welcome to one of the most flavorful posts yet! this pork tenderloin is juicy, has a variety of flavors that go well together and is really easy to prepare. okay, yes, there’s some waiting time. but, it’s well worth it.
when i decided to make this dish, i was inspired by the sweet and salty dishes of the world. however, i didn’t see any pork tenderloin/orange combos and since i had oranges in my kitchen, i went ahead and made orange the main star of the dish :)
the roasted veggies are a nice touch and you can cook them in the same pan as the pork tenderloin. you are making dinner pretty much in one roasting pan, which is nice and convenient.
here’s the how-to pictures and below you’ll find the recipe and directions. enjoy!
make sure to dry tenderloin with a paper towel before pan searing.
sear tenderloin over medium high heat.
roast until internal temperature reaches 145F. or if you like it well done 160F. however, the roast will be dry if well done.
to make the sauce, deglaze roasting pan with orange juice, water, honey {not shown}, butter, sea salt and pepper.
mix well and reduce 1/4 of the liquid by cooking for about 3 minutes until thickens.
while oven is preheating and tenderloin has been dried with a paper towel, cube your vegetables.
before putting the tenderloin in the roasting pan, season veggies with olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
mmm! just out of the oven.
spoon sauce over roast and leave some aside. you want to use it when you serve the tenderloin.
orange soy pork tenderloin with roasted veggies
ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 lbs boneless pork tenderloin, organic or all natural preferably.
marinade:
4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp worcestaire sauce
2 tbsps organic maple syrup
1 tsp raw honey
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
zest of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange or 1/4 cup orange juice
sauce:
juice of 1 orange or 1/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp raw honey
1 cup hot water or veggie or chicken stock
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
serves 4 people.
directions:
1. mix all marinade ingredients in a shallow baking dish or gallon-sized ziploc bag.
2. poke pork tenderloin with a fork throughout so it soaks in all the juices and flavors from the marinade.
3. marinate for 4 hours or up to overnight. if using a baking dish, cover with plastic paper.
4. bring pork tenderloin to room temperature before roasting. you can bring it to room temperature by setting aside on the counter for 30 minutes if marinated for 4 hours or 1 hour if marinated longer.
5. preheat oven to 415F.
6. dry tenderloin well with a paper towel.
7. in a skillet, pan sear first side for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. flip and sear for 1:30 minutes. sear the sides for 30 seconds each. you want a nice, crisp layer on the outside.
8. bake in a roasting pan with a rack {if you don’t have one, it’s totally okay} and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part reaches 145F. if you like it well done, the internal temperature should be 160F. it will be on the dryer side, which i personally don’t recommend.
9. take pork tenderloin out from roasting pan and set aside on a cutting board or large plate. cover with tin foil.
10. make sauce in roasting pan. deglaze the pan with orange juice, butter, honey, water, salt and pepper cooking on the stove over medium high heat mixing well. cook for 3 minutes or until sauce has been reduced by a quarter and thickened.
**note** after step 7, i went ahead and added the cubed veggies to roasting pan and seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. recipe follows.
roasted veggies
half a sweet potato, cubed in 1” pieces
2 beets, cubed in 1” pieces
4 carrots, cubed in 1” pieces
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
olive oil, drizzle
preheat oven to 415F.
put veggies in baking dish, sheet or roasting pan (with pork tenderloin). drizzle olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. toss well so they are well coated and bake for 35 minutes. stir a few times through baking time.
