This recipe is quick and easy, perfect for a weekday meal or casual get-together with friends. Serve with corn chive pudding, fennel slaw and/or mediterranean carrot salad. (Adapted from Bon Appetit, Y'All: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking by Virginia Willis)
Serves 4-6
2 lb. trimmed pork tenderloin
1 Tbls. canola oil
1 stick butter
1 Vidalia onion, finely chopped
2 c. ketchup
1 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c. Dijon mustard
2 Tbls. firmly packed brown sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Season pork with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat canola oil until hot and add pork. Sear until well-browned on all sides about 5-7 minutes. Remove from skillet and place on baking sheet.
Clean skillet. Add butter and melt. Add chopped onion and cook over medium heat until soft about 5 minutes. Add ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, lemon juice and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Pour 1 c. of this barbecue sauce over tenderloin on baking sheet and roll to fully coat. Fold foil over top of meat and pinch sides to seal well. Bake until very tender about 45-50 minutes.
Remove from oven and place pork in a large bowl. Let cool slightly. Discard cooking juices. Shred pork into strips using a fork and add 1 c. more barbecue sauce. Mix, taste, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, if needed.
Serve on hamburger buns with extra sauce on the side.
Note: Extra barbecue sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
