Blackberry Glazed Pork Tenderloin
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we have a ton of Blackberry jam I am trying to use in different ways before blackberry season begins this year. We have pork tenderloin for dinner regularly, so I thought I’d try to make a sauce with the jam. If you’re going to buy jam for this recipe, try to find seedless. It will make the sauce more smooth.
Preheat the oven and heat a skillet that is oven-safe (I used our large cast iron skillet) on medium-high. Cover the pork tenderloin with 1/4 teaspoon salt and brown in the pan on all sides. Things may get a little smoky, but trust me, it’s worth it!
While the pork is browning put the blackberry jam, onion, soy sauce, molasses, salt and vinegar in a small saucepan.
Roast pork in the oven for 10 minutes.
While the pork is in the oven, heat the sauce over medium heat. Make sure to taste the sauce and adjust for salt, if needed. All jams are a little different and the more sugary the jam is, the more salt you may need.
Take the pork out of the over and add 1/3 cup of the sauce on top. It’ll sizzle in the pan and that’s ok. Put the pork back in the over for another 5 minutes. Let the rest of the sauce continue to bubble on the stove.
I just want to take a second to talk about meat thermometers. If you don’t already have one, I would highly recommend getting one! They are fairly inexpensive and can really help with cooking meat correctly and safely. There are times when I still can’t tell how done a piece of meat is just by feel. However, I don’t want to cut into it and risk it losing all of its juiciness. This is where the meat thermometer comes in. Lots of them also come with a guide that shows what temperature is appropriate for different meats.
Ok- back to the pork!
Take the pork out of the oven and check the temperature. When it’s at 145°, take it out of the skillet and put it on a cutting board to let it rest for a few minutes.
149- close enough!
Put the skillet back on the stove over medium heat and add the rest of the sauce, scraping up any porky bits that were stuck in the skillet (yum!). Let simmer in the skillet a few minutes until the sauce bubbles and begins to thicken. Since there is sugar in the jam, the sauce can burn quickly, so watch it carefully!
Take sauce off the heat and slice the pork. It’ll be slightly pink inside (that’s ok with pork), which means it’ll be nice and juicy. Pour the sauce over the slices and serve with extra sauce on the side.
I paired the pork with sautéed veggies, but it would also be great with the potato salad I shared a few weeks ago.
If you have leftover sauce, I bet it would be great on roast chicken or as a spread on a meaty sandwich. If you find other uses for it, let me know!
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- pork tenderloin (1-1.5 lbs.)
- 1 cup blackberry jam
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° and heat an oven-safe skillet on the stove on medium-high. Coat the pork with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Brown the tenderloin on all sides, in the skillet.
- While the pork is browning, put the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan.
- Roast the pork in the oven for 10 minutes. While the pork is cooking, heat the sauce over medium heat. Take the pork out of the oven and pour 1/3 cup of the sauce over it. Put back in the oven to continue cooking.
- After 5 minutes, take the pork out of the oven and check the temperature. Remove from the oven when it reaches 145°. Take the pork out of the skillet and let it rest on a cutting board for a few minutes.
- Place the skillet on the stove over medium heat and add the test of the sauce to the pan. Stir the sauce and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the skillet.
- Slice the pork and serve with sauce poured over the top, with extra sauce on the side.
- Any leftover sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.