Another family classic from my mother in law. Her original recipe calls for a big 4 pound pork loin roast, but I've adapted it for a pork tenderloin, which cooks a lot faster and is perfect for a weeknight. The sweet and tart cranberry glaze pairs perfectly with the savory pork, and it makes the whole house smell like the holidays.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound pork tenderloin
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Things to know
- Take the pork out of the fridge when you start preheating the oven, so it has a chance to come up toward room temperature.
- A meat thermometer is a must for this one. You'll be cooking to temperature, not time.
- The original recipe roasts at 450 and cooks the pork to 160-170 degrees. I've found that starting at 400 and pulling the pork at 145 gives a much juicier tenderloin. 145 followed by a rest is the USDA safe temperature for pork.
- The original recipe was written for a 4 pound pork loin roast, which takes about 2 hours. A 1.5 pound tenderloin cooks much faster, so keep an eye on the thermometer.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Take the pork out of the fridge
- Place the pork in a glass baking dish, salt and pepper both sides, and let it sit while the oven heats up
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: combine the cranberry sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium low heat
- Cook and stir about 10 minutes, until bubbling and slightly thickened
- When the oven reaches 400, roast the pork until the internal temperature is about 105 (roughly 15 minutes)
- Spoon about half of the sauce over the pork to baste it
- Lower the oven temperature to 325 and continue roasting, basting occasionally
- Pull the pork out when the internal temperature reaches 145
- Let it rest for at least 3 minutes before slicing - I prefer 10 minutes
- Spoon the remaining sauce over the meat and serve
Inspired by...
- My mother in law, Diane Brock