Oriental Pork with Hot Mustard Sauce

This pork tenderloin is the Chinese-takeout-counter staple done at home. The marinade blends soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, molasses, and crushed garlic into a sweet-savory glaze that penetrates the lean meat over a 4 to 6 hour soak. The molasses is the signature touch (it gives the cooked pork a deep mahogany color and a subtle bittersweet edge that’s hard to identify but easy to miss when it’s gone).

The homemade hot mustard sauce is what elevates this from weeknight dinner to dinner-party impressive. Ground mustard whisked with milk and vinegar creates that sinus-clearing sharpness you get with restaurant-quality Chinese mustard, with a pinch of turmeric for color.

Slice thin, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and serve with rice and stir-fried vegetables for a complete meal.

Pro Tips

• Discard the marinade after removing the pork. Marinade that’s been in contact with raw meat is unsafe to brush on cooked pork without re-boiling first.
• Pull the pork from the oven at 145°F (63°C) for juicy, slightly pink meat; 160 to 170°F (71-77°C) gives well-done. Modern food safety allows pork to be served at 145°F (63°C) plus a 3-minute rest.
• Let the pork rest 5 minutes before slicing (the recipe specifies it). Cutting too soon lets all the juices run out onto the cutting board.
• Slice across the grain for tender bites. Cutting with the grain gives you chewy, stringy slices.
• Make the mustard sauce ahead. The flavors mellow and meld in the fridge for at least an hour; freshly mixed sauce tastes too sharp.

Variations

• Add 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger and a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil to the marinade for more aromatic depth.
• Replace molasses with hoisin sauce for a more pronounced Chinese-style flavor.
• Serve sliced pork over a bed of mixed greens with the mustard sauce as a dressing for a quick Asian-style salad.