The recipe for Dorie’s Fresh Orange Pork Tenderloin is incredibly easy and definitely fast enough to make any weekday night. Orange and cardamom is one of my favorite combinations- it’s found in several desserts, breads and poultry dishes in my repertoire. This sauce was a perfect example of one that would cross over well with poultry and veal. It is quite refreshing and like other citrus, it really brightens up the dish. And considering the blizzard we are having here in the NE, anything bright right now is a good thing!
I made a minor alteration by using only two oranges, zesting and juicing the same oranges and adding a bit of orange juice to make up for the omission of the other two oranges. I just didn’t want to use four oranges! It seemed a bit of a waste for just the juice.
Something I noticed that was missing in this recipe was how thick to cut the pieces of the loin. Dorie gives cooking times for the pork, but since the thickness really affects how much time is needed, I was a bit surprised this was left out. You don’t want to eat under-cooked pork- ever! We do have plenty of meat thermometers around but I know it’s not a common tool in many kitchens, so if you don’t have one, get one! Save yourself a bad tummy or a trip to the E.R.!
Two of the three little people ate a filet and enjoyed it. The third has an aversion to oranges and orange juice and refused to touch it. I think it’s because she drank nearly a half gallon of OJ on a daily basis as a toddler. She has had enough to last her a lifetime. Or at least until she is an adult and redefines her tastes.
I quite liked it, especially the sauce. Ari isn’t a big fan of pork, unless it’s in pate, bbq or sausages so I think we would repeat this recipe but use veal or poultry instead.
I cannot share this wonderful recipe- but you can (and should!) buy the book and cook along with us. It’s great fun! Every Friday we make a new recipe. And I can’t wait for next week’s challenge! For details and to see how others are recreating the dishes from this awesome book, check out the FFWD site.
Click on and buy the book:
