Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin Breakfast Sandwiches
Today is the second anniversary of Confabulation in the Kitchen. Although posting has been sporadic during the past two years - I have in fact kept this place clean and somewhat clear of cobwebs. I find that amazing, and I'm so happy to have you guys as 'Net friends. Food bloggers are some of the nicest people anywhere, and I've been welcomed into the food-blogging community with open arms. And with that I offer you this: Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin Breakfast Sandwiches. As in let's keep it Southern, y'all, like it always has been around here. You see pork tenderloin for dinner, and I see Sunday brunch - with biscuits, fried eggs and some of the most out-of-this-world mustard ever. Oh! And a side of grits, of course.
If you ask me, and we'll pretend you did, pork is hard to cook. In chop form it dries out very easily. In stir-fry form it's easily made chewy. And although smoked pork makes fabulous barbecue, it's also easy to make it hard. So, really, pork and I aren't the best of friends - that is unless you're making it for me, and putting it on a biscuit for breakfast. Pork-tenderloin biscuits are easily my favorite kind - and I can tell you who in town makes the best! Now this pork didn't start out this way - I clearly countrified it, if you know what I mean. Southerners love to fry things, and I'm no exception (just ask my hips), but that doesn't mean it has to be deep-fried (although that's good, too). I pan-fried this pork tenderloin, but that was the second step to its becoming biscuit-worthy. The first step can indeed be dinner the night before, but I knew all along that it was destined for breakfast.
Roasted pork tenderloin is a breeze to make. This recipe involves an easy marinade, a bit of time in the fridge, and minimal time in the oven. Seriously - it couldn't be much simpler - and it's better than takeout, I promise. It's cheaper, too, and as this year will be a much more frugal one for many of us this is a great meal to make. Although pork tenderloin may seem expensive when you're buying it, it really goes far, and if you're a member of Costco - as am I - you'll find really great deals on it all the time. Buy and freeze, I always say, and the groan of my deep freezer in the basement can attest to that fact. I buy and freeze everything these days. (The longer I live in my grandmother's home the more I become like her. Is it the genes? Or is it the beams?)
We've become accustomed to sleeping in on the weekends, and when we hear The Boy stirring we bring him into the bed with us. We play awhile, slowly waking up together, reveling in his smile, and then we shuffle to the kitchen. We turn on the news shows and we crank up the oven. Mornings with my family have become some of the most precious of times for me, and there is nothing better than sharing a good, old-fashioned, Southern breakfast with them. This fits the bill nicely. I hope you'll start the year off with a homemade breakfast with your loved ones, too.
Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin
Adapted from Allrecipes
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Ingredients
5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins
Directions
1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients; add pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and discard marinade. Place the tenderloins in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 25-35 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with pan drippings.
Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin Breakfast Biscuits
By Confabulation in the Kitchen
1. Follow directions above for marinated tenderloin, or marinate and cook pork with recipe of your choice. You can also simply cut up raw pork tenderloin and follow the rest of these directions, but you'll have to adjust your cooking times.
2. In a clean bowl, crack two eggs and beat them well. In another clean bowl, add 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Season flour with spices of your choice. (I simply use about 2 teaspoons of Lawry's Season Salt. We're plain jane around here.)
3. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil. (I use vegetable oil so there is no taste, but you can easily use olive oil or another kind of your choice.)
4. Slice cooked pork into inch-thick pieces. Dip each slice in to the egg mixture, then into the flour mixture, coating well. Put in pan and cook until well-browned, about a minute or so, then flip and cook until other side is also well-browned.
5. Serve with biscuits, fried eggs and grits.
