On a recent trip to Fresh Market, I picked up two one-pound pork tenderloins on sale and popped them in our freezer. We have a small kitchen and no basement; the only freezer we have is (which is bigger than a breadbox, but just barely), is the one that came with our refrigerator. Consequently, there’s not a lot of room for, say, a side of beef, or even a turkey. (Well, I could probably squeeze in a turkey, but the ice cream and sorbet from Bev’s would have to go. Trust me, I have my priorities.) On occasion, however, if I see something I know is a bargain but can’t use it right away, I manage to find the room.

As you know, I am also an inveterate recipe clipper. That confession can be found in an earlier blog post. I promised to try the recipes I’ve amassed over the years, at random, and let you know how they turned out. Here, then, is the latest of my adventures—apricot pork tenderloin. I’m pleased to tell you that it is quite “scissor-worthy” indeed.

What I found appealing about it on a first read was its modest list of ingredients, the fact that it featured pork tenderloin, which John and I both love, and the lure of the dried fruit, which promised a marriage of sweet and savory that didn’t disappoint. And let’s all admit it: Sometimes when we want to cook, we don’t want to engage in an epic production. Sometimes we just want to throw something together quickly and have it be delicious. This one is. And we got three dinners out of it. This was a bargain that paid dividends. I served this with rice pilaf and roast asparagus. Enjoy!

Apricot Pork Tenderloin
—Serves Four

1 pound pork tenderloin*
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, cracked pepper
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar OR lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup EACH: water, chopped dried apricots, chopped prunes

*Remember, I doubled this recipe. To make eight servings with 2 pounds of pork, double everything else, too.

Pat tenderloin dry; rub with salt and pepper. Combine preserves, vinegar, garlic, and mustard in a small bowl. Brush some of the mixture over tenderloin; reserve extra mixture.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Brown tenderloin on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add water, chopped fruit, and any remaining apricot mixture to skillet. Cover; reduce heat to medium. Cook until thickest part of meat is pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove cover; raise heat slightly. Cook until pan juices reduce slightly, about 5 minutes. Thinly slice pork; top with fruit mixture.

Provenance: Judy Hevrdejs (Chicago Tribune), published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. A link to the original recipe, as it appeared in the Chicago Tribune, can be found here.