PORK TENDERLOIN

OLD SOUTH COCA-COLA PORK LOIN

Instead of roasting at 325, do it at 250 – 275 degrees, and allow almost twice as long. The meat will be even more tender.

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 cup Coca-Cola

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup ketchup

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon thyme, crushed

5 pounds pork loin roast, boned & rolled

Combine all the ingredients except for the meat, to form a marinade. Set the pork roast in a plastic bag with a zip-type seal, pour in the marinade and seal the bag. Set the plastic bag in a serving bowl large enough to steady the roast and keep the marinade ingredients from spreading away from the roast.

Let stand for 24 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, patting and turning the bag every few hours to ensure the meat marinates evenly. This helps the roast absorb the marinating liquids and creates a tender, juicy and flavorful roast.

Remove roast from marinade and discard the marinade. Place roast, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Insert roast meat thermometer so the bulb is centered in the thickest part. Do not add water. Do not cover. Roast in a slow 325 degree preheated oven until the thermometer registers to 175 degrees. Allow 30 to 40 minutes per pound for roasting, so for a 5 pound loin roast, you would be roasting for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours. During last 1/2 hour of cooking time, brush on the glaze. If you prefer, you can just as easily cook on the grill or in the smoker. Remove from the oven and out of the pan onto a platter; cover with foil tent to seal steam and rest the meat 15 minutes before slicing and this results in a much juicier roast. NOTE: Alternatively, you can slow-roast. Instead of roasting at 325, use a slow oven at 250 - 275 degrees, and allow almost twice as long. The meat will be even more tender. Use your meat thermometer or whatever means you like to achieve desired doneness.

Glaze

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2/3 cup Coca-Cola

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Mix together all ingredients in sauce pan; simmer and stir to thicken. Brush or spoon glaze on meat frequently during cooking. You can also serve any remaining sauce with the sliced pork if you like.

PERFECT PORK TENDERLOIN

1 lb boneless pork tenderloin (approximate)
Salt and pepper
Dry seasoning, of your choice (thyme, savory, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, or a mixture)
Preheat oven to 500-550 degrees. Remove tenderloin from refrigerator. Season the meat as desired. Place seasoned meat in an uncovered roasting pan. Bake EXACTLY 5 1/2 minutes PER POUND. Turn oven OFF and DO NOT open oven door for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes to redistribute internal juices. Roast will be done, very slightly pink in the center, and very moist. After resting 5-10 minutes, the roast should reach 145-150 degrees.

SPICY SWEET PORK TENDERLOIN

1 Tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp bottled minced fresh ginger
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 tsp canola oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 12 (3/4-inch-thick) slices
1/3 cup bottled salsa
1 Tsp seedless raspberry preserves
2 Tsp chopped fresh cilantro
Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Flatten each pork piece to 1/2-inch thickness using your fingertips. Add pork to pan; spoon soy sauce mixture evenly over pork slices. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn pork over; cook 3 minutes or until done. Remove from pan. Add salsa and preserves to pan; increase heat to medium-high. Cook 30 seconds or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve pork with salsa mixture, and sprinkle with cilantro.

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN
Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 oranges, juices
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped scallions
1 pork tenderloin (about 12 ounces)
Olive oil, for brushing
Combine marinade ingredients in measuring cup and stir to combine. Place the pork tenderloin in a plastic, sealable bag. Pour marinade over the tenderloin and seal bag. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat an outdoor grill or preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and pat dry. Brush olive oil onto grill and over meat for extra flavor. Reserve marinade. Grill tenderloin until cooked through, about 30 minutes to 40 minutes over medium heat. Or roast in oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Allow meat to rest about 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch serving pieces. While meat is grilling, bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan, then lower the heat and gently simmer until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Stir occasionally. Drizzle a small amount of marinade over each piece of meat.

