Culinary adventure: Touring the Orient

 

Last weekend, there was a pound of pork tenderloin in the refrigerator, just waiting to be  enjoyed.  Inspired to come up with a new recipe, I decided to create an Asian-themed marinade.

(sorry, the text turned out really small in the photo, but I'm pointing out that those noodles come from the East Bay, California, and that bag in the front is the ginger)

I pulled out a number of different ingredients from the cupboards, but to be honest, I just eyeballed everything.  Here's what I really love about cooking: you can be liberal and random in your measurements, and the food usually manages to turn out great!

But since we aren't all as comfortable risk-taking (or, insert creative adjective here :)) as me, and for those who have asked for my recipe, I went ahead and pulled together some basic measurements to make the process easier.*

Ginger Sesame Pork Tenderloin:
(should serve 4-6, depending on how large your eaters are)

1 lb. pork tenderloin
2 tsp. chopped onion powder (or you can chop it fresh, but I like to use the powder for a marinade)
2 tsp. garlic powder (or mince freshly cloved)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey (use local/fresh if you have it; which, from the pic, you can see I don't ;))
2 T. sesame oil (I used toasted)
1-2 T. sesame chili oil (it's spicy, so be careful if you have a low tolerance!)
2-3 T. fresh ginger (I sliced part of a whole one), or 1-2 tsp. ground ginger
Optional: 2-4 T. sesame seeds

Mix all of the ingredients in a gallon-sized ziplock bag.  Make sure to evenly coat the meat by turning the bag over.  Most recipes recommend marinating meat for at least 2 hours, but if you're short on time, just let it sit for as long as possible.

*Note: You may need to adjust these measurements, as I didn't strictly follow a recipe when I made this.  Don't get into a tizz over it, though (it's a marinade, it'll turn out grand)!

I served the pork grilled (but it could easily be done in the oven or on the stove) with sautéed vegetables, sesame rice noodles (sprinkling sesame seeds into them), and a nice glass of Woodbridge Chardonnay.

Now, don your kimono, do up your hair, and go make this!  Eating with chopsticks is manditory (if you never have, now's the time to learn :)). 

Oyasumi Nasai!