Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Preserve Glazing
An elegant looking pork dish that requires almost no work and is company worthy without the stress of hours roasting. The glossy apricot glaze combines sweet and savory flavors without overpowering the tenderloin’s flavor. Serve with roasted potatoes and vegetables on the side.
Ingredients
- Tenderloins
- 2 pork tenderloin about 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) each
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced in thin slivers
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- Apricot Glaze
- 3/4 cup apricot jam
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard or to taste
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar or to taste
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce or to taste
- 1 tsp honey or to taste (optional)
- 1 Tbsp butter, reserved for later use on the finish glaze (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Preheat the oven 350°F/175°C.
Mix apricot jam, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce and honey until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Reserve and set aside 1/2 of the sauce in a bowl for the final glazing.
Pat pork tenderloins well with paper towels. Remove as much silver skin from the tenderloins sides and discard. Make small incisions in the pork to insert the garlic slivers. Allow 1 garlic clove per loin. Push 1 garlic sliver in each incision. Push them as much as you can inside. Salt and pepper all over the loins.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tenderloins and cook until nicely browned all over about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Brush tenderloin tops with 1/2 of the glaze. Wrap skillet handle with aluminum foil if handle is not ovenproof. Slide the skillet with the loins into the oven.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, while basting now and then with the glaze in skillet. Meat internal temperature should read 145F /63C is ideal. Longer roasting can dry the meat. Remove loins from the oven and cover them with aluminum foil. Let them rest for about 10 minutes on a cutting board.
While the loins are resting, warm the reserved apricot glaze in a small saucepan. Add the butter (optional) and keep it warm until serving time.
Slice the tenderloins and drizzle the glaze on top of it. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.
Notes
If you buy pork tenderloins that are less than 1 pound each, you may need to reduce the roasting time. Start checking after 15 minutes
Dry the tenderloins well, it gives them a better brown crust. Do not skip it.
If your skillet does not have a ovenproof handle, wrap it with aluminum foil to protect it.
It is best to use a meat thermometer. It takes away the guessing work. An internal reading of 145F/63C is ideal. Longer roasting can dry out the meat.
Resting allows the juices to remain in the meat not on the plate. Cover your tenderloins for 10 minutes before slicing.
Vinegar and mustard balance the sweetness of the apricot jam. Adjust it to your taste.
