Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Gang's All Here Sweet & Savory Pork Tenderloin


As you may have deduced, I enjoy cooking for friends and family. ;o) I'm always playing with recipes, tweaking and experimenting. While I love doing that, I also like to keep a nice supply of go-to meals. The type the everyone loves, and for the most part never go wrong when I make them. Today's recipe might look familiar, as it was inspired by ChanceLee Chicken.

I was looking for something I could make for a large group without losing quality in the cooking. I decided to make it with pork tenderloin. That turned out to be a terrific choice! I love the way my house smells when I make this stuff. 

I made some changes to the recipe, nothing too major. I like making this dish for company because the sweetness makes it a huge hit with the kids, and the spicy makes it have a nice taste for the grown ups, also. The kiddos at dinner (aged 7 and under) were pleased and asking for seconds, so that makes me a happy camper. Pretty sure my 16 year old faked illness to come home early from an overnight so she could have some too. ;o)




Leni's Notes
~This recipe is intended to feed a large group (we got 14 servings,) so scale down accordingly. 
~Also pictured above, stir fried french green beans and egg noodles with butter and parsley. Also good with cous cous and carrots.
~Every time you warm it up, the sauce gets a little thicker and the sweet gets a little more intense, so you might want to add some water to thin it and maybe some more salt or soy sauce if you have leftovers.
~Generally when I list soy sauce, I mean Bragg's Liquid Aminos. This time we used Coconut Aminos. The taste was good, but it had half the sodium, so the finished product needed salt. (Coconut Aminos are crazy expensive, but if you have an allergy to soy, a nice alternative.)
~Replace the pepper with cayenne for an extra spice kick.

Ingredients
4 pork tenderloins
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup ginger ale
2 Tbls. lemon juice
6 Tbls. minced garlic
4 Tbls. soy sauce
2 tsp. white pepper 
1/4-1/2 cup corn starch

Instructions
~Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
~Sear tenderloins in a cast iron pan with olive oil.
~Place tenderloins in a greased 13 x 9 pan.
~ Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour over tenderloin.
~Place in oven, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes, until a meat thermometer says they are done.
~Remove from pan, slice into tenderloin coins, and place in a dish or on a platter, and pour sauce over the top.
~Serve with your favorite side dishes.

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,
Leni

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