9.24.13 Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Plum Chutney
One of the many reasons I absolutely love going to the farmer’s market is the insane amount of interesting foods I find there to cook with. Last weekend, I stumbled across one of these amazing find at the farmer’s market. Well, two finds to be exact. Although, let’s be honest, when do I NOT find something amazing at the farmer’s market?
The first were some adorable Italian Prune Plums from Door County. Unlike the plums I was used to buying at the grocery store, these were smaller and tear shaped. They reminded me of plums you would see in an old looking painting of a fruit bowl. Of course I had to get them. And besides being cute, they were incredibly delicious, with lovely dark skins and yellow flesh. I nearly ate them all immediately. But I digress, I’m sure you’re wondering what my second find was, and I don’t want to keep you in suspense. My second find for the day was some baby ginger. Beautiful, pale yellow and pink, thin skinned (no peeling required) - I (obviously) procured a chunk of this as well.
I could barely wait to come up with some way to cook these wonderful finds. As you can see, it didn’t take me long to concoct something delicious. Simmering the plums and ginger along with a slew of other spices and flavorings produced a delectable plum chutney (plus made my house smell AMAZING) that goes fantastically with a pork tenderloin. Add a simple salad and some roasted potatoes, and you’re welcoming fall in with style. Delicious style.
Now let’s talk a little about the pork tenderloin. Mine turned out just perfect, and I would hate for you to experience anything less than perfection with yours. The trick with pork tenderloin is that, as a lean cut of meat, it’s easy to dry out, and we can’t have that. My tenderloin was just over half a pound, and after a nice sear in the pan, took only about 8 minutes in the oven to reach the perfect temperature (140-145 degrees). If you have a larger tenderloin, it will likely take a bit longer, but don’t let it go too long. After you remove the pork from the oven, tent it with foil and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. It doesn’t matter how well you cooked it, if you cut into it too early, the juices will all leak out and you’ll still be left with dry pork.
Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Plum Chutney
Serves 2
Pork:
- ¼ c canola oil
- ¼ c apple cider
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary (or use ½ tsp dried rosemary)
- 1 10 oz pork tenderloin
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
Chutney:
- 1 tsp canola oil
- ¼ c chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp finely minced ginger
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp fenugreek (optional, but adds a nice maple flavor)
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ c water
- ¼ c golden raisins
- 1 ½ c sliced plums (about 3 regular plums, or 6 of the smaller Italian Prune plums)
1. Combine canola oil, apple cider, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and rosemary in a large ziploc bag. Add the tenderloin, seal bag, and shake bag to distribute marinade evenly over the pork. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 10 hours. ( I recommend setting the meat to marinate before work, then when you come home it’s ready to cook)
2. For the chutney, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the spices (coriander through fenugreek), and continue to cook for an additional 30 seconds.
4. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for about 20 - 25 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
6. While the chutney cooks, heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in a cast iron pan over medium high heat until very hot. Remove the tenderloin from the marinade, and add to the pan. Cook the tenderloin on all sides until a nice sear is achieved - about 2 minutes per side, 8 min total.
7. Once the tenderloin is seared, put the cast iron pan into the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 140-145 degrees.
8. Remove pan from oven, tent with foil, and rest for 10 minutes.
9. Slice tenderloin into ½ inch slices, serve topped with the plum chutney.
