lil’ chef in the making and pomegranate-chipotle pork tenderloin

Me at 2 years old

I finally took on a task that I’d been putting off for months… OK, not months, years!  Scanning pictures that are “pre-digital” onto my computer. See, this is what happens when your kids leave you for college – you do things! I found this picture in the stack and just couldn’t resist posting it. I am two years old here, according to my mom’s writing on the back. With an apron on! Wow, who knew?

Today’s tip has to do with fresh ginger root. It is something I don’t always have on hand but not something I’m willing to go to the store for if it’s the only thing I need. So I always buy a bit bigger piece than I’ll need, I peel the extra and slice it into “coins” about 1/2-inch thick. I have a jar in my fridge that I keep the ginger coins in that is filled with Sherry. That way whenever you need fresh ginger and don’t have it in the produce drawer, just pull out a coin or two, mince it up and you’re ready to go!

When working with pork tenderloin, you must always trim away the silver skin. Silver skin is a layer of white connective tissue or membrane that you find on pork tenderloin and a variety of other tender meats.  It is tough as rubber and needs to be removed before cooking.  It is not difficult to do; cut it off in then strips, angling a sharp paring knife against the membrane, not the meat, then slide your knife along the silver skin, pulling back tightly on it, and continue to do so until the loin is clean. See the picture below.

Pomegranate-Chipotle Pork Tenderloin

1 1/2 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup peeled and minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger root
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely minced
1 tablespoon honey mustard
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Fresh pomegranate arils (seeds) and rosemary sprigs for garnish, if desired

tenderloin in back has been trimmed, front piece – in process

Trim silver skin from tenderloins, and season well with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, when hot, add oil and sear pork on all sides until evenly browned. Remove pork to a plate and set aside.

shallots, rosemary, and ginger root added to the pan

Add shallots, rosemary, ginger root, and chicken stock to a hot skillet, and use a spatula to stir and deglaze by loosening up the browned bits in the pan.

after the chicken broth is added- the pan is deglazed and “scraped clean”

Once the pan is “clean” and the shallots are softened, add the wine and pomegranate juice, and turn the heat to high. Boil for 2 minutes, reducing the liquid. Add the pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar, the honey mustard, and chipotle.

about to cover the pan and turn off the heat

While still boiling, return pork and any juices accumulated on the plate to the skillet. Cover the skillet and turn off the heat. Allow pork to cook slowly in a turned-off pan for 15 minutes. Uncover the pan and turn over tenderloins, turn the heat to high, and as soon as liquid begins to boil, cover the pan and turn off the heat again, this time for 8 minutes. Remove the lid and insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, the temperature should be between 150-155 degrees, if not recover and test again in 3 or 4 minutes.

Garnish, “if desired”… I desired, just forgot before I snapped the picture

Remove meat to a cutting board, and tent with foil. Return sauce to a simmer over medium heat and add cream, stir until heated through. Slice meat on a diagonal and serve with sauce drizzled on top and garnish, if desired.

Serves 6