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Roast Pork Tenderloins with Pomegranate and Orange

Later

By Narayan • 22:55 on Sunday, June 29, 2003 • Comment

Earlier

Pomegranate doesn’t show up in recipes as much as it deserves. The acidity of the pomegranate mixes well with the orange and does good work towards making the pork a dreamy kind of tender. I did a whole pork loin like this, studding it with a few cloves as well (just a few!) and adding some peppercorns, and damn, it was tasty.

I’ll admit—this is a pain in the ass to make. It’s well worth it, though. And the sandwiches the next day…

From Joyce Goldstein’s now out-of-print Back to Square One

• roast pork tenderloins with pomegranate and orange
• 4 lbs. pork tenderloins
• 4 large garlic cloves, cut into slivers
• 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup pomegranate syrup
• 2 to 3 cups chicken stock

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees cut shallow incisions in the roast between the meat and the bone and insert slivers of garlic into each one.
2. for the spice paste, mix the garlic, nutmeg, thyme, ginger, salt, and pepper to a paste and rub it over the pork.
3. mix together the orange juice, honey, and pomegranate syrup for the basting mixture and set aside.
4. set the pork on a rack, in a shallow roasting pan and roast, basting occasionally with the basting mixture, until a meat thermometer registers 140 degrees, about 1 hour.
5. let stand still until cool enough to handle then remove the meat in one piece from the bones. wrap the meat in foil and set aside in a warm place while making the sauce

sauce

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup finely minced shallots
• 1/4 cup pomegranate syrup
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons hot mustard
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup sweet vermouth
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 3/4 cup chicken stock or pork jus
• 2 tablespoons honey
• salt and freshly ground pepper

1. for the pork jus, roughly chop the bones with a large knife or cleaver. pour off the fat from the roasting pan. add the bones to the pan along with the chicken stock. bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the stock ha s a nice, rich pork flavor, about 30 minutes. strain. there should be 1 cup pork jus.
2. for the sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. add the shallots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. whisk together the pomegranate syrup, orange juice, and mustard and add to the pan. then add the ginger, cayenne, sweet vermouth, orange zest, and pork jus/chicken stock and simmer 1 to 2 minutes. add the honey and salt and pepper to taste.
3. preheat the oven to 400 degrees. warm the pork roast in the oven for a few minutes until heated through. then slice and arrange on 6 serving plates. return the sauce to a simmer and spoon over the pork.