Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on the prepared pan and spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup maple syrup, molasses, bourbon, cinnamon, ground cloves, cayenne, granulated garlic and maple extract in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, sugar, salt and black pepper, stirring until thoroughly combined. Transfer the cornstarch mixture to a rimmed baking pan.

Trim any excess fat and the silver skin from each pork tenderloin. Pat them dry with paper towels. Roll each tenderloin in the cornstarch mixture, coating them evenly on all sides. Thoroughly pat off the excess cornstarch mixture with paper towels.

In a 12″ non-stick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat just until the oil begins to smoke. Reduce the heat to medium, then place both tenderloins in the pan leaving at least 1″ between them. Cook the tenderloins until well browned on all sides, about 8-12 minutes.

Transfer the tenderloins from the skillet to the wire rack over the prepared baking sheet.

Pour any excess fat from the skillet and place the pan over medium heat. Pour the maple syrup mixture into the skillet, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, Cook the mixture until it’s reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 2-4 minutes.

Transfer 2 tablespoons of the maple glaze mixture to a small bowl and set aside.

Using the glaze remaining in the skillet, brush each tenderloin with about 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Place in the preheated oven and bake at 375 F for about 12-20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each tenderloin reads 130 F.

Remove the pan from the oven and brush each tenderloin with 1 tablespoon of the glaze, return to the oven and bake at 375 F until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloins reads 145 F, about 3-5 minutes longer.

Remove the pan from the oven and brush each tenderloin with the remaining glaze. Set aside and let the meat rest, uncovered, for 10-20 minutes.

While the tenderloins rest, stir the remaining 1/4 cup maple syrup and the whole grain mustard into the reserved 2 tablespoons of glaze. Brush each tenderloin with 1 tablespoon of the mustard glaze.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice.

Serve the tenderloin, passing any leftover glaze for topping, if desired.

Recipe makes 6-8 servings.

Recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated May 2009.