Viking Pork with Berry Sauce
Braised pork tenderloin with a Viking Age berry sauce using ingredients available at the first Viking raid at Lindisfarne
City/Region: Lindisfarne | England
Time Period: 793
June 8, 793 is widely seen as the day that the Viking Age began when the monastery at Lindisfarne was attacked. It being summer, berries would have been available, and this sauce is based off of one from the wonderful book An Early Meal by Daniel Serra and Hanna Tunberg. Since there aren’t recipes from the Vikings themselves in this time period, we rely on a mix of other writings and archaeology to get an idea of their food.
Anglo-Saxons loved boiling everything, but luckily for us, they also roasted meats over an open flame or baked them in an oven. These methods are less common, but braising seems the better choice for a pork tenderloin (and Lindisfarne had ovens). The sauce is sweet with a touch of heat and a refreshing bit of mint at the end. It would go well on any kind of meat, but a lighter choice like pork or chicken will really let its complex flavor shine. The consistency is on the thinner side, so you could thicken the sauce with some starch to cater to a modern palate, but you’ll lose a bit of the historical authenticity.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (1/2 kg) pork tenderloin
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) lard, or another oil
- 1 1/2 cups (125 g) chopped spring onion or leek
- 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds, roughly crushed
- 1 lb (1/2 kg) fresh berries, whatever you like
- 1 teaspoon chopped mint
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) mead*
*See notes below.
Instructions:
- Cook the tenderloin however you like. To braise it, preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Salt the pork well, then melt the lard in a pot. When it’s hot, sear the pork on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the pork and add the green onions or leeks and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mead and water and stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the mint and mustard seed and bring to a simmer, then put the pork back in.
- Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the center of the pork reaches 145°F (63°C).
- Place the pot back on the stove and remove the pork to rest while you prepare the berry sauce.
- Add the berries to the pot with the braising liquid and bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and mash the berries, then pour the sauce through a sieve, pressing out as much liquid as possible.
- Return the sieved sauce to the pot and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes to reduce it.
- After the sauce has reduced and the tenderloin has rested, slice the pork and serve it forth with a healthy drizzle of the berry sauce and a glass of any leftover mead.
Notes
- If you aren't interested in making your own mead, find the one I used in my curated collection at Curiada
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