Fig and Chile Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Now here’s a quick and flavorful main dish.  Word has it that the glaze also works well with chicken thighs (although we’ve never tried this).

(modified from original recipe from Cooking Light)

Serves 8

• ½ cup fig preserves* (see note below)
• ¼ cup rice vinegar (I’ve been able to find a “lite” rice vinegar that is lower in sugar and salt)
• 1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 2 (1 pound each) pork tenderloins, trimmed of excess fat
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh chives (optional garnish), chopped

Prepare grill to medium high heat.

Combine preserves, vinegar, chile paste, soy sauce and ¼ teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk.

Sprinkle pork with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper.  Place pork on grill rack; brown/sear for 2 minutes on each side.  Cook on indirect heat basting frequently with fig mixture for 25 minutes or until done (slightly pink).  Remove from grill to plate and cover with foil for 10 minutes to rest.  Slice on the diagonal and garnish with fresh chopped chives if desired.

Nutritional Info/Serving:   193 Calories, Fat 4 g, Protein 24 g, Carbs 14 g

*NOTE:  Truth be told, the last time I made this recipe I had some (packaged) whole figs but no fig preserves on hand so I chopped up 3 figs plus ¼ cup orange marmalade.  Using a mini food processor, I combined the chopped figs, marmalade, vinegar, chile paste, soy sauce and salt.  Nice last minute substitution and tasted great!  The mixture may taste spicy but is milder once basted/cooked on the pork.