UNLIKELY

BLACKBERRY AND PORK

FUSIONOverview Blackberries are used in recipes, but the berries and other parts of the plant have been used in medicine and has been used in many ways. Almost every corner of the earth has a blackberry species that has adapted to its specific climate and conditions.

The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the Rubus genus in the Rosaceae family, hybrids among these species within the Rubus subgenus, as well as hybrids between the Rubus and Idaeobatus subgenera. What distinguishes blackberries from its raspberry relatives is whether the torus (receptacle) picks with the fruit, a blackberry, or remains on the plant when picked leaving a hole in the fruit, a raspberry. The term 'bramble', a word meaning any impenetrable scrub, has traditionally been applied specifically to the blackberry or its products, though in the United States it applies to all members of the Rubus genus. In the western US, the term caneberry is used to refer to blackberries and raspberries as a group rather than the term bramble.

The (usually) black fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. It is a widespread and well-known group of over 375 species, many of which are closely related apomictic microspecies native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere and South America.

Origin

It is hard to trace the exact origin since blackberries proliferate all over the globe, but it is likely the first were in Asia, North or South America or in Europe. Greeks and Romans used blackberries in medicine, and Native Americans used them for food, medicine and to dye animal skins. Blackberries are also known as bramble, brummel, brambleberry and bly.

Blackberry Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

    Pork tenderloin    2 tablespoons olive oil    Fresh lime juice    Sea salt    Pepper (freshly ground)    For the Sauce:    1 lb. fresh blackberries    2 lemons    1 ½ oz. granulated sugar    4 oz. butter (softened)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the olive oil in an oven proof skillet and warm over medium high heat. Add the tenderloin and sear both sides. Add the limejuice, salt, and pepper. Bake until cooked through.

2. In the meantime, make the sauce by pouring all the sauce ingredients into a saucepan. Crush the ingredients. Simmer until reduced by 1/3. Remove from the stove and strain. Add the butter, stirring constantly until it’s melted.

3. Serve the tenderloin with the sauce poured over the meat.