Pig. Make that pork. Many people don’t expect it to be juicy or moist no matter how it’s cooked. Char siew? Dry. Sio bak? Ditto. I was a member of that camp (previously a member of the anti-pig camp too), until Damo cooked his Truly Juicy Pork Tenderloin dish from April’s GQ magazine page 70 on Sunday.
I had taken two photos of the spread — which included a slab of pork which we shared, homemade apple sauce, chargrilled veggies and perfect rosemary and garlic roast potatoes (as Adam says, an Irish man knows his potatoes) — but unfortunately for some reason it didn’t store on my phone. So, very sorry, you won’t have the chance to drool.
But, take it from me, it was fabulous. Damo is, and I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again, a fantastic cook. The pork was juicier and more tender than a typical roast chicken, did not reek of the usual pig smell that puts me off, and was extremely light on the palate. The secret is in the marinade, which you simply mix up then stuff with the pork in a ziploc bag and place in the fridge overnight or for a couple of hours.
Try it for yourself: Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar, 1 cup pitted prunes, 1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives, 1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 head of garlic (peeled and finely chopped), a small handful of fresh oregano and thyme (chopped), and salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste) with 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each). Mix everything well, dump in the ziploc.
The steps that follow include browning and basting and baking, but go get April’s GQ if you’re really interested to find out more!
On a side note, why can’t women’s magazines be as interesting as GQ?