Roasted Pork Loin with Poached Plums

Ingredients

• 6 servings cinnamon sticks 
• 1 cup wine dry red
• 6 servings chives fresh chopped
• 2 teaspoons thyme sprigs fresh chopped
• 2  garlic clove minced
• 2 cups chicken broth 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 2.5 pound pork tenderloin 
• 6  plums sweet black red firm pitted quartered (such as Burgundies, Satsumas, or El Dorados; 2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons shallots chopped
• 0.3 cup sugar divided
• 5  thyme sprigs fresh divided finely chopped
• 2  star anise whole

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• kitchen thermometer

Directions

1. Combine first 5 ingredients and 1/4 cup sugar in heavy large saucepan; bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat; simmer until plums are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Transfer plums to platter. Strain wine mixture.
3. Return strained liquid to same saucepan.
4. Add broth, thyme sprigs, and shallot. Boil until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 25 minutes. Strain sauce; stir in 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar and chopped thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
5. DO AHEAD:Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover plums and sauce separately; chill. Bring plums to room temperature; rewarm sauce over medium heat.
6. Preheat oven to 400°F.
7. Brush pork with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper.
8. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
9. Add pork and cook until brown on all sides, turning often, about 5 minutes.
10. Transfer skillet to oven, and roast pork until thermometer inserted into center registers 140F, about 20 minutes.
11. Remove skillet from oven and let pork stand 10 minutes.
12. Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
13. Serve with poached plums and sauce.
14. Sprinkle with chopped chives.
15. *Available in the spice section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Asian markets.