Make This: 5-Ingredient Balsamic-Cherry Pork Tenderloin

Balsamic-Cherry Pork Tenderloin | Photo by Becca Boyd

To be perfectly honest, this recipe for Balsamic-Cherry Pork Tenderloin produces a flavor profile I’m not as used to; I use allspice in granola and some cookies but not usually on meat. Plus, cherries? But trust me: Different can be a good thing.

I think so many people see recipe ideas that seem out of the ordinary and shy away from them. The thing is, cooking unique recipes is a great way to expand your palate. Just because it’s unfamiliar doesn’t mean it won’t taste delicious. Plus, the more ways you know how to prepare healthy food, the more likely you are to stay on track with your healthy-eating plans.

This is a wonderful weeknight meal because the ingredients are few — you only need five ingredients, excluding salt and pepper! — and the technique is simple. Cherry season is too short for my liking, but frozen fruit is just as good for you as fresh and, in this case, frozen fruit works just perfectly. If you want to swap half a small onion for the shallot, feel free; just slice it paper-thin so it loses its bite while it cooks. Happy cooking!

Recipe: Balsamic-Cherry Pork Tenderloin
Serves 2-4

1 1/2 c. fresh, pitted cherries or frozen tart cherries, thawed but not drained
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 shallot, sliced
1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Method
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Add balsamic and onions to bowl of cherries. Stir to combine.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the cherry mixture down the center of the sheet (the length of the tenderloin).
4. Arrange pork tenderloin on top of cherry mixture, and rub with salt, black pepper and allspice.
5. Roll the edge of the foil up so that only the tenderloin is visible (this will prevent the cherry juice from burning on the pan and smoking).
6. Place in preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes or until pork temperature registers 140 degrees.
7. Remove from oven and roll foil to cover the meat. Let rest five minutes.
8. Remove meat and place on cutting board, slice into 1-inch pieces. Serve with juice and cherries from foil pouch.

Per serving, accounting for 2 servings: 385 calories, 2.8 fat grams, 166 milligrams cholesterol, 712 milligrams sodium, 1169 milligrams potassium, 14.7 grams carbs, 2 grams dietary fiber, 11.3 grams sugar, 60.3 grams protein.

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Becca Boyd is a wife and mom who creates healthy and delicious recipes in her West Chester kitchen. She blogs about them on her website, Home Beccanomics.

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