Name: Skillet Pork Tenderloin with Hoisin Glaze
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Asia
Ingredients: 1/2 cup water; 1/4 cup ketchup; 1/4 cup dry sherry; 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce; 2 tablespoons light brown sugar; 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger; 2 pounds pork tenderloins (2 loins total); 1 teaspoon five-spice powder (see note); 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

To develop flavor in our pork tenderloin recipe, we seared the tenderloins, simmered them in a sweet sauce, and then reduced the sauce to a thick glaze while the pork rested. We needed very little five-spice powder to season the pork before searing. Adding the spice at this point infused the meat and highlighted its flavor, which would disappear if the five-spice powder were simply added to the rich sauce. The combination of sherry and light brown sugar allowed the glaze in our pork tenderloin recipe to reduce and stick to the tenderloins so that we didn’t need to constantly mop up the sauce. Ketchup complemented the sweet, salty, savory, and spicy elements of hoisin sauce, a condiment used in many Chinese recipes. Freshly grated ginger added a welcome bite to the glaze; powdered ginger lost its flavor over time and became bitter.

Before You Begin

Five-spice powder is a combination of cinnamon, clove, fennel, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Instructions

Whisk water, ketchup, sherry, hoisin, sugar, and ginger in medium bowl. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high until just smoking. Cook tenderloins until well-browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Add sauce mixture and cook covered, rolling tenderloins occasionally, until meat registers 145 degrees, about 10 minutes. Transfer pork to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

Simmer sauce and any accumulated pork juices until thickened, about 3 minutes. Slice pork and transfer to platter. Pour sauce over pork. Serve.