Thai-Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Orange Curry Sauce

This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units). It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews. Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.

Heat Scale
Submit Recipe

Ingredients:

For Sauce:

3 cups orange juice
1 carrot, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. Thai red curry base

For Pork:

1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Thai red curry base
1 Tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
1-1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) chilled butter, cut into pieces

Instructions:

Make Sauce:

Combine the orange juice, carrot, cilantro, grated fresh ginger, garlic, minced serrano, ground cumin and Thai red curry base in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil the mixture until the carrot is tender and the liquid has reduced by about half. Stir occasionally for about 12 minutes, then puree the sauce in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Strain the sauce and return to the same saucepan. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate.)

Make Pork:

Stir the molasses, soy sauce, curry base and ginger in a large glass baking dish and add the pork tenderloin. Turn to coat, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours

Preheat oven to 350F.

Remove the pork from the marinade and discard the marinade. Heat the oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook the pork until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160F, about 25 minutes. Transfer the pork to a platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Bring the sauce to a simmer and remove from the heat. Gradually add the 6 Tbsp. of butter and whisk just until the butter has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the pork into 1″ thick slices and serve with the warm sauce.

Yields 4 servings.