In our attempt to find a way to combine coconut milk and pork tenderloin we came across many recipes for milk-braised pork loin, which apparently is a pretty popular dish. It sounds strange, I know, but the result is very tender pork with a rich creamy sauce. The sauce in our version wasn't as thick as expected, most likely from the use of coconut milk instead of regular milk or cream. But it gave the dish a very unique flavor along with the cardamom pods and cinnamon. With a side of roasted Brussels sprouts and a baked potato, it was quite a tasty meal!
Ingredients:
- 1 pork tenderloin (1-1.5 lbs) or two small tenderloins
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/3 cup milk
- 4 cloves garlic, halved
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
- 4 sage leaves
Directions:
Pat the pork dry and season well with salt and pepper. Spread the mustard over the exterior.
In a dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high and sear the pork on all sides until it is well browned. Our tenderloin was so large we had to cut it in half and do this in two batches.
Next, pour both milks into the dutch oven along with the garlic, cinnamon, cardamom and sage. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until your thermometer reaches 140 degrees F, rotating the pork every 5 minutes.
Remove the pork to a plate and tent with foil while you reduce the sauce. Bring the sauce to a medium boil, stirring often.
After 10-15 minutes, remove the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and sage. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender until all the garlic is smooth. Taste the sauce for salt and serve over the sliced pork. The sauce was delicious on top of the baked potato too.
This dish is simple to make and has very few ingredients, yet still packs in a lot of flavor making a hearty winter dinner. The use of both fennel seeds and fennel bulb add something different and special to your regular roasted pork tenderloin. The flavor of the roasted fennel goes great with the onions, creating a sweet complement to the savory pork. The recipe came from Serious Eats and I didn't feel the need to alter it one bit. We served this with some potato pancakes, but it would be good with any potato or rice side dish.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium fennel bulbs, stalk trimmed and cut into 6 wedges
- 2 red onions cut into 6 wedges
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons whole fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 pork tenderloin (1-1.5 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F and adjust rack to middle of oven. We preheated our stoneware baking dish with the oven. Toss the fennel and onion wedges in a bowl with a generous pour of olive oil, and about a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix to coat evenly and pour into a large rectangular baking dish. Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Meanwhile, drizzle the pork with 2 teaspoons olive oil and coat with salt and pepper. Rub the fennel seeds and thyme to fully coat the exterior of the pork. Remove the fennel and onion from the oven, and create a space in the middle for the pork.
Place the pork down in the center of the dish and roast until the thickest part registers 145°F with a thermometer. (Should take about 20-30 minutes) Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice into 1/2 rounds and serve with the roasted fennel and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, if desired.
I love it when cherries are in season- they are one of my favorite fruits! I load up on them when they are on sale because they are so expensive normally. I bookmarked this recipe from Serious Eats and I'm glad I remembered to make it this summer before cherries go out of season! The cherries are combined with hot chile peppers, lime juice, and cilantro to make a delicious sweet and spicy salsa to go along with some roasted pork tenderloin. The salsa was the perfect complement to the juicy pork, and probably the first time I've used fresh cherries in a savory dish. The salsa would also be great with sturdy tortilla chips if you cut the cherries into smaller pieces.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin (preferably two smaller ones, but we ended up with one huge tenderloin cut in half)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 lb fresh cherries, pitted and halved
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 large or two small jalapeno peppers thinly sliced, with option to omit seeds to keep heat level down
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
In a large zip lock bag, combine the pork with the vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons of lime juice and half of the cilantro and shallots. Marinate at room temp for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine cherries with jalapenos, sugar, olive oil, and the remaining cilantro, shallots, and lime juice. (You could omit sugar if your cherries are super sweet). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Stir occasionally to mix the flavors.
To cook the pork, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (or preheat a grill to medium-high). Remove from marinade and season well with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat and brown your tenderloin on each side. Place into a large baking dish and cook for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the size of your steak and actual oven temp the time will vary). Check with a thermometer to ensure pork is at least 145 degrees F in the center before removing from the oven. Let it rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with the delicious cherry salsa piled on top.
