Pork Tenderloin Glaze with Peaches and Sweet Tea

I remember sitting in a ladder back chair out under the shade trees on a summer evening, just off the back porch at Grandma’s house in Monroe, North Carolina, the sun slowly sinking in the hazy sky as we all talked and laughed after dinner. Pretty soon, the frogs would starting singing, keeping harmony with the crickets. We would stay out until sometimes well after dark catching fireflies and playing.

• 1 1/2 pounds packaged pork tenderloin (should be two pieces), silver skin removed and fat trimmed
• 1 10-ounce jar peach preserves or fruit spread
• 3 tablespoons sweet tea vodka (we used Firefly)
• 1/8 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Season tenderloin with salt, garlic powder and paprika; cover and place in refrigerator until ready to cook.
3. In a small non-stick sauce pan, heat peach preserves over low heat until it reaches a liquid consistency.
4. Stir in sweet tea vodka. The mix will maintain a liquid consistency as long as it is warm. Leave in sauce pan and on burner set on low. Stir occasionally.
5. Place large cast iron skillet on burner over medium-high heat until almost smoking.
6. Add two tablespoons of oil and immediately place tenderloin into pan. Sear on all sides, approximately one minute per side. (You are looking for a nice caramelizing on each side.) Remove tenderloin from skillet and place on a bar pan or cookie sheet.
7. Lightly coat tenderloin with peach glaze.
8. Place in oven for 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135 to 140 degrees.
9. Remove from oven and glaze tenderloin again with peach mixture. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving. (NOTE: It is important that you let the tenderloin rest — this allows for “carry over cooking”. As the meat sits, it continues to cook internally. The internal temperature can rise another 5 to 10 degrees. Pork cooked to 140 to 145 degrees will result in a pale pink “Medium” center. By cooking it slightly below desired temperature and then allowing it to rest, the end result should be a product at the perfect temperature.) Slice tenderloin on a slight bias in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and drizzle with glaze.

Family ratings:

Rating scale

1 star - Feed it to the dog

2 stars - Surprise your neighbor

3 stars - Definite keeper

4 stars - Looking forward to leftovers

5 stars - Clean plate and nap time! Do we have enough ingredients left to make this again?!

The Chef - 5 Stars

The Lucky Wife - 5 Stars (based on a “single taste-test”… please see my blog, To Hit the “Sauce” or Not to Hit the “Sauce”? That Is the Question…, for further explanation and for alcohol substitutions if you’d like to try the recipe without the alcohol)

The Well-fed Son (4 years old) - N/A

The Well-fed Daughter (5 months old) - N/A

*Rate it yourself in the comments!

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