Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Cook the Book: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Sauce

Posted by Lucy Baker, July 22, 2008 at 2:30 PM

Rhubarb season generally runs from late spring to early summer, but this year it seems to have lasted a bit longer: the bright red stalks are still available at my weekend farmers market, and I've spotted them at high-end grocery stores such as Whole Foods as recently as a few days ago. As a lover of rhubarb's snappy, tart flavor, I can only hope its recent proliferation is a sign of increasing popularity. If there is enough demand, maybe someday rhubarb will be available year-round. Sure, it won't taste as good in January as it does in June, but baked into a pie, I doubt anyone will complain.

Today’s Cook the Book recipe, excerpted from Summer on a Plate by Anna Pump, pairs a chunky rhubarb-honey sauce with a spicy grilled pork tenderloin rubbed with ground sage, fennel, cayenne, and Dijon mustard. If you have time, prepare the rhubarb sauce one day ahead to give the flavors a chance to blend.

Win 'Summer on a Plate'

We're giving away five (5) copies of Anna's book. Enter for a chance to win here.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Sauce

adapted from Summer on a Plate by Anna Pump

- makes 6 servings -

Ingredients

For the rhubarb sauce
2 pounds rhubarb (about 6 cups) cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water

For the pork tenderloin
3 pounds pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon rubbed (ground) sage
2 teaspoons ground fennel
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
1 bunch watercress, rinsed and dried, stems removed

Procedure

1. For the rhubarb sauce, place the rhubarb, sugar, honey, and water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir to blend, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes until the rhubarb is tender. Transfer the rhubarb to a serving bowl and chill.

2. Trim the pork of all fat and sinew. Mash the sage, fennel, salt, pepper, mustard, and olive oil into a paste and rub the mixture over the tenderloin. Place the meat on a sheet pan and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes to marinate.

3. Preheat grill to medium-high.

4. Grill the pork for about 20 minutes, turning on all sides to brown evenly. Test for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part; it should read 150° to 155°F. Remove from the heat and allow five minutes for the juices to settle. The meat will be tender and juicy.

5. Slice and serve on a bed of watercress with chilled rhubarb sauce on the side.

2 Comments Favorite this!  (0)

Tags: Anna Pump, Cook the Book, mains, pork, rhubarb, Summer on a Plate