When debating what to make for dinner the other night, it occurred to me that we haven't had pork in a while. I will typically make a Southwestern Pork Tenderloin - marinating the tenderloin in a little olive oil and southwestern seasoning and then roasting it with sliced potatoes, onions, and peppers. This time around, I wanted to try something different, but I had no idea what ... until my eyes settled on a jar of Peach Salsa at the grocery store!
INGREDIENTS:
1 Pkg pork tenderloin (usually includes 2 strips)
1-2 jars peach salsa
1 large onion
3-4 fresh peaches
Dried and/or fresh cilantro
I decided to marinate the tenderloin in the salsa for a couple of hours, so I first rubbed it with dried cilantro, then dropped it in a zip-top bag and poured in about 1/3 of the jar of salsa.
Once that was tucked away in the fridge, I turned my attention to the peaches. I peeled them just like I would tomatoes - sliced an "x" in the tips, dropped them in boiling water for a minute or two, then plunged them into cold water. The skins peeled right off. I cut them into chunks, then sliced the onion into wedges and dropped both into a separate smaller zip-top bag with more of the salsa.
As dinner time rolled around, I pulled the tenderloin out of the fridge so it wouldn't be going directly from cold to hot.
When ready to cook, settle the tenderloin into a baking dish, sprinkle with additional cilantro, and arrange the peaches and onion wedges around it.
Bake at 400 for about 45" until cooked through.
To serve, slice into medallions and top with a scoop of onions and peaches. If you have fresh cilantro on hand, that would be a nice topper. You can also warm the remaining salsa to serve with it. That was my one "complaint." The tenderloin turned out just as juicy and flavorful as I expected (loved the fresh peaches with it), but most of the heat cooked out of the salsa. If you like a little kick, you will definitely want to reserve some of the salsa to warm and spoon over as a sauce.
