For a dinner party, I often lean on pork tenderloin as a versatile and inexpensive main dish. Pork tenderloin is frequently a buy-one-get-one deal at the grocery and it’s an easy item to pick up and freeze. This recipe is a great example of how vast the options of pork tenderloin are – spicy green curry. And when I say spicy, I mean packed with a punch but not burn your tongue off.
The vibrant green sauce is tangy, spicy and sweet. It’s a beautiful backdrop to the pork with a nice salty crunch from a similarly green pumpkin seed. Save this recipe for your next dinner party. It would be great in any season with funky sides like coconut rice, fruit salads or grilled summer veggies.
Green Curry Pork Tenderloin, Bon Appetit Magazine
Tenderloin
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 pork tenderloin (about 1½ pounds)
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil
Sauce And Assembly
- 1 tablespoon plus ½ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup prepared green curry paste
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
- 1 14.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, plus more for serving
- Unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds, for serving
Combine soy sauce, orange juice, maple syrup, and sesame oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Add tenderloin; close bag, pressing out air. Chill, turning once, 4–12 hours. Remove tenderloin from marinade and pat dry; discard marinade. Season lightly with salt. Preheat oven to 350. Heat grapeseed oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Cook tenderloin, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of tenderloin registers 145°, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Sauce and Assembly
While meat is cooking, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large saucepan over medium. Cook shallot and garlic, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add curry paste and lime zest and cook, stirring constantly, until paste is slightly darkened in color and very fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add coconut milk, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, 20–25 minutes. Let curry mixture cool.
Transfer curry mixture to a blender and add agave, lime juice, ¼ cup cilantro, and 2 Tbsp. water; blend until very smooth. With motor running, add remaining ½ cup oil in a steady stream; blend until sauce is thick and emulsified. Transfer to a small saucepan and heat over medium just until warmed through.
Serve pork over sauce topped with cilantro and pumpkin seeds.
Mod Meals on Mendenhall 