly with the heel of your hand, and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. (3) HEAT a large frying pan over medium-high, add 1 tbsp of oil, and then add pork, making sure not to crowd the pan. (4) SAUTÉ until nicely browned on the first side, 2–3 minutes; then flip and cook until browned on the second side but still pink in the center, another 1–2 minutes. (5) TRANSFER to a plate, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest while you cook the spinach. (6) DROP spinach into the pan and sauté quickly, tossing with a bit of salt and pepper and cooking until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 30–60 seconds, and pouring off the excess liquid. (7) TASTE and adjust seasoning. (8) ARRANGE a pile of wilted spinach on each plate and top with pork medallions. (9) POUR any accumulated pork juices over pork and spinach, and then drizzle a thick ribbon of butter sauce around the base of the spinach, reserving a little of the sauce to pass at the table. Serve right away.
*For the sauce:
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp minced shallot or yellow onion
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig, 4 in long
- 4–5 tbsp very cold unsalted butter (in one large piece); more as needed
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
(1) COMBINE vinegar, orange juice, shallot, and rosemary in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. (2) COOK, stirring and scraping the sides of the pan occasionally with a heat-resistant rubber spatula, until the liquid is reduced to 2–3 tbsp, around 3–5 minutes. (3) ADD butter and stir it in circles with a whisk, fork, or anything that lets you “stab” the hunk of butter so that you can move it around easily. (4) CONTINUE stirring and blending until almost all of the butter is incorporated, then remove pan from heat as you work in the last bit. (5) REMOVE and discard rosemary sprig, and whisk in salt. (6) TASTE and adjust seasoning if needed. If sauce is still very sharp, whisk in another ½ tbsp cold butter. (7) serve right away.
Do not store sauce in the refrigerator, as it will separate when reheated.
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