good eats: pork tenderloin & arroz congri

Last night, Big Red and I enjoyed our favorite pork dish. It's a recipe that was given to me by a woman for whom I used to babysit in college. This family was great and I was over at their house quite a bit. I adored their daughter. I knew her from the time she was just six weeks old when they dropped her off at the daycare center where I was working. This family always ate well, and I marveled that inside their fridge was not a single bottle or carton of anything "lite" or "fat free."  I once asked the mom about this and she said they didn't buy that kind of food. Then I asked how they all stayed so damn trim. She said they stuck to small portions. Everything in moderation. To the college kid who would wolf down dinner meals of ice cream and sugar cereal (preferably layered), it was genius.

This particular pork recipe is not only easy, but it's quite tasty too. I've since passed it on multiple times, and have gotten good reviews from others who have tried it. The rice is a Cuban dish traditionally made with some kind of ham - I just don't include the ham. Enjoy!

Marinated Pork Tenderloin                                           
1.25 lb. pork tenderloin                                                    
0.25 cup orange juice                                                        
1.5 tblsp. low sodium soy sauce                                        
2 tsp. olive oil                                                                    
2 large garlic cloves minced                                              
0.25 tsp. crumbled dried rosemary                                    

1. Place pork, orange juice, soy sauce, 1 tsp. oil, garlic, and rosemary in a shallow dish. Turn pork to coat well. Cover and refrigerate 1-6 hours (the longer, the better).  I usually double or triple the amount of marinade.                  

2. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 F. Remove pork from marinade and wipe dry. Bring marinade to boil in small saucepan. Strain, and set aside. Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Roast about 20 minutes for medium. Baste twice with marinade. If you're cooking with a meat thermometer, which I highly recommend, cook to 140-145 F for a pale pink center (as we have done). Adjust accordingly for more. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Slice thinly on the diagonal and use remaining marinade to garnish.
                   
Arroz Congri (click here)