FRUITY GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN
1 pound pork tenderloin
6 ounces black cherry soda
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup plum jam
Combine soy sauce, brown sugar and jam in saucepan over low heat; cook until well combined. Set aside 1/4 cup of mixture to use as a baste (to thicken add more jam) place remaining sauce in a zippered plastic bag with the soda and pork tenderloin. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Prepare grill for medium heat. Oil grate, and place tenderloin on grill . Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until caramelized, basting with the reserved sauce. Let meat rest for 5 minutes and then slice into ¼ inch thick medallions and serve.

SLOW COOKER PORK TENDERLOIN
2 pound Pork Tenderloin
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 TBS Yellow Mustard
2-3 TBS maple syrup
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS Diced dried onions
1 1/2 TSP Garlic Salt or Powder
Mix ingredients above. Pour over Tenderloin in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours.

JILL’S PORK TENDERLOIN

3 pounds Pork Tenderloin (1 Pkg. Of 2 Tenderloins), Cut Into 4 Pieces Total
1 pound Bacon
¾ cups Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Minced Onions
½ teaspoons Garlic Salt
1 Tablespoon Wine Vinegar Or White Vinegar
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 dash Pepper
¾ cups Lite Brown Sugar
Wrap the tenderloin pieces in bacon. Place in an 8 1/2″ x 11″ pan. Poke holes in meat with a fork.
Combine rest of ingredients in a small bowl; stir well. Pour marinade over meat. Refrigerate, uncovered, 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
Bake in a 300 degree oven for two to three hours. If the bacon burns, place foil over the top after approximately 1 1/2 hours of baking. Remove from oven, cut meat into small pieces and allow the meat to soak up the excess juices in the pan.

CHERRY BOURBON SMOKED PORK TENDERLOIN
Clean Up the Pork Tenderloins
Remove the pork tenderloins from the package, give them a rinse under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel
Lay them on the cutting board and do your best to remove any silver skin, extra fat, etc.
Season the Pork Tenderloins
Now that the meat is all cleaned up and all that extra stuff is removed, you can proceed with the seasoning process.
As usual, I like to use the old trusty yellow mustard base on this pork to help that rub to stick really well.
Apply a thin layer all over..
Sprinkle on a few tablespoons of Jeff's original rub (purchase recipes here)
Massage it into the meat all over.
If you are doing these the night before (recommended) simply put them in a big ziploc bag and place in the fridge overnight. If you are ready to smoke, you can lay them on a Bradley rack with a little space between them and you are good to go.
Setup the Smoker
I used an electric smoker for these and kept cherry smoke going the entire time.
You can use whatever smoker or grill you have access to.
Set it up for cooking at about 225°F using indirect heat.
Smoke the Meat
Place the pork tenderloins directly on the grate or place the Bradley rack with the meat on the grate.
Expect these to take around 1.5 to 2 hours to reach 145°F.
Keep the smoke going for the entire time if you can or for at least an hour to get some good smoke flavor on the meat.
I used cherry wood to go along with the cherry compote but any fruit wood or even pecan would be really good on these.
When the pork tenderloins reach about 110°F or about an hour into the cook, brush some of the cherry bourbon compote onto the top of each one.
Wait about 20 minutes and repeat.
Be sure to use a tested digital thermometer to monitor the temperature while they cook. You are looking for about 145°F but I often remove them a couple of degrees early if I plan to wrap them in foil and hold them for 30-60 minutes until dinner time.
Make the Cherry Bourbon Compote
¼ cup Bourbon
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup water
13 oz jar of cherry preserves (I used Bonne Maman)
Place all of the ingredients into a medium sauce pan. Using medium heat, bring the mixture to a rolling boil then reduce heat slightly to simmer for 10 minutes.
The compote will reduce by about 1/3 by the time it is finished.
When 10 minutes have elapsed, remove the compote from the heat and allow it to cool.
Finish and Serve the Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Remove the pork tenderloins from the smoker and bring them into the house. It is a great idea to immediately wrap them in foil and then in a thick towel on the counter to hold them for 30-60 minutes until dinner time.
When ready to serve, remove from the foil, slice and serve about 1/3 to ½ tenderloin per person.