Published November 1, 2004.
A marriage of stovetop and oven cooking produced a flavorful and juicy pork tenderloin recipe. A pan sauce was a natural way to add flavor to the roast; the browned bits, or fond, left behind in the pan from the roast made the perfect base for the sauce. The 10 or so minutes that the meat spent in the oven gave us time to reduce vinegar or wine down to a glaze or to caramelize onions and garlic in the empty pan. While the meat rested, we could finish the sauce with fresh herbs or mustard or butter. The entire dish took us less than 30 minutes to complete.
"Enhanced" pork -- pork that has been injected with salt, water, and sodium phosphate -- does not brown well due to the extra moisture. For this reason, we prefer to use natural pork tenderloins that have not been injected. Since two are cooked at once, tenderloins larger than 1 pound apiece will not fit comfortably in a 12-inch skillet. Time permitting, season the tenderloins up to 30 minutes before cooking; the seasonings will better penetrate the meat. The recipe will work in nonstick and traditional (not nonstick) skillets. This recipe makes a thick chutney; if it is too thick for your liking, stir in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
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