When it comes to cooking pork, it seems to me the pork tenderloin is the forgotten son. Most people pay more attention to cooking pork chops or ribs and tend to overlook the greatness that the tenderloin can offer you. I find very often that pork tenderloin is on sale at one supermarket or another and since you get to in a package you can very often get a few meals at of just one purchase for about eight or nine dollars. Tenderloin is also very quick to cook so it makes an ideal choice for a weeknight meal when you may not have a lot of time to put into dinner. One thing I have noticed about pork tenderloin is that it does need some spice or seasoning to really jazz up the flavor. I had purchased pork tenderloin not that long ago and was looking for something different to do with it when I came across this recipe at Fine Cooking. The original recipe makes use of a pork loin, which is typically a little bit of a bigger and thicker roast and takes more time to cook but I did adapt it to the tenderloins that I had available and made it into a pretty tasty meal.
Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple-Scallion Chutney
2 large cloves garlic
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1-1/2 teaspoons toasted coriander seeds, ground (or just ground coriander)
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 medium fresh pineapple (about 3-1/2 lb.)
1/4 cup maple syrup, preferably grade B
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 large shallot, minced
Pinch ground cayenne
1 large scallion, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Peel and coarsely chop the garlic. Sprinkle it with a generous pinch of salt and mash it to a paste with the side of a chef’s knife. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl and stir in the oil, lemon zest, coriander, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
Put the pork on a large rimmed baking sheet, pat it dry with paper towels, and rub the tenderloins all over with the salt mixture. Let the tenderloins sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°. Roast the pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 130°F. Factor in about 20 minutes per pound of cooking time for the tenderloins to reach this temperature.
Meanwhile, peel and core the pineapple. Cut half of the pineapple into a small dice and roughly chop the other half. Purée the roughly chopped pineapple in a blender, then strain it through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids with a spoon, to yield about 3/4 cup of pineapple juice. In a small saucepan, combine the strained pineapple juice and maple syrup and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 12 to 15 minutes. The liquid will become very bubbly as it reduces; lower the heat as necessary.
Set aside all but 2 tablespoons of the reduced liquid (this will be your glaze). Add the vinegar, shallot, cayenne, and a pinch of salt to the 2 tablespoons of liquid remaining in the saucepan and cook the mixture over medium heat just until the shallot begins to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the diced pineapple and scallion whites and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pineapple softens and releases some of its juice, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the chutney from the heat and let it cool slightly.
When the pork reaches 130°F, brush it with some of the glaze and continue to roast, brushing with more glaze every 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast reads 145°F, about 20 minutes more. Let the tenderloins rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
When you are ready to serve, stir the scallion greens and cilantro into the chutney. Slice the pork into 1/2-inch-thick rounds and serve it with the chutney.
The recipe itself is pretty straightforward and you do want to keep a close eye on the tenderloins and the temperature to make sure that it is cooked all the way through. You may even want to sear the tenderloins on the stove top to get a little bit of color on them before you place them in the oven. I actually follow the recipe and glazed them every few minutes and then in the last two or three minutes of cooking placed them under the broiler to give them some extra color. The glaze has fantastic flavor with the combination of the maple syrup and pineapple and the chutney has a nice combination of heat and sweetness thanks to the cayenne pepper and the pineapple. The chutney makes quite a bit so you likely will have some left over (which I did) and then you can use it again as a side dish or other meals or even as a topping for chicken or hamburger. Overall it is a pretty quick meal that you can cook during the week that provide you with something different to do with pork. I served it with some plain white rice, steamed broccoli and homemade biscuits to complete the meal.
That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!
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