Marinated Pork Tenderloin
This divine pork tenderloin is a hostess’ best friend. It is easy to make, flavorful, and improves with age. In addition, the tenderloin’s Asian flavors — marrying orange and hoisin — are almost universally loved.
In my home town, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, cocktail parties are serious business. They are not opportunities to nibble, drink, and move on to dinner. Rather, cocktail parties are convivial gatherings of friends and neighbors that involve copious amounts of food and often last well past dinner time. Most folks approach the buffet at a cocktail party as a light dinner.
Light is a relative term. Southerners are famous for their groaning sideboards. In fact, one of the most famous Southern hostesses of all time — Martha Washington — was deemed exceptional because there were so many dishes on her table that no guest ever had to eat foods he or she didn’t enjoy.
“Two hundred pages of nonstop yumminess, recipes good not just for fancy entertaining, but for picnics, cookouts, and your own family occasions.”
The Brunswick Beacon, Shalotte, NC
The Cookbook
If you want to entertain in classic Southern style, a book like Party Receipts from the Charleston Junior League
In a book filled with gems, marinated pork tenderloin is one of my favorite recipes. It very easy to prepare. Even a novice cook can approach this recipe with confidence. At the same time, the finished dish boasts a complex and delightful array of flavors which seems to please most palates.
The Chinese Ingredients
The Chinese ingredients in this adaptation of the recipe — hoisin sauce and black bean sauce — are readily available at many supermarkets. However, if your supermarket doesn’t stock these items, your closest Asian grocer is sure to have them.
Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 3 pork tenderloins (1 kg, or 2.5 lbs)
- Orange slices, to garnish
For the marinade
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon black bean sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 piece (5 cm or 2 in) fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 6 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon mustard powder (preferably English)
Instructions
- Combine marinade ingredients in a large measuring cup. Stir well to combine. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade for serving.
- Place the pork tenderloins in a container or plastic zipper bag, which can be sealed and stored in the refrigerator. Pour marinade over tenderloins.
- Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F).
- Remove pork from marinade and place on a rack placed in a roasting pan. Bake for 50 minutes.
- Allow the meat to cool completely and refrigerate for several hours or (better yet) overnight.
- To serve, slice the pork on the bias into 1/2 cm (1/4 in) slices. Arrange on a serving platter. Pour reserved marinade over the pork and garnish with sliced oranges.
Notes
Both hoisin sauce and black bean sauce are readily available at Asian markets.