Pork Tenderloin with Black Lentils and Cream Sauce

Black lentils keep their shape and look like caviar on the plate, so they make a quiet, handsome base for pork. The tenderloin is cut into thick medallions and seared in bacon fat, which gives it the savory depth this lean cut lacks on its own. Once the pork is out, the same pan builds the sauce: shallot, wine, cream and a spoon of Dijon. Everything comes together in about 40 minutes. Pull the medallions at 140 F; tenderloin turns chalky fast past 150.