In part one of my attempt to utilize my overbearing orange tree, I am sharing Grilled Miso-Orange-Sesame Pork Tenderloin. But first, there's this orange tree...
The Orange Tree
When we moved into our house 12 years ago I think it was already about 30 years old. This thing is massive and gives us enough oranges to feed an entire neighborhood. So each year, I continue to try and figure out new and exciting things to do with all of its bounty.
Two things I have started doing this year are freezing the juice in ice cube trays and dehydrating the peel. Having these two semi-prepared items on hand helped me put this dish together in no time. However, if you don't have an orange tree or dehydrated orange peel, you can still make this dish with store-bought oranges. (Notes in the recipe).
Now Back to that Pork
Pork tenderloin is such a great meat for week-night dinners as it cooks quickly. And, being that it is such a neutral meat, it will take on whatever flavor enhancers you want to give it. Be sure to start with a trimmed pork tenderloin with the silver skin removed. You can usually ask your butcher to do it for you but it is fairly easy to remove the silver skin yourself.
An Easy Marinade
For this marinade, I started with some common Asian ingredients I had on hand; soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and seasoned rice wine vinegar. I then gave it a flavor bomb boost with both dehydrated orange peel and fresh orange juice plus some creamy white miso paste.
The marinade comes together in minutes. Just whisk everything together, throw it in a zip-top bag with the pork, and forget about it for a few hours.
You could do this in the morning and be ready to throw it on the grill that night. You can grill it on your barbecue or smoker or in a grill pan.
What to Serve with Grilled Miso-Orange-Sesame Pork Tenderloin
You can pair this with some simple steamed rice and sauteed veggies. Or for a more sophisticated but still easy side, try a squash puree. Roast butternut or kabocha squash and puree with brown butter, salt and pepper, and a touch of harissa or red pepper. You could also serve it with roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes. Just try tossing them in a little sesame oil before serving to play along with those Asian flavors. Whatever you serve, the pork will be the star!
Is this dish good as leftovers?
Yes! I recommend reheating the pork on medium in a skillet until just heated through versus the microwave. You could also chop up the meat, do a quick pan sautee, and add it with your rice and veggies to a tortilla topped with the leftover marinade.
Grilled Miso-Orange-Sesame Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- 1 Medium-sized bowl
- 1 Whisk
- measuring spoons
- 1 gallon-sized zip-top bag
- grill or grill pan
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 2 T. white miso paste
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon low salt soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon miran cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon dehydrated grated orange peel or 1 T. fresh
- 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
- 1 large clove of grated garlic
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
For the Pork
- 1 1 ¼ pound pork tenderloin (trimmed) You can have your butcher trim the silver skin for you or do it yourself. Either way, you will want to remove it before marinating as it gets very tough when cooked.
- neutral high smoke point oil for the grill grape seed or canola works well
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the marinade ingredients. Whisk thoroughly until well incorporated and slightly thickened.
- Pour the marinade into a gallon-sized zip-top bag, add the pork, and seal the bag eliminating as much air as possible. Wrap the bag around itself tightly and place it in the refrigerator. Marinate for at least an hour and up to eight turning ever so often to ensure the pork is evenly coated with the marinade.
- 30 minutes before you plan to grill, remove the pork from the refrigerator. Remove the pork from the bag allowing any excess marinade to drip into the bag. Reserve the marinade. Place the pork on a plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- Heat your grill or grill pan on medium-high (grill 400 degrees.) While the pork is sitting, add the marinade to a small pan and bring to a boil. Reduce and cook for 5 minutes on medium-low until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Add in the hoisin sauce and stir to combine. Keep on low while the pork cooks.
- Once the pork has sat for 30 minutes or so, lightly grease the grill grates with neutral oil then place the pork on the grill. Grill at 400 degrees for 3-4 minutes on each side. Continue cooking and fliping back and forth every few minutes until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the loin reaches at least 155 degrees. Remove and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Slice the pork in 1-inch rounds. Lay on a plate a drizzle with the warm cooked marinade. Garnish with additional orange zest or chopped chives.
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