Maple-Orange Glazed Pork Medallions

Maple-Orange Glazes Pork Medallions against Charred Autumn Squash Mash with Bacon

Orange glaze on meat always makes me think of Chinese food and Chinese food turns me into a dick. It's embarrassing how I turn into such an ass. Hopefully that doesn't happen here.

Maple-Orange Glazed Pork Medallions
from Cooking Club
click to print

1 (1 lb.) pork tenderloin, cut crosswise into 12 (1/2-inch) slices
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 c orange juice
1 (2x1/2-inch) strip orange peel, cut into long thin strips
1 garlic clove, minced

Sprinkle pork with thyme, salt and pepper.


Combine maple syrup and mustard in small cup.


Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil; heat until hot.

I think I need a new skillet. That discoloration in the middle (under the oil) isn't old food that won't wash off.

Cook pork 2 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Remove pork.

Gordon Ramsay said of scallops, put the first one in at 12:00, the next at 1:00, and keep going 'round. Then you'll know which one is which so they are all cooked evenly. Of course, you will want the clock hours relative to the handle.

Add orange juice, orange peel and garlic to skillet; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on bottom of skillet. Boil 2 to 3 minutes or until reduced by half.


Stir in maple mixture; bring to a boil.


Return pork and any accumulated juices to skillet. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until the pork is slightly pink in center and glazed with sauce.



While not exactly what I'd go for normally, this didn't turn out too bad! I liked the glaze and think squeezing the juice from oranges was the way to go. A few years ago I would've bought a bottle of Tropicana and skipped the zest altogether, which is funny if you think about it. I'd rarely drink the remaining juice in a container if I selected it for a recipe but mentally stuck on per-unit pricing I was convinced it was more cost effective even if it went down the drain. Fresh oranges are cheap! Plus the remnants, after I chow out any juicy wedge remnants, make my garbage disposal smell nice.

The tenderloin slices were fairly thin, even with the tenderloin I used which I'm guessing was a little more than a pound, so be certain to use high heat to brown them and get 'em off the skillet quick. Overcooking them will be done easily. I can attest to that since a few of my thinner medallions were leaning toward dry and tough. The thicker medallions turned out nicely. Aim for even thickness even if that yields just eight rather than twelve pieces. There'll be more cooking wiggle-room with less chance of erroneous overdone-ness. No point in getting twelve pieces of leather unless you like tough things to chaw on.

Cost:

• pork tenderloin: $3.96
• fresh thyme: $1
• maple syrup: $0.50
• Dijon mustard: $0.45
• extra-virgin olive oil: $0.06
• oranges: $1.35
• garlic clove: $0.08

Total: $7.40 or about $1.85 for each of four servings.

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