#pork tenderloin

Grilled pork tenderloin

Roasted Peanut Asian Slaw with Asian Pork Tenderloin

Cider-Brined Pork Tenderloins with Roasted Apples

Servings: 4-6

STUFF
2 cups apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Kosher salt
4 cups ice
Two 1- to 1 ¼-pound pork tenderloins
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 large shallot, minced
2 thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons sorghum syrup or pure maple syrup
¾ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound medium carrots, cut crosswise ¼-inch thick
2 Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples—peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons canola oil

STEPS
In a large saucepan, combine the cider, cinnamon, peppercorns, coriander, crushed red pepper, garlic and 3 tablespoons of kosher salt and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat, add the ice and let cool completely. Pour the brine into a bowl and add the pork tenderloins, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar with the shallot, thyme and sorghum syrup and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until reduced to ½ cup, about 5 minutes; discard the thyme sprigs. Whisk in the butter and season lightly with salt; keep warm.

On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots with the apples, orange juice and olive oil; season with salt. Roast in the lower third of the oven, stirring once, until tender and browned in spots, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain the pork tenderloins and cut them in half crosswise; discard the brine. Pat the pork dry and season lightly with salt. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil until shimmering. Add half the pork and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pork to a rimmed baking sheet. Wipe out the skillet and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil and pork. Roast the pork in the upper third of the oven for about 12 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 140°. Transfer the pork to a work surface and let rest for 10 minutes.

Slice the pork and transfer to plates. Drizzle the sauce on top and serve with the roasted carrots and apples.

ROASTED BALSAMIC PORK TENDERLOIN

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INGREDIENTS:

PORK AND VEGGIES

• 1 pkg. pork tenderloins, trimmed (comes with 2 pieces, 2 – 2 ½ lbs. total)
• 3 cups broccoli florets (optional)
• 1 pound baby Dutch potatoes, quartered or halved if smaller (optional)
• vegetable and olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons butter sliced into 6 pads

PORK BRINE

• ¼ cup kosher salt
• 4 cups warm water
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup ice cubes

SPICE MIX

• 1 TBS EACH chili powder, garlic powder
• 1 tsp EACH salt, onion powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

BALSAMIC SAUCE

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp EACH dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Prep: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a half-rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup and spray with cooking spray. On the counter next to the stove, lay out two long pieces of foil that will be used to enclose each tenderloin separately after searing.
• Brine: In a gallon-size freezer bag (I prop it up in a larger bowl), mix kosher salt with warm water until dissolved. Whisk in vinegar, brown sugar and ice then add the pork (make sure pork is submerged). Brine for exactly 20 minutes (meanwhile see steps below). Remove pork from brine, RINSE and pat very dry. The pork can become mealy if left in the brine any longer than 20 minutes.
• Spice Mix and Sauce: While the pork is brining, whisk together all of the Spice Mix ingredients in a small bowl. Remove 1 teaspoon to use on the vegetables. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the Balsamic Sauce ingredients. Lastly, prepare the veggies:
• Potatoes (optional): Add potatoes to the prepared baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon Balsamic Sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon reserved Spice Mix, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper then spread into an even layer. Bake potatoes at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes then remove the pan from the oven.
• Broccoli (optional): Push the par-cooked potatoes to one side of the pan (keep in a single layer). Add the broccoli and toss with ½ tablespoon Balsamic Sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon reserved Spice Mix, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Push to the opposite side of the pan in a single layer. Set aside.
• Spice and Sear Pork: Evenly rub the dried pork all over with spice mix. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot and just smoking, add pork tenderloins, you may need to work in batches. Sear each side of pork until golden, then transfer to prepared foil.
• Add Balsamic Sauce: Fold up the foil around the sides of the tenderloins. Pour half of the balsamic sauce over each tenderloin, then top each tenderloin with 3 pads of butter. Bring up the sides of the foil and completely enclose each tenderloin (see photos in post). Transfer pork pouches to the middle of the baking sheet in between the vegetables.
• Bake: Bake at 400 degrees F until pork registers between 145 and 150-degrees F (63 and 65 degrees C) at the thickest part of the tenderloin, 15-25 minutes depending on thickness. This means the pork will be juicy and slightly pink in the middle. To check the temperature, insert a digital probe thermometer through foil as it bakes or check with an instant read thermometer. Note, you may need to remove one tenderloin from the oven before the other. Your vegetables should be done at the same time as the pork, but if not, remove the pork and continue roasting vegetables an additional 5-10 minutes or until tender.
• Rest: When pork is done, transfer it to a heat proof surface and open the top of the foil (be careful, a lot of steam will escape); let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Spoon the accumulated balsamic butter sauce in the bottom of the foil over top the sliced pork. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.