Romesco sauce, a Spanish condiment from Spain’s Catalan region, is prepared with a mélange of tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, garlic, almonds, and olive or sunflower oil. There are, however, countless variations. Sherry vinegar or lemon juice are often added to brighten the sauce, while smoked paprika and garlic are occasionally included as seasonings. And, in place of almonds, hazelnuts and pine nuts are sometimes substituted. The sauce, originally created to accompany seafood, is equally good paired with poultry and such meats as pork. I was inspired to make my first batch of romesco by a dish I sampled over a year ago on the Greek isle of Syros. Fausto Eppinger, a talented chef, served a bowl of this orange-hued salsa as an accompaniment to roasted pork tenderloins. He used walnuts rather than traditional almonds and added cumin as a seasoning. One bite convinced me to put the dish on my list of recipes to recreate at home.

For the past few weeks I’ve made several variations of romesco sauce. At first, I used purchased roasted red bell peppers but found that taking a few extra minutes to prepare and roast the peppers myself added immeasurable flavor. For my final version I combined the latter with tomatoes, walnuts, and parsley along with lemon and cumin. I loved the resulting slightly chunky sauce. The pork tenderloins were rubbed with cumin, salt, and pepper, and then browned and roasted for about 20 minutes.

The sauce can be prepared several hours ahead, and the pork is delicious served either warm or at room temperature. Do not wait as long as I did to try romesco sauce!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cumin-Rubbed Pork Tenderloins with Walnut Romesco Sauce

Romesco Sauce
2 medium red bell peppers
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (See cooking tip.)
1 medium ripe tomato, quartered with seeds and membranes removed and tomato cut into 1/4- inch dice to yield 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley plus  a few sprigs for garnish
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp cumin
1/2 to 3/4  tsp kosher salt

Roast Tenderloins
Two 1-pound pork tenderloins (trimmed of any excess fat or silver skin)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Olive oil for sautéing tenderloins

1.For the Romesco Sauce, arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  With a sharp knife remove and discard stems from the peppers. Then quarter each pepper lengthwise and remove and discard membranes and seeds from each. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush both sides of the pepper pieces with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

2.Transfer baking sheet to the preheated oven and roast 25 to 30 minutes until peppers are charred and their skins blistered. Turn peppers once halfway through the roasting. Remove pan from oven and transfer peppers with tongs to a mixing bowl. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes to help loosen the skins from the peppers.

3. Remove the roasted peppers from the bowl and with a sharp paring knife peel off the skins. Transfer the peppers to a food processor and add the lemon juice and zest, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, half of the chopped walnuts, half of the chopped parsley, half of tomatoes, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Process several seconds until mixture is a coarse puree.

4.Add remaining walnuts, tomatoes, and parsley to a serving bowl. Add the pureed red pepper mixture to the bowl and toss to combine. Taste and season with 1/4 teaspoon extra salt if needed. (Romesco sauce can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving.) Makes about 2/3 cup sauce.

5.For the pork tenderloins arrange a rack a center position and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix the cumin and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Rub this mixture over all the surfaces of the tenderloins. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a large, heavy roasting pan or ovenproof skillet and set it over medium-high heat until oil  is hot. Add the tenderloins and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

6.Roast the pork until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 150 degrees, about 20 minutes. Remove the tenderloins to a carving board and let rest 10 minutes. Cut the pork  in 1/2 inch thick slices and arrange, slightly overlapping, on a platter. Garnish with a bowl of romesco sauce and some parsley sprigs.

Serves 6

Cooking tip: To toast walnuts, spread them on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 350-degree F oven until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully so nuts do not burn. Remove and cool.

Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2025