June 4, 2013

Tired of Boring Pork Dishes? Try Ginger Orange Pork Tenderloin with Ramps

Click for Recipe for Ginger Orange Pork Tenderloin with Ramps
Ginger Orange Pork Tenderloin with Ramps



Today was free museum Tuesday at the Huntington Museum of Art. Since my husband and I are trying to expose my youngest son to a wide variety of cultural experiences we thought this would be a great day to take him. Plus it was free which is always a bonus since I am basically pretty cheap. Given the fact that he is 4 he did very well. Most of the paintings and sculptures lost his interest quickly, but he did enjoy the Eastern weapon room and the antique firearms. The piece of art that grabbed his attention the most was outside. It had metallic arms that moved around, basically a modern art version of a whirligig. He was fascinated. There was also a lizard running around the outside walls of the museum that he was determined he should take home (don't worry that was a no go). One of my favorite parts about the museum is that they have a large section of land with nature walks. Since I have a lively 4-year-old it was a great way to wind him down. Given that today was a busy day, I utilized leftovers from a meal I made earlier in the week. It is hard to have fresh meals every night, so I make a point of eating leftovers at least once a week. This way no food is wasted and I save money from my food budget. Tonight my family enjoyed leftovers of the Ginger Orange Pork Tenderloin recipe from the April 2013 issue of All You magazine.

This recipe has 8 ingredients. It takes 45 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 4 servings. I did make a few changes to the original recipe. First, I found clearance blood orange juice, so I utilized it for the recipe. Second, my shallots had gone bad, so I used the ramps that I had in the freezer. I used one whole ramp (leaves and stem), minced. Instead of vegetable oil I used canola oil, I prefer olive oil and canola in my baked goods and recipes. I am happy to say that my herb garden is doing great, so I was able to use fresh thyme.

The ramps added a nice flavor to the sauce in this dish. The pork was pretty plain, so I would suggest a few changes. I would either rub the pork with a spice rub (cayenne would work well if you like a bit of a kick, or a combination of cumin, coriander or cinnamon). Another option would be to marinade the pork in a citrus marinade. Not only would this make the taste delicious it would help to keep the pork moist while cooking. Most importantly I would double the sauce amount since it was the best part of the recipe,  you will want plenty of it to enjoy!

For the recipe go to Ginger Orange Pork Tenderloin.

26 comments:

  1. LOL! What is it about little boys chasing lizards. We don't have them up here in MA, but when we go to Florida every year, my boys spend way more time than they should trying to catch them.

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    1. There does seem to be a connection between boys and lizards :) The little ones we get here are pretty cute, they aren't scary at all which is part of the problem, they look like they would be good pets!

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  2. OK, so I never heard of ramps before. Do I live in a cave? I had to Google it! These look pretty awesome.

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    1. I only know about them since I live in WV and they grow here :) I had never heard of them when I lived back west.

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  3. The nature walk at the museum is a good idea! The recipe sounds good, I think a citrus marinade sounds like a great addition to make it even better. Thanks for sharing the insight.

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    1. The nature walks really are a great way to unwind a hyper child :)

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  4. Ann,
    This looks really tasty - and I just got some ramps from a friend - perfect timing!! I'm stopping by from Wonderful Food Wednesday - hope you have a great day!
    Ang
    www.jugglingactmama.com

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    1. What a nice friend to give you ramps, they are great in so many recipes! I use them as a substitute for shallots and leeks all year (I freeze the ramps when they are in season).

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  5. This sounds so good! I never think of cooking with pork - maybe because I associate it with all those boring basics, haha. Will have to give this one a try!

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    1. Pork can be pretty boring if you don't have the right recipe or flavors. I think that is what turns a lot of people off about it!

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  6. Thank you for sharing your experience and recipe. I'll try the recipe at home and I hope kids would love it!

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    1. My kids love pork! If you try the recipe tell me how it turns out :)

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  7. I have never heard of ramps. I will have to look them up too! The food looks very good, as does everything you make! Enjoyed your post.

    Visiting from DYWW

    http://agutandabutt.blogspot.com/

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    1. They are basically a wild leek. They taste like a leek, but with more of a garlicky taste. I love them and use them in sauces, roasts, you name it!

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  8. I have never had a ramp but your post looks awesome - I would love this meal after work!

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    1. The leftovers re-heated well too, so it made a nice second dinner!

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  9. Sounds delicious. I've not had ramps -- can you describe the taste? (not like chicken, I'm guessing! ;) )

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    1. They are a wild leek, so they taste like a garlicky leek. I use them as a substitute for shallots, green onions, and leeks. They are a great way to add flavor to dishes.

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  10. Hey, getting in some culture for free is always a bonus. Also, it doesn't matter the age, as I still get excited when seeing lizards scurrying around!

    This looks good, even though I also have not had ramps yet.

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    1. My husband was fascinated by the lizard as much as my son :) Ramps are becoming more and more popular in big cities so you might try some soon!

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  11. My mother loves ginger, so she would be all over this! I on the other hand am allergic to oranges (well citric acid really), so it wouldn't really work for me. :-( It sounds really good though!

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    1. I understand food allergies, I have my fair share too :) I am always having to modify recipes so that they work without gluten etc.

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  12. Replies
    1. Thanks :) The nice part is that it is very easy too!

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  13. My husband said that he cannot wait for me to make this!

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    1. If you make it, tell me how it turns out (good or bad :)!

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