Roasted Brined Pork Tenderloin Rolled in Toasted Pecans

Roasted Brined Pork Tenderloin
Rolled in Toasted Pecans

Serves 4

Brine
2 whole cinnamon sticks
3 whole star anise
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
3 cups warm water
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt

4 pork tenderloins, trimmed of
fat and silverskin (about 8 ounces each)
1/2 cup honey mustard
1 cup chopped pecans

To prepare the brine:
Coarsely grind all the spices in an electric spice mill, without powdering them. Combine the spices, warm water, sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan and stir to dissolve. Bring to a boil over high heat, remove from the heat, and let cool. Place the tenderloins in the brine, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 to 14 hours.

To prepare the pork:
Remove the tenderloins from the brine and let them come to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the tenderloins on a roasting pan, brush them with some of the honey mustard, and roast, turning them every 5 minutes, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature is about 140 degrees for medium rare. Remove from the oven, brush heavily with the remaining honey mustard, and roll them in the chopped pecans. Put them back in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes to brown the pecans, taking care not to burn the nuts.

Remove the tenderloins from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes. Slice the meat diagonally into 1/2-inch slices.

Serving Suggestions
Serve with glazed pears and sautéed mixed greens.

Buy the Book!

Red Sage: Contemporary American Cuisine
By Mark Miller
Ten Speed Press
Cloth, 248 pages, $40.00
Publication Date: December 1999
ISBN: 0-89815-759-5
Recipe reprinted by permission.