Pork Tenderloin with Orange Blossom Honey Mustard
Complement pork with sweet orange blossom honey for a dish that will win a blue ribbon!
Photo by Johnny Autry
Cover courtesy Storey Publishing
Beekeeper, chef, café owner, and spokesperson for the National Honey Board Laurey Masterton offers honey-tasting tips and vibrant recipes that deliver amazing dishes in The Fresh Honey Cookbook (Storey Publishing, 2013). Masterton encourages a deeper appreciation of honeybees through fascinating glimpses into the life of a hive. The following excerpt is from the “January: Orange Blossom” Chapter.
You can purchase this book from the Cappers Farmer store: The Fresh Honey Cookbook.
Pork is well complemented by sweet things. On a trip to Tuscany, I was wowed by a dinner of local pork chops served with a sweet onion confit made with sugar. The flavor stayed with me and, after making my version of that dish a number of times, I decided to play with it, using honey and fresh fruit. Here’s what I came up with.
Ingredients:
• 2 pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds total)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey, preferably orange blossom honey
• 1 navel orange
• Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Drizzle the pork with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with the garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil into a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the surface of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the tenderloins. Turn when browned, after about 1 minute, and cook for 1 minute longer. Ideally, each tenderloin will curve close to the sides of the pan, leaving a space in the center.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat.
5. Combine the mustard and honey in a small bowl and blend well with a fork. Spoon the mixture over the pork.
6. Cut the orange into thin slices, leaving the rind on. Layer them in the skillet, lining them up in the center of the pan, overlapping to cover all the spaces in the pan.
7. Roast the pork in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 145 degrees. Remove from the oven and squeeze the lemon juice over the pork. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
8. Slice the tenderloins in diagonal slices, about 1 inch thick. Place a slice or two of the cooked orange on the plate and put the sliced pork on top. Spoon the pan drippings over the sliced pork and serve. Oh my!
More from The Fresh Honey Cookbook:
• Cranberry Honey Pie• Onion Crusted Wild Salmon
• Rack of Lamb with a Coffee and Avocado Honey Crust
Excerpted from The Fresh Honey Cookbook, © by Laurey Masterton, photography by © Johnny Autry, used with permission from Storey Publishing. Buy this book from our store: The Fresh Honey Cookbook.
