Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Ginger-Maple Sauce Question

[JaneStarr]

Has anybody ever tried this using boneless pork chops. I have some to cook tonight and am dying to see what everybody was raving about on another thread.

I'm posting the recipe below for suggestions.

Jane

Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Ginger-Maple Sauce

Maple syrup and the blend of spices give the sweetness of this dish a kick.
This recipe can be found on page 334 of Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2002.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons bottled ground fresh ginger
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup maple syrup


Directions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub pork with spice mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook 6 minutes; brown on all sides. Place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 155°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
While pork bakes, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add ginger, and cook 4 minutes. Stir in broth and syrup, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring broth mixture to a boil; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Cut pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices; serve with sauce.


Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Servings/Serving Size: Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 2 tablespoons sauce).

Nutrition Facts (per Serving):
263 calories; 21.7 g carbohydrates; 78 mg cholesterol; 8.2 g fat; 663 mg sodium; 25 g protein; 39 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 1.1 g fiber

[sneezles]

Well, this is one tenderloin recipe I wouldn't have thought about using for chops. How thick are your chops? When slicing the tenderloin the seasoning is only the edge (I use the chili powder/chipotle powder mix so it's pretty spicey) and I think there would be too much if put on chops.

[Jewel]

I've made this twice, both times using pork tenderloin...by far the best CL Pork Tenderloin recipe ever! :) I think it would work with boneless pork chops just fine since you sear the rub onto the meat and then bake, but if you use Loin Chops just remember that they're a drier cut and you'll have to make sure to not overcook them. I'd use Pork Sirloin Steaks if possible only because they're more moist, but I'm sure the chops will work out fine if you're careful! Just don't spread the rub as thick on the chops either or you'll end up with all seasoning and no meat flavor! :eek:

That sauce is so fabulous that I think it would enhance any cut of pork or chicken. I doubled the sauce for my two huge tenderloins Sunday night and we had enough to drizzle over the Fried Rice and Stirfry veggies too! Takes awhile to cook down to 1-1/2 cups but totally worth the nearly half hour boiling on the stove. ;)

[greysangel]

I've used thick center cut chops with no problem :D

JeAnne

[leightx]

One question - what is "bottled fresh ground ginger"? I know they sell bottled minced ginger in jars, and dried ground ginger with the spices. Am I missing something? Which should I use?? Actually, I don't have the bottled minced stuff at all - but I'm assuming I could sub fresh. Has anyone used the dried ground ginger in this recipe instead though?

Leightx

[sneezles]

I have used all 3 types you mentioned. I buy the fresh minced giner at Super-Wallyworld. I have used fresh that I've minced myself and dired ground-when I couldn't find either of the other 2. I can't tell you how much I used but enough to give the sauce only a hint of ginger since it's not really a strong taste using the bottled.
Did any of that make sense? :confused:

[leightx]

Yep - perfect sense! I'll just try the fresh stuff this time. I usually have the bottled on hand, but mine got moldy in the fridge :eek: so I had to throw it out. Now I can't seem to remember where I found it in the grocery store! I thought it was near the ginger root (where the bottled garlic is), but can't find it there. Anyone familiar with their neighborhood HEB that can tell me where they're hiding it??

Leightx

[Jewel]

I used a knob of fresh ginger root grated on my microplane grater. Turns out like Ginger Paste, but it's sure potent! :D

[Wendy w]

Originally posted by Jewel
I used a knob of fresh ginger root grated on my microplane grater. Turns out like Ginger Paste, but it's sure potent! :D

Since I've had my microplane zester, I cannot go back to jarred ever! I learned in a cooking class that if you have more fresh ginger than you need, store it in a jar of sherry and it will keep for a long time. It works great for me!

Jewel, did you ever use any of that ginger juice from Sur le Table? If so, is it a worthy splurge?

[MaryH]

Made this last night and my DH who usually has a snide remark if I tell him it'll be pork, really liked it. (Of course I didn't tell him ahead of time, so maybe that the key.) I used boneless center chops because I could not find tenderloin. Served it with buttermilk feta mashed potatoes. Definetly a repeater.

[RUSTYSMOM]

Mary could you share your buttermilk feta mashed potato recipe? TIA

[Jewel]

Originally posted by Wendy w
Jewel, did you ever use any of that ginger juice from Sur le Table? If so, is it a worthy splurge?

Well I'm not sure if $6 qualifies as a splurge... ;) But I did use some in the sauce! I doubled the sauce so I used 4 TBS of fresh ginger 'paste' from my microplane, but after adding the syrup I felt it needed a bit more jazz so I shook a couple of shots of Ginger Juice into it. Nice stuff! Great for marinades too... :)

[MaryH]

Sure thing but I warn you, I just threw it together. Basically, I cut up and boiled some russett potatoes, used about 4 or 5. Strained and mashed them (I used my hand mixer). Threw in about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of buttermilk and about 3/4 cup to 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese and mixed it all together with the hand mixer. (Originally I was going to use roasted garlic as well but I don't think I roasted it long enough so I ended up tossing it. And I wasn't sure how well the roasted garlic would go with the feta anyway.)

