Asian Domestication

For the past couple of weeks I have been cooking up a storm, steadily taking on the cooking goals I set for 2011.   Although I have made a lot of food as of late, nothing truly noteworthy has boiled, steamed, baked or roasted its way into my permanent recipe collection.  That is, until tonight.  You see, I have been accumulating Asian inspired recipes for at least the last three years but I have attempted almost none of them.  I have no excuse for this other than that I really love Asian food and sometimes it's easier to order it in rather than make it.   Who would want to risk creating a  disappointing dinner when you could have called in the experts?!
But I digress. . .
Whenever I want to cook something especially delicious, I call up my friend April and invite her over.  She has graciously eaten some yummy muffins, savory beef stew, and hearty breakfast bake along with a plethora of other. . . well. . . not so successful domestic attempts.  Not all of my friends would be willing to trudge through so many experiments with me, which is why she was the first person I thought to invite over to eat asian barbecued pork.   It smells amazing, tastes delicious, and is totally worth making again.  Here it is:

Asian Barbecued Pork        

1 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed 

1/8 tsp salt 

2 tbs hoisin sauce 

2 tbs ketchup 

2 tbs low-sodium soy sauce 

1 tsp chili garlic sauce 

2 garlic cloves crushed 

1 1/2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger 

Chopped fresh cilantro (optional) 

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

2.Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle pork with salt.  Add pork to pan; cook 2 minutes on all sides or until browned.  Remove pork from heat.  

3. Combine hoisin sauce and next 5 ingredients (hoisin through ginger) in a small bowl.  Spread hoisin mixture over tenderloin.  Insert meat thermometer into thickest portion of tenderloin.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until thermometer registers 160 degrees.   Place pork on platter; let stand 5 minutes.  Cut tenderloin into 1/4 inch-thick slices.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.  

Enveloped in conversation with a good friend, I cooked some rice and steamed some broccoli to accompany this fantastic piece of pork.   I highly encourage you to do the same.  Yum, yum!