I have housemates. When people move in and out, things inevitably get left behind: in the closets, in the cupboards, and in the refrigerator. And so it came to be that a pork tenderloin had been lingering in my freezer for over a year.
It speaks to my lack of enthusiasm about pork tenderloin that it had managed to stay there, frozen, uneaten, and unloved for so many months. (A five-pack of frozen udon noodles, on the other hand, disappears in under a month.) Pork tenderloin has always struck me as dry and bland. Why bother?
But I am not one to turn down free food, so I texted my mom–who cooks more meat than I do–asking for ideas. She shot back with at least five recipes, but it was this one that really spoke to me. I may not love pork tenderloin, but I am infatuated with sweet-and-tangy barbecue sauces. If anything could get me to roast up that pork, this was it.
And sure enough, this sauce did the trick. The bulk of the sauce comes from fresh plums rather than cups and cups of ketchup. This gives it that sweet-tangy barbecue sauce flavor, but prevents it from tasting saccharine due to ketchup overload. Some of my favorite Asian ingredients–rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and anise–lend it a far more complex flavor than you would get from a bottled sauce. And with the purple of the plums, it’s simply pretty to look at.
Piled on top of an easy roasted (but not dry!) tenderloin and served alongside some veg (I did seared okra), salad, or slaw, this makes for a delightful and relatively simple meal.
Don’t eat pork? This would also be wonderful with grilled chicken. No meat at all? I have been enjoying it alongside fried eggs and toast. Totally vegan? Let me know how this goes on roasted tofu or tempeh!
Previously:
One year ago: Salade Lyonnaise + A Little Taste of Lyon
Two years ago: Green Papaya Salad
And for my Australians:
Six months ago: Umami Bomb Mushroom Soup + How to Make Your Veg Taste Better
1.5 years ago: Tip: How to Lessen the Bite of Red Onions
2.5 years ago: Truffled Kettle Corn (this is dangerously good)
Pork Tenderloin with Plum Barbecue Sauce
Lifted from Cooking Light via MyRecipes.com
Serves 6
Ingredients
Sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced
1/4 cup (55g) packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (60mL) rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup (60mL) ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 whole cloves
1 star anise
1 1/2 pounds (680g) plums, pitted and quartered
Pork
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add canola oil to pan. Then add onion and sauté three minutes; add garlic and sauté onions and garlic together for another 2 minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until plums break down and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Discard cloves and anise. (I could only fish out the anise at this point–don’t stress too much over this.)
While the sauce is cooking, preheat oven to 450F (232C). Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt and pepper. Add pork to pan; sauté for 7 minutes total, turning 2-3 times to brown on all sides.
Transfer pork to a foil-lined rimmed baking pan. Coat with 1/2 cup plum sauce. Roast pork for 15 minutes. Remove pork from oven. Turn pork over; coat with an additional 1/2 cup plum sauce. Roast 10 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of pork registers 155F (69C). Remove from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Slice crosswise. Serve with remaining plum sauce.
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