It’s been quite a while (8 months!) since I have posted a recipe featuring pork. We tend not to eat as much pork during the warmer months. But with the return of cooler weather, we’ll be preparing and eating pork more often. This recipe features a marinade that is quick and easy to put together, but a little planning is needed for the execution. To fully flavor the tenderloin, plenty of time is needed for the meat to marinate in the mixture. It is absolutely worth the wait!
Bourbon (strongly associated with the American South) is the unexpected ingredient in this food dish. Not surprisingly, this recipe comes from a prominent lifestyle periodical of that region, Southern Living magazine. In the recipe, bourbon is combined with brown sugar and scallions to make a marinade. Said marinade is additionally seasoned and flavored with soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and a bit of black pepper.
At first glance, it appeared to me that this mixture could possibly be sweeter than I prefer in my savory dishes. Happily, it wasn’t. It was a perfect balance for the pork and it is a dish that we’ll be making again!
Bourbon & Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin
Bourbon & Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin (adapted from southernliving.com) Total Time Required: 40 minutes + 8 hours marinating time, Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes, Rest time: 10 minutes, Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons minced scallions
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
Directions:
Remove the silver skin from the tenderloin, leaving a thin layer of fat. Combine the brown sugar, scallions, bourbon, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and pepper in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Add the pork to the bag, seal it, and chill for 8 to 18 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving as much of the marinade as possible.
Make the marinade and place the pork in it for at least 8 hours.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the tenderloin, covered, for 8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 155°F. Remove the meat from the grill, and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Grill the pork to an internal temperature of 155°F.
While the pork is resting, combine the reserved marinade and the cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the sauce from the heat.
Thicken the reserved marinade with the cornstarch.
Cut the pork diagonally into thin slices and arrange the slices on a serving platter. Stir the juices from the cutting surface into the sauce.
Cut the meat into slices.
Drizzle the pork with the sauce and serve.
Serve the pork with the reserved sauce.
This is yet another Southern dish that I am a fan of! ~Linda
Bourbon & Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin (adapted from southernliving.com) Total Time Required: 40 minutes + 8 hours marinating time, Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes, Rest time: 10 minutes, Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons minced scallions
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
Directions:
Remove the silver skin from the tenderloin, leaving a thin layer of fat. Combine the brown sugar, scallions, bourbon, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and pepper in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Add the pork to the bag, seal it, and chill it for 8 to 18 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving as much of the marinade as possible.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the tenderloin, covered, for 8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 155°F. Remove the meat from the grill, and let it stand for 10 minutes.
While the pork is resting, combine the reserved marinade and the cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the sauce from the heat. Cut the pork diagonally into thin slices and arrange them on a serving platter. Stir the juices from the cutting surface into the sauce. Drizzle the pork with the sauce and serve.