The other day I was dropping off books at the neighborhood Little Library and I noticed a 1999 compilation from the now defunct Gourmet magazine. One of the recipes in it was this one, which actually turned out really well.
The beauty of pork tenderloin is it’s nearly impossible to make it tough or taste bad, even if you overcook it a bit. There are a number of types of glazes you could use on these cutlets, but I stuck with the prescribed maple/chili glaze.
What you’ll need
- 1 lb. or however much tenderloin you want to cook
- 2T kosher salt
- 2T maple syrup
- 1T and 1t chili powder (for more of a bite you could use or add dried chili flakes)
What to do
Remove any silverskin from the pork loin by sliding a filet or similar shallow-bladed knife under the silverskin. While pulling on the silverskin, slice under the skin in the direction you’re pulling, until it’s removed.
Dissolve the salt in 2 cups of cool water in a bowl large enough to hold the tenderloin. Submerge the pork in the water and let it brine in the refrigerator for up to a day. You could get away with skipping this step with no ill effect if you’re in a hurry.
Combine the maple syrup and chili powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
Drain the bine and diagonally, or even just longitudinally, slice the tenderloin into 0.75-inch cutlets. Put the cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound them with a meat hammer or side of a rolling pin to about 0.25 inches thick. Dry the cutlets and season them with salt.
Prepare your grill or grill pan by heating it to cooking temperature and oiling the grates. Cook the cutlets for a couple of minutes on each side until cooked through. Don’t worry too much about overcooking, as tenderloin is very forgiving. When they’re fully cooked, brush on the glaze and cook for 15 more seconds on each side before removing them to a serving dish.
Serve hot.
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