For those of you who know me, you have likely heard me ramble on and on about starting a GourMade blog. Since closing my commercial kitchen business a few years ago I’ve wanted to create this blog to share favorite recipes, new recipes, kitchen tips and more. So, it’s about time I launch this blog!
I also want to talk about Thyme, one of my favorite herbs for Fall inspired recipes.
Thyme for Fall:
I love Fall. The changing colors in the landscape, mild days, crisp nights, the first rain, the smell of the air and of course Autumn inspired food. Oh, the aroma of Thyme roasting or simmering in a seasonal recipe. There are many, many varieties of this fragrant herb. Popular culinary versions are French, English and Lemon. English Thyme is what you will most likely find in your local grocery store. I prefer growing my own so I have plenty on hand to toss into soups or stews and sprinkle over whatever I might be roasting. To celebrate the transition from Summer to Fall I prepared a maple, mustard and thyme glazed pork tenderloin.
I started with all natural pork tenderloin raised without antibiotics, rinsed and trimmed of any visible fat. The tenderloin is usually pretty lean so I don't have to trim much.
For the glaze, I blended whole grain mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, thyme, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper in my mini prep processor bowl. After pulsing for about 30 seconds, I transferred half the marinade into a gallon freezer bag, added the pork and squeezed the air from the bag before sealing. At this point the meat can marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the pork to thaw and cook another day. Once marinated, I seared the pork in an oven proof skillet then transfer to the oven to roast, a technique I call sear-roasting. The full recipe is posted below.
Enjoy!
Maple-Mustard Glazed Pork with Thyme
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup whole grain mustard
3 Tb pure maple syrup
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 Tb fresh thyme*, plus extra for garnishing
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chicken stock, plus extra for pan sauce
Preparation:
Glaze: combine whole grain mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, thyme, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper in a mini food processor bowl. Process about 30 seconds and transfer half the marinade into a gallon freezer bag. Add the pork. Seal the bag, squeezing as much air out as possible. Let marinate at least 2 hours or overnight. You can also the freeze the pork to thaw and cook another day.
To cook: Preheat oven to 400°F. This cooking method is what I call sear-roasting. You will need a large, oven proof skillet. Heat olive oil in the pan over medium high heat until oil shimmers in the pan. Note, if using previously prepped and frozen pork be sure to completely thaw in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours before cooking. Add pork, sear until browned on all sides. Pour any marinade left in the bag into the pan as well as the reserved glaze. Place the pan in the oven, roast uncovered. After 10 to 15 minutes add chicken stock to skillet to keep glaze from burning. This will also create a rich pan sauce for your pork. Continue roasting another 15 to 20 minutes or until pork is cooked as desired. Safe cooking temperature for pork is 155°F.
Remove pan from oven, be careful to keep the pan handle covered with a potholder, it will be very hot. Place skillet on a burner turned to medium heat. Immediately remove pork to a platter and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk sauce in pan. Add additional chicken stock to thin sauce to desired consistency. Slice pork, sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve with pan sauce. I like to compliment this dish with baked apples and roasted baby potatoes.