Chinese-Style Glazed Pork Tenderloin

By Addie

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To bring restaurant-style boneless barbecue spareribs home, we turned to the grill to replicate the sweet-smoky flavor and char that make this dish a favorite. Pork tenderloin cooks quickly and stays moist on the grill, and butterflying and pounding the meat means even more surface area to glaze. A handful of Asian ingredients, along with pantry staples like ketchup and jelly, make a salty-sweet sauce that acts as marinade and glaze. Continuously flipping and glazing the pork creates a charred, caramelized not burnt exterior.

Leftover pork makes an excellent addition to fried rice or noodle soup. Source: Cook's Country #46 Aug/Sept 2012

Ingredients

• 2 pork tenderloins, trimmed, (12 to 16-oz)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup apricot jelly
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. Lay tenderloins on cutting board with long side running parallel to counter edge. Cut horizontally down length of tenderloins, stopping 1/2 inch from edge so halves remain intact. Working with one at a time, open up tenderloins, place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and pound to 3/4-inch thickness.

2. Combine soy sauce, jelly, hoisin sauce, sherry, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, five-spice powder, and pepper in bowl. Reserve 3/4 cup marinade. Place pork in large zipper-lock bag and pour remaining marinade into bag with pork. Seal bag, turn to coat, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

3. Combine reserved marinade, ketchup, and molasses in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 3/4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup glaze for glazing cooked tenderloin.

FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.

5. Clean and oil cooking grate. Pat pork dry with paper towels, then rub with vegetable oil. Grill pork, covered, until lightly charred on first side, about 2 minutes. Flip and brush grilled side of pork evenly with 2 tablespoons glaze. Continue grilling until lightly charred on second side, about 2 minutes. Flip and brush evenly with 2 more tablespoons glaze. Repeat flipping and glazing twice more, until pork registers 140°F and is thickly glazed, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer pork to cutting board and brush with reserved glaze. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.