September 12, 2012

Delicious Pork Tenderloin

I recently rearranged my kitchen, and by doing so got reacquainted with some of my cookbooks. Meanwhile, I had a pork tenderloin in my refrigerator with yesterday's date on it. I had originally intended to try a slow cooker recipe, but didn't get to it last week, and could not remember where I found the recipe to try. (Hate it when I do that.) So, last night, with about an hour and a half before dinner needed to be ready, and a pork tenderloin to cook, I went searching for a recipe (I can make them without a recipe, but I wasn't in the mood to wing it. So, I looked through a couple of cookbooks to no avail, then I pulled out this one,


which I purchased through a school fundraiser. ANYWAY, I tried the following recipe, WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS, and as you can see I have not eliminated soy sauce from my diet. Don't yell. I did use low sodium though. This marinade is similar to other ones I have used, but I think what makes this so  awesome are the sesame seeds. I think I love their flavor as much as chocolate. Really.

I left some things out, due to the level of picky-ness in this family, so I will include my usual notes.

Sesame-Soy Pork Tenderloin

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (the recipe calls for low sodium, it's not just me)
1/4 cup honey
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t chives (did not use)
1 T sesame seeds (yes, yes, yes!)
1/8 t ground red pepper (did not use)
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin (I used 2 1/2 pounds but the same amount of marinade, it was plenty)

Mix marinade ingredients together
Brush tenderloin with marinade (I pour some marinade on the raw meat and then use a brush to spread it, that way I am not infecting the remaining marinade with germs from the raw meat, just in case I want to use it for something else, although in this case I didn't).
Place in in a baking dish
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (mine took about 45 minutes, but my pieces were bigger), brushing with marinade until an instant read thermometer reads 155 degrees (mine read 160 - it was still delicious).

I actually baked them on one side for about 20 minutes, then turned them over, poured on some more marinade, baked for another 20 minutes, turned again for a few minutes, and one last turn for a few more minutes. When it was done there was some marinade floating in the pan, I just poured in a quart of hot water (after removing the meat to a cutting board) to let it sit until I was ready to clean it so that it wouldn't get sticky. Often I will line the pan with aluminum foil to make clean up easier, this time I forgot.

So easy, so delicious, EVERYONE like it, even with the seeds; this is definitely a keeper.

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