Maple-Glazed Pork

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line small roasting pan or baking sheet with foil. Spray rack with cooking spray; set rack in roasting pan. Mix 1 tablespoon maple syrup, adobo sauce and 1/4 teaspoon cumin in small bowl. Fold thin end of pork tenderloin under and secure with butcher’s twine so tenderloin has a more-or-less even thickness. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add pork; cook, turning from time to time, until browned all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Set pork on rack (do not wash the skillet). Brush with maple syrup mixture. Bake pork until an instant -read thermometer inserted in the center registers 150°F, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to clean cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving. (During resting, the internal temperature will rise to about 160°F and juices will redistribute throughout the meat.)
3. Meanwhile, add orange juice, broth, vinegar, minced chipotles, remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/4 teaspoon cumin to skillet. Bring to a simmer, stirring, over medium-high heat. Cook until syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Remove butcher’s twine from pork; carve into 1/2 inch-thick slices. Serve with orange-chipotle sauce.

Tip: Because of their small size, pork tenderloins are not in the oven long enough to brown nicely during roasting. To ensure that the tenderloin browns well, sear it in a skillet before transferring to the oven. This technique also allows you take advantage of the caramelized brown bits in the skillet to simmer a simple pan sauce while the pork finishes cooking.

Recipe By: Patsy Jamieson

Patsy Jamieson is a Vermont-based food writer, food stylist and cooking teacher specializing in healthy cooking. She is the former Food Editor and Test Kitchen Director of EatingWell. You can find a selection of Patsy’s recipes on her website.