Cranberry Char Siu Pork Tenderloin

I'm so excited to be using Cape Cod Select premium frozen cranberries for their Holiday Blogger Recipe Challenge! They were nice enough to send me two bags of the most gorgeous cranberries I've ever seen to work with. Farm fresh, recipe ready, no additives, preservatives or GMOs, what more could you ask for?

Char Siu Pork, or Chinese BBQ Pork, is a delicious dish that combines juicy savory pork covered in a sticky sweet glaze. It’s absolutely delicious. The only problem is, when trying to re-create this dish at home, I realized that the signature red color of the meat was due to an alarming amount of red food dye.

Not so appetizing, right?

Well, when I was brainstorming what to create with these gorgeous cranberries it hit me! Why not turn these gorgeous red berries into a naturally bright red, tangy and delicious Char Siu Pork! No red dye needed. I hope you love my version as much as my family did!

Cranberry Char Siu Pork Tenderloin

Brine:
1/4 cup kosher salt
3 cups warm water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup ice cubes
2 pork tenderloins, (about 14-16 oz. each) trimmed of all silver skin

Pork:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
1 ½ cups Cape Cod Select Premium frozen cranberries
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, grated
2 teaspoons chili garlic paste
3 tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

In a large zip top bag, dissolve the salt in the warm water. Add the remaining brine ingredients and the tenderloins. Brine for 15-20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove the pork from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the pork with half of the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 425°F.

While the pork is brining, make the sauce. Stir together the cranberries, hoisin, Chinese five spice, garlic, ginger, chili paste, honey, soy sauce and sesame oil in a medium sauce pot over low heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens.

Heat the remaining oil in a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When oil is very hot and rippling, add the tenderloins. Sear each side until browned, about 2 minutes per side.

Brush with cranberry sauce, and place the pan in the oven. After 15 minutes of cooking, brush with the glaze again. Roast for another 10-15 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temp of 145-150 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven. Tent lightly with a piece of foil and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining cranberry sauce.


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