Big win for this dinner with the whole family. I don’t often cook a pork tenderloin, only because they don’t sell them in giant organic packs at Costco. This was a flavor profile I’m not as used to; I use allspice in granola and some cookies but not usually on meat. Plus, cherries? Trust me, though, different can be a good thing!I think so many people see recipe ideas that seem out of the ordinary and shy away from them. Just because they’re unfamiliar doesn’t mean it won’t taste great! This one, which I adapted quite a bit from Clean Eating Mag, sparked my interest mainly in that the ingredients were few and the technique easy. Frozen fruit is just as good for you as fresh and the rest of the ingredients I usually have on hand. If you want to swap half a small onion for the shallot you can, just slice it paper thin so it loses its bite while it cooks.
Balsamic Cherry Pork Tenderloin
Serves 2-4
1 1/2 c. frozen tart cherries, thawed but not drained
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 shallot, sliced
1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. allspice
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Add balsamic and onions to bowl of cherries. Stir to combine.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the cherry mixture down the center of the pan (the length of the tenderloin).
4. Arrange pork tenderloin on top of cherry mixture, and rub with salt, black pepper and allspice.
5. Roll the edge of the foil up so that just the tenderloin is visible (will prevent the cherry juice from burning on the pan and smoking).
6. Place in preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes or until pork temperature registers 14o degrees.
7. Remove from oven and roll foil to cover the meat. Let rest five minutes.
8. Remove meat to cutting board and slice into 1 inch pieces. Serve with juices/cherries from foil pouch.
