Pork Tenderloin? page

[LisaLS]

I'm stumped on what I should make w/ the pork tenderloin we have.
I wanted to make a slow cooker BBQ pulled pork, but well... what would we eat with it?
I would be totally fine just eating the meat w/ a salad, but my husband is picky and needs a 'rounded out' meal to feel satisfied.... sigh.
So what could take the place of the traditional sides you'd have with a BBQ?
OR what are some other good and easy pork tenderloin recipes? Preferably nothing that involves cinnamon. Just not a fan of the pork/cinnamon flavor combo.

[canio6]

pureed parsnips (with butter and heavy cream) goes great with pork - especially if it is smoky at all. The sweetness compliments the smokiness of the pork.

I also made a cherry sauce to go with a pork loin I made a while back - fresh cherries (cut in half - stone removed obviously), a little red wine, a little water...reduced on the stove top until the consistency you want.

You could try a brocoli slaw if you want a more traditional BBQ type item

[yodiewan]

That was actually the subject of Saturday's blog post: Charcoal Roasted Pork Loin | Mark's Daily Apple

Well, the recipe is for loin, but it could be used for tenderloin too. Just shorten the cooking time.

As for sides, potatoes and white rice are not the most evil things in the world (see today's blog post). And you could make your own coleslaw. Ready made slaw uses vegetable oils and probably lots of sugar. And really I think lots of veggies pair well with pork tenderloin. Pretty much anything.

Also, for pulled pork, pork shoulder is where it's at. Tenderloin is too lean and doesn't have enough connective tissue to benefit from long slow cooking (just what I believe; I've actually never tried cooking it that way). I like tenderloin, but I cook it in the oven pretty quickly to get a nice crust and slice it.

[LisaLS]

Thanks for the suggestions

Yeah, may get some potatoes to have with it if I decide to go the BBQ route.
I've actually slow cooked tenderloin a few times now for pulled pork. It's quite good

[Nion]

Pulled pork is a waste of a nice tender piece of loin. Roast or chargrill it.

[girlarchitect]

I agree that tenderloin is perfect for grilling and roasting. A simple marinate for 30 minutes and pop in on the grill and it will be good to go.
In terms of sides there are so many options!! If you add 3-4 sides, and lot of color, instead of just one side, the meal will look rich. Sides can be relativley easy, particularly as there are so many veggies that are fresh right now.
There are about 1001 coleslaw and they are great. My favorite it this one. Make it with red cabbage for a brilliant color
Fresh sliced tomatoes are easy and ideal this time of year OR, if you eat dairy, make a tomato, mozzerella basil salad - everyone likes that
No potato Cauliflower Salad is good.
Grilled Veggies - if you are turning on the grill add a basket to the grill of olive oil coated onions, bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes - very summery and delicious.

[skeedaddy]

Fried sweet potato chips. You will need a heavy skillet, tongs, 1 cup of lard, 1 medium to large sweet potato, sea salt, and a slicer which will produce THIN slices.Heat lard in skillet to just below smoke point, add sweet potato slices to the point of crowding. Turn them once during cooking, remove to a paper towel covered plate when they brown slightly. Salt to taste. Repeat until all slices are used. Serve as a side dish with the pork Bar-B-Que. Note: When "taste testing" you must exercise restraint...otherwise they won't last long enough to become a side!

[LisaLS]

I'll have to try those chips! Hubs isn't big on sweet potato, but it will at least be a good snack for me lol.

I ended up baking the pork tenderloin. Marinated it for a couple of hours. Chili paste, gluten free soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, pepper. Cooked it at 325 for about hmm...60-80mins (can't remember how long). Wanted it well done though, so cooked it until temp reached 160.
SO good. Juicy and tender.
Served with stir fried veggies. Broccoli, carrots, onion, bok choy, roasted sesame seeds, cooked in coconut oil..

[Nanzi]

Pulled pork and it's long cooking & smoking isn't the best use for pork tenderloin. The fat in the pork
loin is what keeps it from being a dry hunk of meat after it is cooked.

I would do the pork tenderloin very gently and not for too long, as it is a very lean piece of meat. If you
use a meat thermometer you will not over cook it. It would be a shame to burn or over cook this super
good cut of piggy!!