Soy and Ginger Marinated Pork Tenderloin

For some reason I can't get in the mood to write lately.  I know I've been neglecting the blog the past few weeks so I'm trying to get motivated.  It's hard when Bailey has all of these new toys and wants me to play with her all the time.  I'm having trouble finding the motivation to even clean the house or cook dinner.  All I want to do all day is color.

A couple of weeks ago on new recipe night I did a repeat recipe instead.  It was a new recipe when I switched up the menu on the fly back in September because I couldn't find a pork loin on sale, but I failed to take any pictures of the meal that night and therefore decided to put this post on hold.

I have posted another pork tenderloin recipe, Spiced Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Sweet Potatoes, and I could not be happier with that recipe.  However, I tend to favor a marinade with pork tenderloin because it is sometimes hard to impart enough flavor with a simple spice rub.

This recipe has a flavor packed marinade that would be good on any meat (in particular I think it would work well with chicken thighs or with beef tenderloin as well) and simple instructions.  I roasted a few diced red potatoes in a baking dish alongside the pork in the oven and steamed some broccoli while the meat was resting.  This was a fairly simple meal that could get you brownie points for seeming difficult.  Give it a try and you'll see what I mean.

Soy and Ginger Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Source: A Tossed Salad Life via Pinterest

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 1/2 lbs

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup honey

2 Tbsp sesame oil (I used olive oil the first time and while it lost the nice sesame flavor it still worked out fine)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup brown sugar

Place the pork tenderloin in a gallon size ziploc bag and set aside.

Combine all of the other ingredients in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.  Mix well with a fork until completely combined.

Pour the mixture into the bag with the pork.  Place the bag in the fridge and let the marinade work its magic for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When you're ready to cook preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with vegetable oil spray.

Remove the pork tenderloin from the ziploc and transfer it to the cookie sheet.  Save the marinade for basting.  Place the pork in the oven and cook at 500 degrees for about 8 minutes.  Remove the cookie sheet and spoon a small amount of the reserved marinade over the top of the pork.  Return to the oven for another 8 minutes.  Remove the cookie sheet and baste a second time.  Turn the oven down to 450 degrees.  Continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes, basting one last time.

Remove from the oven and let the pork rest about 10 minutes before slicing.

This would be good with some rice and stir fried veggies, over some mixed greens for a salad, or sliced thin and layered on bread for a sandwich, but I like to serve it with roasted red potatoes and steamed broccoli.