Tonight we enjoyed, yet again, a Cooking Light recipe: Spiced Pork with a Bourbon Reduction Sauce. It is a very simple to make recipe that took us about 20 minutes from start to finish and came out delicious. The pork tenderloin is dry rubbed with a blend of spices that gives it a spicy-sweet-salty taste all at once. The sauce was probably the most difficult part of the meal, though that's not saying much as everything was quite easy. The overwhelming flavors that the bourbon sauce added were that of sugar and garlic with a nice oaky undertone from the bourbon. On the side we had a simple side dish of rice (boxed), and a nice salad with walnuts and feta.
The wine for the evening was a Louis Jadot Chardonnay. I have had numerous bottles of Louis Jadot Poulet Foussie and their Merlot which have always been excellent. Sarah and I are not the biggest of Chardonnay fans to start with, but we put our faith in the brand name. The wine had a very light fruity nose to it. This lightly sweet smell and taste continued throughout the drink and finished cleanly. Many Chardonnays tend to be a bit on the oaky side for my tastes, but the Louis Jadot was a winner. While I enjoyed the wine stand alone, Sarah remarked that it was best served with the meal. The dish was an assault on the taste buds with the saltiness, sweetness, tanginess, and spiciness. Having the consistent and light wine mellowed the whole meal out and made it very enjoyable over all.
Spiced Pork with Bourbon Reduction Sauce
Pair pork tenderloin with sweet 'n' tangy bourbon sauce for a delicious 20-minute dinner. Substitute chicken broth for bourbon (if you prefer), and serve with couscous or rice.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 pork slices and 2 tablespoons sauce)
Ingredients
- Sauce:
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Pork:
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
- Cooking spray
Preparation
To prepare sauce, combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 11 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
To prepare pork, combine chili powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt, stirring well; rub evenly over pork. Cut pork crosswise into 12 slices.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with sauce.
-Chris and Sarah
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