Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite weeknight meals because it’s so quick and easy to cook. I used to buy a bottle of marinade, dump it into a ziploc bag with the pork tenderloin and let it sit in the refrigerator for a while – sometimes all day, sometimes for an hour. Since I’ve found this marinade recipe, I don’t buy bottled marinades anymore. This marinade is easy to throw together and it gives the pork a great flavor. I also usually have all of the ingredients on hand. This pork reminds me of the homemade beef jerky that my college roommate used to receive in the mail from her grandmother. I have incredibly fond memories of eating beef jerky in the middle of the night while trying to tackle the nearly impossible problem sets.
When I make this, I dump the pork and the marinade into a roasting pan and cook it all together. Another option is to put the pork into a roasting pan, and dump the extra marinade into a small pot and reduce it while the pork is cooking. Once reduced, it can be poured over the pork. as a sauce.
Asian Pork Tenderloin
Recipe adapted from Cooks.com1 c. soy sauce
6 tbsp. sugar
1/2 minced onion (~4 tablespoons)
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ginger
4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)Mix marinade ingredients and pour into a ziploc bag. Put the tenderloins into the bag and turn so they are covered with marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag, seal it and place it in the refrigerator. Marinate for at least 3 hours, but ideally overnight. Perodically turn the bag over to make sure that the tenderloins are covered in the marinade.
When ready to cook, put the meat and the marinade into a roasting pan. Bake at 350 degrees until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. This should take ~25 – 35 minutes. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before carving it. Cut the meat diagonally into 1/2 inch slices.
Yield: 4 – 6 servings