Introduction by Bella Butler
Recipe by Sarah Faye

The first time I stepped into Faye’s Café in Livingston, Montana, I was filled with a fresh breath I didn’t even know I needed. Fittingly located in the Shane Lalani Center for the Arts, the space is glossed with a rainbow palette, from the brightly dressed servers to the menus, which encourage customers to order based on adjectives rather than pre-designed dishes. The plates coming out of the open kitchen are no exception, some decorated with sliced strawberries and sprigs of cilantro, and others with the brightness of a golden egg yolk. But after a few visits to the café, I’ve learned—as the restaurant’s many regular patrons do—that its well of vibrancy comes from Sarah Faye herself, the restaurant’s chef, owner and namesake.

Following other iterations of her culinary career, which included working as a chef on a yacht in Alaska, and catering and private cheffing in Montana, Faye opened the café in her hometown in 2014 to support her family as a single mom and spend more time with her kids. She found breakfast service a natural fit.

“I realized it’s the best place to have the most access to people, to share peace, love and happiness,” she told me.

Faye’s isn’t just a restaurant. Faye wants people who walk in her place to feel inspired, welcome, and most importantly, safe. She says in a world that accepts us less and less for who we are, such feelings are sacred. Faye’s is a sanctuary.

In a perfect expression of her creativity and aptitude for finding flavors that feel like an embrace, Faye presents her recipe for pork tenderloin with lavender and apples, an elegant yet approachable dish inspired by her roots in Montana and in cooking.

“I wanted a classic recipe that could be used for guests,” she said. “Simple with complex flavors. My Grandma loved to pair pork with apples. This reminds me of her.”

Recipe

This recipe was sourced from Sarah Faye’s cookbook “Yumtwist: The Art of Spontaneity in the Kitchen.”

Serves: 8

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs pork tenderloin (2-3 whole tenderloins)
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1⁄2 C julienned shallot
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2-3 large Honeycrisp apples, cored and sliced into thick wedges
  • 1⁄4 C butter
  • 1 C brown sugar or 1⁄2 C coconut sugar
  • 1⁄4 C finely chopped rosemary
  • 2 tbsp culinary lavender (Faye prefers AKL Maui)
  • 1⁄4 C heavy whipping cream

Directions

  1. Trim, rinse and pat dry the tenderloins, then season heavily with kosher salt and fresh ground white, green, or pink peppercorns.
  2. Lay the tenderloins on a sheet pan and spray them lightly all over with a non-stick spray. Grill on all sides at medium-high heat. This process should take 5 minutes. Pork will be very rare still. Slice into 1-inch- thick medallions. Toss in extra virgin olive oil and set aside.
  3. Heat a large, thick-bottomed stainless or cast-iron pan to medium-high and add vegetable oil. Add shallots, stir and sauté for 5 minutes, or until shallots start to caramelize. Slide the shallots to the side and place pork medallions in the center of the pan in a flower pattern. Add butter, apples, rosemary and lavender on top. As soon as the butter is melted and the pork is sizzling, sprinkle brown sugar over the pork and apples.
  4. Remove the pork medallions and place on a serving platter. Drizzle the heavy cream into the pan and continue to simmer on medium-high, whisking the sauce together.
  5. Once the sauce is mixed together and bubbling, add kosher salt to taste. Pour sauce and apples over the pork medallions and garnish with fresh lavender and rosemary. Serve and enjoy!

Faye’s Twists

  • Replace heavy cream with maple or plain yogurt.
  • Replace lavender with garam masala seasoning mix.
  • Use a squeeze of lemon and fresh lavender to garnish.
  • Use pork chops instead of pork tenderloin.
  • Drizzle AKL lavender honey over the dish just before serving.
  • Garnish with rough-chopped cooked bacon and rosemary sprigs.

Bella Butler is the daughter of a chef who taught her that food is a central part of home. She’s the managing editor of Mountain Outlaw.