asian marinated pork tenderloin

5

I really want to coherently be able to tell you how good of a pork tenderloin this is.  Perfect for entertaining.  Also perfect for people who (like me) don’t tend to like the standard Asian fare.

But honestly all of my thoughts right now are consisting of beach! beach! beach!  Because in just a short while (although really too long when I think about it) we will be heading to the beach with my family and I cannot wait.  Seriously, there is a live cam of the beach that I pull up all too often.  And we’ve bought new swimsuits and towels and some awesome beach chairs.  Also, my brain is a little tired from a new part-time job I started this week, which I am loving.  But still, adapting to new stuff tends to make the brain a bit tired.

So all that to say, well, there’s an update on my life.  And also, thinking about what to tell you here about this pork has not been my first priority this week.  So, let’s see how this goes.

First of all, this marinade is adapted from Anne Burrell.  It was also one of the first things I added to my recipe repertoire after Gerrit and I were married.  I remember watching her cook it on her show around Thanksgiving, and I remember it being one of those light bulb moments, in which I discovered new foods that would be perfect for entertaining and which lo and behold I would actually enjoy.  I started collecting these kinds of recipes in droves around that time.  Things like Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, and Ina Garten’s Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin, and my favorite pot roast.  I was saving them all them time, making them a couple of times for Gerrit and I, maybe once for some friends, but I always felt like I was saving them for times like now, when we’re back at home and have people to invite for dinner on a regular basis.

The ironic thing about this though, is that I made this for only Gerrit and me last week.  It’s enough for dinner one night, leftovers the next night, and perhaps even a lunch sandwich.  And so while it’s perfectly good for a crowd, it’s just as good for a quiet night at home, which is the way it started out for us when I started collecting all the recipes I want to share with others.  The thing is, it always begins there, around our own tables with just our families when we eat dinner in our pajamas with Wheel of Fortune on.  Those times deserve the recipes we use on company, too.

Also-a technical note.  The cooking technique here comes from our beloved Ina.  She claims the pork is done at 137 degrees.  And I agree with her.  I’ve never gotten sick at that temperature, although my mother, who notoriously overcooks her meat, would probably faint at how pink it would be inside.  I tend to round the temperature up to 140 though, just to be sure.

And a note on taking the temperature: if your thermometer is a bit on the slow side, after it seems to have stagnated around one temperature, poke it down just a bit more (like really, only bit, barely at all).  The temperature will jump up a bit more, I think because by the time your first position has found its temperature it has actually cooled down some.  I have no idea is this is kosher cooking technique, but it works for me and when I fail to do this (like I did on this particular batch of pork) I tend to overcook my meat.

There.  I’d say that was pretty good.  Enjoy your holiday weekend.

Asian Marinated Pork Tenderloin
adapted from Anne Burrell and Ina Garten

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20-30 minutes
Wait Time: 2 hours

Serves about 6

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 one-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 scallion, both green and white parts, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, zested and juiced
1 (1 to 2 lb.) pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, scallions, orange zest, and orange juice.
2. Place pork in a large container, bowl, or a plastic zip top bag, and pour marinade over pork.  Cover with plastic wrap (or zip the bag) and let sit at room temperature for two hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.  (If marinating for longer than two hours, place in refrigerator.)
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the pork and sear on each side until golden brown.
4. Place the saute pan in the oven, cooking for 15-25 minutes, or until temperature at the thickest part of the meat reads 137 (the meat will still be slightly pink inside, and this is fine).
5. To make the sauce: Place leftover marinade into a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil for several minutes, until slightly reduced and thickened.  Remove from heat and drizzle over pork when serving.

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5 Replies to “asian marinated pork tenderloin”

  1. Thanks! Unfortunately you’ll hear from me a few more times before we’re off on vacation…as I said it’s really too long until we leave. I’m just counting down. ;)

  2. I love cooking with these sorts of strong, punchy, fiery flavours, and pork works so well with them. This recipe looks really delicious – tender and tasty!

  3. This is my kind of recipe, too. I think when you are adapting a recipe from Anne and Ina you just can’t go wrong. We love pork tenderloin, too for it’s versatility and tenderness. If I had one in my fridge right now I would go do this marinade. I like that it has the orange juice. I do a similar marinade for flank steak, but no orange juice. Love that its in here.

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