The Cutting Horse Restaurant Walnut-Crusted Pork Tenderloin

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

1 pound pork tenderloin, cleaned and trimmed

2 eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon water

1 1/2cups walnuts, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

Maple Syrup Sauce (recipe follows)

Toss together the flour, salt and pepper. Cut the tenderloin into two equal portions. Roll the tenderloin in the flour, shaking to remove excess. Dip the tenderloin in the beaten egg wash and roll to coat thoroughly. Drain off excess. Roll the coated tenderloin in the crushed walnuts, pressing gently to secure the crust. Set aside for 5 minutes for the coating to "set."

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the tenderloin pieces and sear well on all sides.

Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the warm Maple Syrup Sauce and cook over medium heat, turning the tenderloins often to coat with sauce and keep the crust from burning. The sauce will reduce to a thick glaze; add more if necessary to keep the desired consistency. When the pork is just pink in the center, remove from the pan and reserve.

Reduce the sauce if necessary to get a thick glaze.

Slice the pork on the diagonal and arrange on 4 plates. Drizzle with the thick, glazed sauce.

Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information per serving (without Maple Syrup Sauce): 630 cal., 35 g pro., 19 g carbo., 370 mg sodium, 48 g total fat (7 g saturated fat)

- Recipe from chef Joey Kistler of The Cutting Horse Restaurant, San Juan Bautista, Calif.