Teriyaki-style pork tenderloin with asian noodles

Whether you high-heat-roast or grill pork tenderloin it’s a quick and easy entree. Use your favorite bottled teriyaki sauce and marinate 2 pork tenderloins for 30 minutes. I love the smoky taste and slightly charred flavor that comes from grilling, but roasting at 450°F. also gives good results. In either case, use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. The pork will be juicy and tender when the thermometer reads 145°F. For a family of 4 serve one and a half tenderloins and save the other half for an Asian-style noodle dish the following night.

Look in the Asian section of a well-stocked grocery for Japanese somen, a very fine white, wheat noodle, or Chinese egg noodles. Quick to cook, the noodles pair beautifully with slivers of pork, rounds of green onions, and a little fresh ginger root.

YIELD

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger root finely minced
1 package (16 ounces) Asian noodles
3/4 cup carrot shredded or matchstick-cut
2 green onions including green tops, cut into matchstick-size slivers
1/2/2012 teriyaki grilled pork tenderloin cut into matchstick-size slivers

INSTRUCTIONS:

Fill an 8- to 10-quart stockpot two-thirds full of water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and ginger root. Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar. Set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water and cook the noodles until cooked through but still slightly chewy, about 5 minutes.

Drain off about half of the pasta water, then add 1 quart of ice water to the pot, stir the noodles, then immediately drain the noodles thoroughly in a colander. Add the noodles to the soy dressing and toss well. Add the carrots, green onions and pork. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve immediately.