Zingy Asian-style Pork Tenderloin

Directions

Serves Four to Six
Time:  55 minutes Preparation (or more depending on how long you marinate)

½ inch fresh ginger grated on a micro plane (I don’t even bother to peel the ginger)
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced (or 2 tbs jarred minced garlic)
¾ cup tamari sauce or low sodium soy sauce
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ – ¾ tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it – or leave it out if you don’t like spice)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste (but tamari or soy sauce is a bit salty already – so go easy on this)
1 teaspoon or sugar or 1 tbs honey
2 ½ – 3 pounds pork tenderloin – they typically come in two small tenderloins to a package
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil for sautéing
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour, ½ cup water for slurry (to make sauce)

Method:

Marinade:

Combine the ginger, garlic, tamari, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and honey or sugar in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.

Drop the tenderloins in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and pour the marinade in.  Carefully seal it completely and smush the pork and marinade with your hands on the outside ensuring the meat is completely covered.  Leave in the bag in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes up to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat a heavy bottom skillet (a cast iron skillet is great…but another will do if it’s also oven safe) over medium-high heat with a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil.  Reserve the marinade – we’ll use that later.  When the oil is hot, carefully put each tenderloin in the pan.  CAUTION:  This will spit a LOT!  It’s best to have an oven mitt when you do this – the oil can burn you…not to mention make a total mess of your cooktop.  But hey – it’s cooking right?

After about 3 minutes, turn each tenderloin over.  You should have a nice brown sear on one side.  Sear the other side as well for about 3 minutes.

If your skillet is oven proof, you can place it in a pre-heated oven to finish cooking.  If not – transfer to a suitable baking dish.  Roast for 25 minutes.  You’re looking for an internal cooking temperature of 145°F for medium rare.  Pork will continue to cook as it rests.

Remove the tenderloins from the oven and place on a carving board to rest – tent with aluminum foil.  Time to make the sauce.  In the same pan – be careful, it’s HOT…pour in the marinade.    Meanwhile, combine flour and water together to make a slurry.  This will thicken the sauce.  Add the chicken stock to the marinade, stir.  After about a minute, slowly pour in the slurry.  Keep whisking to avoid lumps.  Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.  Sauce should be thickened and glossy.  Serve over the meat and any side you choose.

I like to serve this dish with soba noodles!