“Viking gryde”. This stew was created by chef Dix in 1961, at “Viking Bøfhus” (Viking Steakhouse) in Århus, Denmark. The restaurant no longer exists, but the stew remains a classic among those who ever tried it.
No need to kid ourselves: This is a very heavy dish. But let’s face it: Real butter and heavy cream does make a difference in taste!
INGREDIENTS
2 pork tenderloin (total about 2 lb)
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz butter + additional for frying
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
5 tsp Madras curry powder
3 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika powder
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp Whiskey
Salt and black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Brown butter in a Dutch oven.
Add the curry powder and brown it until fragrant.
Add paprika powder and then the chopped onion.
2. When the onion are almost tender/clear, add the flour and bake it while stirring thoroughly.
3. Add warm milk and bake it all until it thickens.
4. Add tomato paste, garlic, heavy cream and salt and papper, and mix well.
Keep the sauce warm, but do NOT allow it to boil.
5. Cut the tenderloins into stroganoff-like strips. Be sure the strips are cut crosswise!
Tip: Cut through the tenderloin lenghwise a couple of times, then cut crosswise into strips.
6. In a frying pan, brown some additional butter and quickly brown the meat. Do NOT attempt to fry too much at a time! Overcrowding the pan and you risk boiling the meat instead of browning it.
The meat need just be browned – no need to fully cook it.
7. Add the browned meat to the warm sauce and let it sit for about 20 minutes to give flavor. Still, do NOT let it boil under any circumstances, but on the other hand it should be kept warm.
8. Finally, add whiskey.
NOTES:
Don’t be affraid of the whiskey. However, if you prefer, or don’t have it on hand, omit it.
I don’t really think there’s a good alternative to tenderloin since the juicyness and tenderness of the meat is very important.
Serve with fried potatoes/french fries, or rice.