This meal includes two of my favorite condiments: hot chile-garlic paste and fish sauce. I think they should be a part of every pantry! The salty and pungent fish sauce may sound odd, but it brings the "funk" to all my favorite Asian-inspired dishes.
Like Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce is a beautiful way to add umami, a depth of flavor to any dish. The pork is put in a marinade for 30 minutes while we prep the Brussels sprouts. I made a vinaigrette for the Brussels that you will just die over - so freaking good! The whole dinner comes together in about an hour and is special enough for dinner guests.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon hot chile-garlic paste (sambal)
Kosher salt
1 lb pork tenderloins
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 lime
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 Serrano chile pepper, seeded and very thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon roughly chopped mint
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Marinade pork
In a gallon-sized zip-top bag, add 2 tablespoons oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, 2 garlic cloves, all the ginger, chile paste, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes on the counter.
Roast Brussels
On a rimmed baking sheet, toss Brussels sprouts with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast 15 minutes, then toss. Continue to roast until browned and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Make vinaigrette
While Brussels roast and pork marinades, let's make the vinaigrette for the Brussels. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1 garlic clove, fish sauce, lime, honey, and chile pepper. Set aside.
Cook pork
Heat a large oven-proof skillet with 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Remove pork from marinade (reserve marinade in the bag) and sear on 3 sides until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Turn tenderloins onto their fourth side and add broth to pan. Transfer skillet to oven and roast pork, occasionally basting, until internal temperature reaches 130-135 degrees, about 10-15 minutes. The internal temperature will rise another 10 degrees after you pull it out of the oven. Ultimately you want 140°F for medium-rare or 145°F for medium. Transfer pork to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Reserve skillet and pork drippings.
Create sauce
Place the reserved skillet over medium heat and add the leftover marinade. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. This sauce will reduce over the next 3 to 5 minutes and will ultimately coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter for a luscious glossy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To serve
Transfer roasted Brussels sprouts to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Taste and add more vinaigrette, if desired.
Slice pork and drizzle with pan sauce. Spoon Brussels sprouts onto the plate, sprinkle with mint and peanuts.