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Pork tenderloin is the leanest cut of meat you’ll get from the pig.  Not only that, it is extremely tender and has only 122 calories and 3 grams of fat.  That’s comparable to skinless chicken breast – now you know why they call it the “other white meat.”  Anyways, I had a bottle of Trader Joe’s Mango-Ginger Chutney in my pantry that’s been wondering if I was going to give it some attention anytime soon, and today was its day.  I made a marinade of cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, lime, and mixed in some chutney to go with it.  I don’t know what I was aiming for – all I know is that I wanted something different using bold flavors and threw in whatever I perceived to be Indian-influenced without being a curry.  Whatever it was, it resulted in some good kick-in-your-pants flavor!

Make sure you use your meat thermometer for this one – you don’t want to overcook (or undercook) your meat and ruin an otherwise very good piece of meat.  I took the pork out of the oven when the inside of the meat registered about 155-160ºF, waited a few minutes before slicing, and the result was a beautiful interior – perfectly cooked, slightly pink with the juices running clear.

Pork Tenderloin with Mango Chutney

serves about 6-8

2 pork tenderloins, about 2.5 lbs total

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup pre-made mango-ginger chutney (or any other chutney you like)

3 Tbsp brown sugar

Juice of 1/2 lime

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup water

1.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  In a baking dish, combine all ingredients from the olive oil to the sea salt.  Add the pork tenderloins and coat all sides with the marinade.  Let sit for about 15 minutes.

2.  In an oven-proof sautee pan over high heat, add the pork tenderloins when the pan is very hot.  Reserve the rest of the marinade and place to the side.  Sear the tenderloins until browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes.  Place the pan into the oven and roast for about 22-25 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers about 155-160ºF, slightly pink.  Take the pork out of the oven and let it rest a few minutes before cutting the meat.

3.  Take the reserved marinade and place into a small saucepan with the 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a boil, stirring the sauce.  Lower the heat and allow to simmer for about 6-7 minutes, until the sauce is slightly reduced.  Ladle over the roasted pork tenderloins and serve.