This recipe is elegant and yet so easy to pull together for entertaining. The pictures above were taken the first time I made my Apricot and Soy Glazed Pork Tenderloin, and boy, it was delicious. I thought I’d test the recipe out on a few friends and get their opinion. It was a winning dish. I did, however, make one change, and that was to use the pan drippings to make this wonderful sauce to drizzle over the top.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: minimum of 2 hours
Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Yields: 6 servings
Equipment: 1 (6-quart) Dutch oven, 1 gallon-size zip-lock baggie, 1 (12-inch) sauté pan, chef’s knife, cutting board, whisk, 1 large mixing bowl, 1 medium-size mixing bowl

Ingredients for the Apricot and Soy Marinade:
2 pork tenderloins
1 (3-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and small dice
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup soy sauce, low-sodium
1/2 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

Ingredients for the Cannellini Beans:
3 (15.5-ounce) cans of Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter, unsalted
2 leeks, cleaned, thinly sliced into half-moons
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 cup chicken broth, unsalted

Ingredients for the Gravy.
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of chicken broth, unsalted
1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch

Ingredients and Instructions for the Sautéed Spinach With Garlic:
Refer to the link below;  for this dish, double the recipe.

Instructions:
Place the 2 pork tenderloins, minced garlic, and chopped ginger in the zip-lock bag. In a bowl, add apricot jam, low-sodium soy sauce, olive oil, and red pepper flakes, and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into the baggie. Let as much air out of the bag as possible, then zip it closed. Massage the marinade all over the pork. Place the pork in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours; longer is even better.

Instructions for the Cannellini Beans:
Now to get started on the cannellini beans. I love cannellini beans for this dish because they have a creamy feel and they absorb flavors well.

When you’re dealing with leeks, use the white and light green parts. Cut the top (the dark green leaves) and bottom (the root), as you see in the top pictures. Leeks have many layers; rinse them well and remove any sand or dirt that’s trapped between the layers. Once that’s done, cut them in half lengthwise and slice them into thin half-moons.

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, the sliced leeks, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté the leeks for 2-3 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Next, add the minced garlic and stir, cooking for 1 minute more. Add unsalted chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, then add in the Cannellini beans. Stir to combine and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, and place the lid on to keep warm.

At this point, start the spinach for this dish. For my recipe, Sautéed Spinach With Garlic, click the link below.

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Preheat a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Using tongs, remove the marinated pork tenderloins from the baggie (scrape off any ginger or garlic stuck to the pork, leaving as much marinade in the baggie), and place them in the hot pan. Sear the pork for 3 minutes on each side. Place the pan in the oven and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

Next, transfer the pork tenderloins to a large plate and cover tightly with foil. Place the pan over medium-high heat and add unsalted chicken broth. With a wooden spoon, scrape all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble for 1-2 minutes.

Instructions for the Gravy:
Add 1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons chicken broth in a bowl, and whisk until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and whisk until the sauce comes to a boil and begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat; the sauce is done.

To plate this dish, I lay out the cannellini beans on the bottom of a large serving platter. Then, around one side, I spoon on the Sautéed Spinach With Garlic. I carve the pork into 1 1/2-inch thick slices and arrange them on top of the beans. Finally, I drizzle that amazing sauce all over the top.

There you have it, my Apricot and Soy Glazed Pork Tenderloin.

Notes:
1) The Kcal count is only for the Apricot and Soy Glazed Pork Tenderloin.

2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value matter to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and values can vary, depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2015/10/26/sauteed-spinach-with-garlic/