NICOLE PARTON’S FAVORITE RECIPES: Tahitian Tenderloin

Friday, June 15, 2012

Tahitian Tenderloin

Ah, Tahiti! Beaches ... bare feet … sun sinking slowly into the west! Never been there. Probably never will be. This recipe is quite likely the closest I’ll ever get there from here. I cut this “tenderloin” from the massive slab of pork I sectioned a few weeks ago (Miss Piggy Goes to Market, blogged April 25, 2012). Come to think of it, that piece of pork did look a lot like Marlon Brando, who lived in Tahiti and had a Tahitian wife. But back to pork tenderloin.

As Ron reminded me, pork tenderloin is the piece of meat cut along the top of the rib cage, so I didn’t really carve a “tenderloin” from the leg and shoulder I sliced up - I just carved the meat to look like one. What I actually had was a chunk of pork roast. This marinade works well with chops, roasts - and yes, tenderloins. Even though the cut wasn’t really a tenderloin and the marinade isn’t really Tahitian, the name and the recipe and the result pleased me enough to blog it for you. I told Ron that if he didn’t stop reminding me of technicalities, I would feed him my infamous recipe for Leg of Tongue. It begins: Place foot in mouth, chewing words well ...

This recipe requires extra time

for marination

Tahitian Tenderloin:

2 tsp. oil

¾ c. non-alcoholic cooking sherry

¼ c. dark soy sauce

¼ c. canola oil
1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 or 2 large cloves garlic, minced fine

¼ tsp. oregano
¾ tsp. ginger (fresh or powdered)

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Sear “tenderloin” (or chops, or small pork roast) in large cast iron or ovenproof skillet on medium-high heat in 2 tsp. oil until well-browned on all sides. Remove from heat. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Brush tenderloin or other cut of pork with marinade, pouring remainder over. Tent skillet with foil, creating a tight seal. Place skillet in oven, roasting tenderloin 30-to-40 min., or until meat thermometer registers 150 deg. F. Transfer pork to carving board, cutting into thick slices. Discard marinade - do not re-use.