maple dijon pork tenderloin
Ingredients:
1-1 ½ lb pork tenderloin
1/3-1/2 c Stewart’s Maple Syrup
2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard (country, stone ground or traditional)
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Trim excess fat from tenderloin and pat dry with a paper towel.
Season pork on all sides with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat.
Sear pork, rotating to brown each side. Helpful Hint: Searing will help the pork retain moisture, so it does not dry out while in the oven (if you have had dry pork, you know what I am talking about). You want to pan sear just enough to brown on each side, NOT to cook the pork through. If your pan is hot this should take no more than 20-30 second per side.
Place pork in a baking dish lined with non-stick foil.
In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and mustard and whisk until smooth.
Brush pork with approx. half of the mustard mixture.
Place in oven and bake for 20-30 minutes (or until internal temperature reached about 145 degrees).
Remove pork from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
While pork rests, pour remaining mustard and syrup mixture into a small saucepan and bring to a boil (stirring frequently so the sauce does not caramelize). Remove from heat.
Drizzle pork with remaining sauce. Slice and enjoy!
Tips:
Top with apples for a take on the traditional pork and applesauce. Sauté diced apples over medium heat with a little butter and Stewart’s Maple Syrup until slightly softened.
Prefer pork chops? Use this same method/sauce on your favorite grilled chops (maple sugar may burn faster on the grill so add sauce later in the grilling process).
This recipe is on the sweet and savory side, so to balance the flavors, serve with a salty side (like mashed potatoes or roasted broccoli).
