I have never used pomegranate very much in my diet, much less my cooking. I like the flavor, but just have never had the occasion to use it. That changed this weekend when I decided to smoke a pork tenderloin and was looking for a fall flavor profile to go with it.
I came across the recipe on All Recipes and decided that it would make a great Sunday dinner. Outside of just estimating the amounts, I stayed pretty true to the recipe until the cooking method:
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin
- 4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
Directions
- In a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine pomegranate juice, orange juice, mustard, honey, garlic, orange zest, and cayenne pepper. Tighten lid, and shake until everything is mixed well. Pour over pork tenderloin in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag, and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 3 hours.
- Preheat smoker to 225 degrees F. Remove tenderloin from marinade, reserving the marinade. Place meat on a smoking rack.
- Pour marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and reduce volume by half. Remove from heat. Place 1/2 of liquid in a cup for basting, and reserve to use as a sauce.
- Smoke tenderloin for 120 minutes, basting lightly with reduced marinade until internal temperature is 145 degrees F when measured in the thickest part of the tenderloin. Remove tenderloin from smoker, cover with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve each portion with reserved sauce drizzled over top, and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.
I used cherry smoke in my Bradley and was very, very pleased with how the dish turned out. The pork was perfectly flavored and at only 250 calories for 4 ounces, it is a nice lean meal to enjoy. I used the leftover pork later in the week for sliced pork sandwiches.
High Plains Gastronome 