What's Cookin': Honey-Gingered Pork Tenderloin

You know a dish is going to be good when you realize two differnt people have given you the recipe.  I first encountered this recipe when Mike's Mom made it for us during a visit to Pittsburgh, it was delicious!  When planning the fare for Anna's baptism lunch I knew the oven would be working overtime on side dishes and delegating the main dish to the grillmaster was a great choice.  As I was preparing for the big day, I also realized this same recipe had been given to me as part of my baby shower "stock the kitchen" recipe collection by my friend Danielle, and immediately patted myself on the back in advance. 

We served 14 people that day, so I doubled the recipe and used four 1+ pound tenderloins.  The menu that day also included three side dishes and rolls, but were no leftovers of the tenderloin.  Given the picky eaters that arise between my family and especially Mike's family, this speaks volumes.  The best part about this easy recipe is that you can reserve one tenderloin and freeze it for later use, marinade and all!  And you know how I like to cook once and eat twice ; )

When I made the recipe a few weeks ago, Mike was in love.  I reminded him we'd had the same dish for Anna's baptism and asked if he didn't remember doing all of the grilling that day.  He responded, "well, it was kind of a crazy day" ... that's an understatement given we had to coordinate 4 in-house guests (one of which was a new girlfriend we'd never met, hello, put away the crazy and act presentable), a baby's nap schedule, a cermony at church that put us front and center, and hosting and then feeding a crowd of 14.  Oh yeah, and Uncle Brian lost his keys, so most of the afternoon was spent on a wild goose chase.  Long story short, I don't think he'll be forgetting anytime soon and this has joined our regular rotation. 



(Taken the day I ate this as leftovers for lunch ... health(ier) mac n cheese recipe to come!)


Honey-Gingered Pork Tenderloin

2 (3/4 to 1 lb) pork tenderloins
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. oyster sauce (in the Asian section of your grocery store)
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. plus 1 t. minced fresh ginger root
1 T. minced garlic
1 T. ketchup
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. red pepper  (I didn't have this on hand, so it was omitted)
1/4 t. ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a gallon-size zip-top freezer bag.  Add tenderloins and double bag if you'd like (I'd recommend this!).  Let marinade 8 hours or overnight. 

Remove tenderloins* from the marinade, reserving the marinade.  Grill over medium-hot coals for approximately 25 minutes, turning often and basting with the reserved marinade.  Pork is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the tenderloin registers 150 degrees. 

*  To freeze one tenderloin for later use:  Remove one tenderloin and a small amount of the marinade, cook as directed.  Freeze the other tenderloin, in the marinade, and thaw overnight before cooking.