Well summer must be in full gear since I haven’t had much time between Mondays to cook and post. Last weekend was more busy than expected, but it was fun so I can’t complain! Now only 3 workdays stand between me and a long weekend in Maine with some of my friends!
Last night I was in the mood to try a new pork recipe. I went over to a friends house a few weeks ago and her bf made us delicious pork chops. He said he loves pork and finds it funny that people don’t make it more often. That got me thinking- when was the last time I made pork?? The answer: 6 months ago! Crazy. So it was about time and this dish was a definite winner! Paired with some sautéed hericot verts, mushrooms and onions, it was a not too heavy summer meal.
You will need:
1 1 lb pork tenderloin
1/3 cup honey
3 tbs low sodium soy sauce
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs sesame oil
Salt and pepper
Oil for the pan
Preheat the oven to 425. In a large skillet heat enough oil to lightly cover the bottom, about 1-2 tbs should be good. I used olive oil but veggie would work too. Salt and pepper the pork before adding it to the pan. Sear the pork on all sides until browned but not cooked through.
Remove pork from skillet and put it in a roasting pan. Make the glaze by mixing together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic, sugar and sesame oil. Sesame oil has a very strong taste. If you have never had it you may want to try a little first. You can add just a little or a bit more if you really like the flavor. If it’s not for you, you could sub veggie oil.
Use a brush to coat the tenderloin with the sauce and bake it in the oven for 30~ minutes. The doneness of the pork depends on how long you pan seared it as well as the thickness of the tenderloin. Mine was done in 35 mins. The internal temp of the pork should be 145 when done. Fun fact: the temp for “done” pork used to be 160 but was actually lowered to 145 a few years ago. Also, be sure to baste the pork as it cooks, I brushed more of the sauce on about every 10 mins of the cooking process. Once cooked take out the pork and let it rest 5-10 minutes.
For my green beans I actually cooked them in the skillet that I had used to sear the pork. Once the pork was in the oven I heated the pan on medium and added some balsamic and scraped the bits from the bottom. I added some chopped onion and sautéed for a few minutes. Next I added some sliced button mushrooms and cooked until soft. Lastly I added the beans and sautéed them for about 5-7 minutes. I cut the heat and kept them covered on the stove until the pork was done resting.
Once the pork had rested I cut it into slices and served it with a little left over sauce on top, with the balsamic beans on the side. The meat was succulent and the beans were very fresh tasting.
