In searching for the perfect Easter dinner I found a few inspirational recipes for pork tenderloin. One that really appealed to me was by Chef Famie in Famie’s Adventures in Cooking recipe book. He called the recipe Roasted Pork Loin with Damson Plum Glaze. I knew that a 5 lb. pork loin was too much food for our small gathering of 3 people. I have very little experience cooking pork and felt more comfortable the the budget friendly pork tenderloin option. I searched the web and found a recipe fairly similar Pork Tenderloin with Plum Sauce. Both sauce recipes have elements of plum preserves, mustard, brown sugar and a fermented sauce. The Taste of Home version has a great marinade that really helps the flavor and prevents the tenderloin from drying out.
I had already ordered some Damson Plum Preserves off Amazon and wanted to use them. Here is how I adapted the Taste of Home recipe for my meal.
- Marinade
- ½ c Apple Juice (light/low calorie)
- ½ c Soy Sauce (low sodium)
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Organic Stone Ground Mustard
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 pork tenderloin(1 lb) - there is enough for 2 if you want more
- Damson Plum Sauce
- ¾ c Damson Plum Preserves
- ¼ c Shallot, very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Apple Juice (light/low calorie)
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce (low sodium)
- There was plenty of sauce for 1 tenderloin, for 2 it would have been just the right amount.
- Whisk together all the marinated ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into a measuring cup. Place pork tenderloin in a zip-lock bag and pour ¾ c of the marinated into the bag. Reserve the remaining marinate in the refrigerator for basting later during cook time. Carefully let out the excess air from the zip-lock bag, seal and roll the tenderloin in the mixture. Place bag in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Turning once if you can during that time.
- Preheat over to 425. Use a roasting pan with a shallow rack. Spray rack with Pam non-stick spray. Add just enough water to the bottom of the roasting pan to cover. You'll use this when basting later. Remove tenderloin from bag and discard used marinade and baggie. Place tenderloin on the rack. Place in oven and bake 40-45 mins or until the internal temp is 160. Baste every 10 mins. with reserved marinade from refrigerator.
- About 10 mins. before the meat is done cooking begin the sauce. Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer.
- Remove tenderloin from oven when cooked and let it rest for 5 mins. Carve and place on serving plate. Drizzle sauce over meat for presenting to guests. Enjoy!
My Recipe Inspiration:
Pork Tenderloin with Plum Sauce