Pan-Seared Pork Medallions with Sweet Red Bell Pepper Sauce

Place the trimmed boneless pork loin onto a meat cutting board and slice crosswise into 8 medallions of uniform 2 cm (0.75-inch) thickness. Thoroughly wash hands, knife, and cutting board with warm soapy water immediately after handling raw meat to eliminate cross-contamination risks.

Season all sides of the pork medallions evenly with 2 g of fine sea salt, 1 g of freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 g of the smoked paprika.

On a clean vegetable cutting board, stem, deseed, and dice the red bell peppers into 1 cm pieces.

Heat 15 ml of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat at 160°C (320°F).

Add the diced shallots and red bell peppers to the skillet and sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly caramelized at the edges.

Stir in the minced garlic and the remaining 1 g of smoked paprika, cooking continuously for 1 minute until fragrant.

Pour the low-sodium chicken broth and sherry vinegar into the skillet, deglazing any browned bits from the pan floor, and simmer over medium-low heat for 4 minutes until the liquid reduces by one-third.

Transfer the hot pepper mixture into a blending container, add the remaining 1 g of fine sea salt, and process on high speed using an immersion blender for 1 minute until completely smooth and emulsified. Cover to keep warm.

Wipe out the large skillet, set it over medium-high heat, and add the remaining 15 ml of extra virgin olive oil, heating to 190°C (375°F).

Lay the seasoned pork medallions into the hot skillet with tongs, spacing them evenly, and sear undisturbed for 3 minutes.

Turn the pork medallions over with tongs and sear the reverse side for 2 to 3 minutes until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest center of the medallions registers at least 63°C (145°F).

Transfer the seared medallions immediately to a clean plate and allow them to rest undisturbed for at least 3 minutes to redistribute moisture throughout the meat fibers.

Ladle 60 ml of warm red bell pepper sauce onto the center of each serving plate, tilting gently to create an even circular pool, and place 2 rested pork medallions directly onto the sauce.

Scatter finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and the remaining 1 g of freshly cracked black pepper over each portion, pouring any resting juices from the resting plate over the medallions, and serve immediately.