KAT curious universe

Bon Appétit · 04

Trust The Recipe

Mimma’s notes

After admiring those sophisticated three-star creations and considering the curious career of a banana taped to a wall , suddenly felt like revisiting an old favourite I used to make.

Pork medallions, caramelised banana and rum sauce.

Quick, simple and perhaps a slightly unexpected combination. Especially when you see the ketchup on the shopping list. But trust the recipe.

This is a proper guilty pleasure.

There’s good butter, a generous splash of rum ( always be generous in the kitchen ) … and then there are the pommes allumettes. Those thin, crispy little fries are, as far as I’m concerned, an essential part of the arrangement.

I do hope my doctor doesn’t visit this website.

This is very much an occasional treat. Unlike KAT, which you’re welcome to enjoy every day.

But oh, it is delicious. And really, is there a happier marriage than banana and rum?

I often cook by feel and don’t always measure how much of each ingredient I use. I love a good sauce! If you’re a sauce lover too, feel free to add extra rum, ketchup and butter to the pan adjusting the amounts to taste .

Choose bananas that are ripe enough to be sweet but firm enough to survive a turn in the pan. We’re aiming for golden bananas, not an unexpected purée.

Truffle is still studying the shopping list. I suggest we let dinner do the explaining.

The Curious Bite

Havana Club 3 Años

For this recipe, I use Havana Club 3 Años, a Cuban rum made from sugarcane molasses — the thick syrup left after sugar crystals are extracted from sugarcane juice.

A little sugarcane, a little patience… and eventually, dinner.

Fancy a taste?

Pork Medallions with Caramelised Banana, Rum Sauce & Pommes Allumettes

Serves two Preparation and cooking: approximately 35 minutes

Print the recipe

Read the recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 pork medallions, approximately 150–180 g each
  • 2 ripe but firm bananas
  • 70 g good butter, divided, plus a little extra if needed
  • 80 ml rum — I use Havana Club 3 Años
  • 4 tablespoons tomato ketchup, approximately 60 g
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour, for lightly dusting the pork
  • 2–4 tablespoons water, as needed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pommes allumettes

  • 400 g potatoes suitable for frying
  • Frying oil
  • Salt

Prepare the pommes allumettes

  1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin, even matchsticks, approximately 3–4 mm thick. Rinse in cold water, then dry very thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel.
  2. Fry in small batches at 160°C until tender but still pale, approximately 3–5 minutes. Lift out and drain. Set aside for their final frying.
  3. Alternatively, use ready-prepared pommes allumettes and follow the packet instructions.

Prepare and cook the pork

  1. Cut the pork medallions into thin slices, approximately ½ cm thick.
  2. Place the slices between two sheets of cling film and gently pound them with a meat mallet to flatten and tenderise them.
  3. Pat dry, season with salt and pepper, then lightly dust with the flour, shaking off any excess.
  4. Heat 25 g butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once foaming, add the pork in a single layer, cooking in batches if necessary.
  5. Fry for approximately 2–3 minutes in total, turning halfway through, until lightly golden. Adjust the heat so the butter does not burn, and add a little extra butter if needed. Thicker slices may take longer.
  6. Transfer to a warm plate and cover loosely.

Caramelise the bananas

  1. Peel the bananas and halve them lengthways.
  2. Add 25 g butter to the pan over medium heat. Lay the bananas cut-side down and cook for approximately 2 minutes, until golden. Turn carefully and cook briefly on the other side.
  3. Handle gently so they retain their shape. Transfer to a warm plate while you make the sauce.

Make the rum sauce

  1. Take the pan off the heat before adding the measured rum. Keep the bottle away from the hob; there is no need to flambé.
  2. Return the pan to medium heat. Let the rum bubble briefly, gently loosening the browned cooking juices with a wooden spoon.
  3. Stir in the ketchup and simmer gently until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning add some extra pepper to taste.
  4. Reduce the heat and stir in the remaining 20 g butter.
  5. Return the pork and any resting juices to the pan. Simmer very gently over low heat for another 5–10 minutes. Add a little water as needed if the sauce becomes too thick.
  6. Gently return the bananas to the pan towards the end, just long enough to warm through.

Finish the pommes allumettes

  1. Bring the frying oil to 180°C. Fry the potatoes in small batches until golden and crisp, approximately 1–2 minutes. Drain and salt immediately.
  2. Serve the pork and bananas with the rum sauce and a generous helping of pommes allumettes.

Truffle’s verdict

“I had questions about the shopping list. Now I just have one: is there more sauce?”

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