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The one thing about pork is that it has to be tender. There’s nothing worse than a bite of dried out meat, so I made a few changes to this recipe. Make sure to scroll to the bottom to see my tips! This recipe was perfect for my family of four we even had left overs so I bet it could serve up to six.

What to buy from the store:

Pork Tenderloin Brine

• 2 pounds pork tenderloin, silver skin removed
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 3 cups water, warm
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup ice cubes

Pork Tenderloin Rub

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Blackberry Hoisin Ginger Glaze

• 1/2 cup blackberry preserves
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Garnish (optional)

• Scallions

Step by Step Instructions:

1. In a gallon-size freezer bag, dissolve 1/4 cup of kosher salt in the warm water. Add the remaining brine ingredients, including the pork. Brine for exactly 20 minutes. The pork becomes mealy if its brined longer.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the Blackberry Hoisin Ginger Glaze by melting 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in blackberry preserves, hoisin sauce, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Taste and add more red pepper flakes if desired, remembering that the glaze will be less “spicy” because only a little is drizzled over each serving.

3. At exactly 20 minutes, remove the pork from the brine and pat dry. Rub the pork all over with 1 tablespoon olive oil, followed by 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 425°F.

5. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When oil is very hot and rippling, add pork tenderloin. Sear each side until browned, approximately 1-2 minutes per side. Place tenderloin on rack in shallow roasting pan or a rack paced on a baking sheet. Brush with Blackberry Hoisin Ginger Glaze, brushing again after 15 minutes of cooking. Roast approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin registers between 145 and 150 degrees F (63 and 65 degrees C). This means the pork will be juicy and slightly pink in the middle. If you don’t want any pink, then cook a little longer, being careful not to overcook or it will dry out.

6. When pork is done, let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, warm the sauce. Slice pork thinly then drizzle with Blackberry Hoisin Ginger Glaze – either on a platter or on individual servings.

Here are some tips:

Again having to please three different palates is no joke and my girls don’t do spicy. My first thought was to make the blackberry glaze as is with the red pepper flakes, since my husband LOVES anything spicy and just leave it off of the kid’s portions, but that would defeat the purpose of serving pork a new way to my girls, plus the glaze was going to be a great selling point for my youngest, the one with the massive sweet tooth. So what I did was make two batches! I did them at the same time in two different saucepans, leaving the red pepper flakes out of one. And I am so glad I did! The girls loved the sauce. I put the rest in a jar and served it over my salad the next day and a bagel with cream cheese for a snack. It goes great on anything!

I love my cast iron skillet. I use it for everything. Instead of searing it in one pan and moving the pork to a roasting pan on a rack, try searing it in your cast iron skillet and then moving the whole thing to the oven. I have this great potholder that slips right over the handle of my skillet and makes the move super easy. Keeping it in the same pan you seared in keeps more of the flavor and by not raising the meat, which gives hot air more access, you run less of a risk of ending up with that dry meat I mentioned.

Lastly, I have had some bad luck with thermometers, if you have a trusty one then by all means use it, but if you go the cast iron skillet route, I promise if you sear it on each side until it is golden brown and you place it in your oven at 425 for 20 minutes and let it sit out for at least 10 while tented by aluminum foil (fifteen without the foil) you will have perfectly roasted pork!

Let Us Know If You Have Ever Tried This Before & What Your Thoughts Are!

This is the perfect dish to impress your friends and family with because it is so visually stunning.

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