[Wendy w]

Thanks Jewel! Maybe I will venture over to the local Sur le Table one of these days during my lunch hour.

[RUSTYSMOM]

Has anyone tried grilling this vs baking? Can you think of any reason this would not be a good idea? Thanks

[sneezles]

Originally posted by RUSTYSMOM
Has anyone tried grilling this vs baking? Can you think of any reason this would not be a good idea? Thanks

We grill this quite often but I do sear it in the skillet first.

[RUSTYSMOM]

Perfect-thanks Sneezles. I will take that approach as well!

[leightx]

I made this tonight. After reading the pork tenderloin thread (the one about having 2 tenderloins in one package), I was fully expecting to get 2, but wound up with just 1. I was a little disappointed! I rarely cook pork, so I can't remember if I usually get 1 or 2. Anyway...on to the review.

I seared this on the stove, then cooked in the Foreman Grill until it got to the right temperature (maybe 10-15 min??). I love those cool probe-thermometer-outside-the-oven thingees! :D I also used Sugar-free Cozy Cottage Maple Syrup, since it was all I had. It's made with Splenda, so I was a little worried about it cooking down properly, but it worked just fine and tasted great.

I would give this probably a 7/10. DH had no comment, which isn't unusual (and probably means he liked it fine, just didn't go bananas over it). It was a little *too* flavorful for me - all that spice and sweet sauce. Still, the spice combination was nice, and I'd make it again, but cut down on the amount of the rub a litte bit.

Leightx

[jphilg]

"You are a goddess" exclaims my husband after tasting this dish last night. Good enough for me! :)

I grilled this w/o pan searing: I seared on all sides on the grill, then cooked over indirect heat for about 10 more minutes, and let rest 10 minutes. I took it off the grill at 140 degrees, and when I cut it, it was at 145. Perfect, in my opinion....not pink, but not dry. CL always has you cook pork to 155, which, especially after a resting time, is really dry.

Served with mashed potatoes and a big salad with a mustard vinaigrette.

[ChristieinMB]

I have a confession to make... I am 54 years old and have never cooked pork in my life!:eek:
Reading the reviews about I had to try it. After much searching at the grocery store, I finally found the right "stuff". I DID IT!!
My husband is loving my new hobby, he was hanging out in the kitchen eating seconds and thirds. I thought it was good, but I still love my chicken more.
One question, 2 tablespoons of ginger seemed like alot, I used the jar stuff, so I used 1 tablespoon only. I thought the ginger taste was a little powerful, do some of you really use 2 tablespoons of that stuff? I just got an order of the Penzeys dried whole ginger that I will use next time. Yes, I will remake it, DH is already planning for it.
Christie

[MKSquared]

Originally posted by ChristieinMB
One question, 2 tablespoons of ginger seemed like alot, I used the jar stuff, so I used 1 tablespoon only. I thought the ginger taste was a little powerful, do some of you really use 2 tablespoons of that stuff? I just got an order of the Penzeys dried whole ginger that I will use next time. Christie

Christie: I usually halve ginger amounts in recipes. I just don't like it that much :eek: . I think I use 1/2 Tbs in this recipe when I do it.

The Penzey's dried whole ginger isn't quite the same as fresh whole ginger, if I remember correctly. (I think it was Jewel who brought it up first!) When you grate the dried ginger, you basically get powdered ginger!

[ChristieinMB]

The Penzey's dried whole ginger isn't quite the same as fresh whole ginger, if I remember correctly. (I think it was Jewel who brought it up first!) When you grate the dried ginger, you basically get powdered ginger!
Humph:( did I waste my money, oh well it isn't the first time.
Christie

[leightx]

Originally posted by ChristieinMB

Humph:( did I waste my money, oh well it isn't the first time.
Christie

Nope - not wasted at all! Use your dried ground ginger in cookies! I'm particularly fond of the CL Spicy Oatmeal Crisps (I think they may qualify as my favorite cookie of all time). The recipe doesn't actually call for ginger, but I always throw a little bit in (about 1/2 tsp). Use it for gingerbread (of course) and gingersnaps - yum!!
And Penzey's ginger is THE BEST!! :D

Leightx

[Beth]

Bumping this up to say we made this pork tenderloin tonight. I had planned on using a marinade that DH got as a gift, but when I took the seal off the bottle it appeared that the top had been loosened and it smelled funny. By the time I was regrouping, I needed a recipe without a long marinade time and had to punt a little on what to go with.

I made whole wheat couscous with sweet potato and black beans (cooked with chicken stock, apple juice and a little seasoning) and tossed together a salad of greens and apples with a mustard balsamic dressing.

I really wasn't in the mood to cook, much less have to regroup when my plans went south. Thanks to the BB, the reviews and the fact that we had to eat, we had a really good dinner.

[AvrilH]

AWESOME!

I made this on a weeknight (!) and it was terrific. Basmati rice and veggies and it was really yummy.

This was in the reader's recipes supplement from this month - how did I miss it the first time?