Hasselback pork tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 pork tenderloins (approximately 700 g each)
• 3 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 medium red pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 8 slices provolone cheese (about 220 g)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Special equipment: spice grinder or mortar and pestle

Preparation:

1. Grind the fennel seeds and red pepper flakes together in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
2. Cut each tenderloin in half crosswise to make 4 equal pieces. Rub the tenderloin lengthwise with the fennel mixture and let it sit, uncovered, at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
3. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and bell pepper, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and salt to taste. Let cool until the filling is ready to handle.
4. Using a sharp knife, make crosswise slits in each tenderloin, about 1 cm apart, as deep as possible without cutting all the way through. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the vegetable mixture into each slit, carefully arranging the vegetables so that they hang slightly over the sides of the tenderloin.
5. Repeat with the remaining pork and vegetables. Place the stuffed tenderloins on a rimmed baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart, and arrange the remaining vegetables around each tenderloin.
6. Bake until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat reaches 140°F (60°C), about 20 minutes. Place 2 slices of cheese on each tenderloin and continue baking until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.