Whenever I ask friends and family to come over, I admit, I can get a little extra. I do it for myself, too, but it’s different. I think it’s the same reason my umma would cut radishes into little creatures and create flowers out of some piece of fruit, just to make the rest of the meal a little more special. The apple didn't fall far from her momma.

Platters and serving ware is the first thing I look at when I’m wanting to make something a little fancy. My go-to’s are wood based, because they are neutral to make the food pop and frankly not that common. Pro tip: make sure that it has a coating of some sort, so the food you put in it doesn’t stain. Before doing this post, I started looking online for long-wood platters, because I knew a tenderloin would look wonderful on serving ware that mimicked its shape. I found some inspiration, and off to Goodwill on Capitol Hill I went. I kid you not. The same exact platter I found on the Crate and Barrel website was staring me right in the face. Well, I had to dig a little to find it, but oh boy, did I. I audibly started giggling when I turned it over to find the sale sticker from the original retailer on the back. Brand new, for a fraction of the price, for a great cause. Yes, please and thank you.

This dish is pretty simple to make. The most amount of time is spent on marinating flavor into the pork. The rest is just a few steps before platting all of the fun components right before everyone’s ready to sit down for the meal. It’s also versatile, in the sense that you should go as spicy as you’d like. The sweetness from the marinade and apples will balance any amount you put on there. I mean ... whatever amount you like and are used to. No need to lose taste buds from spiciness dumped on as a challenge accepted. Better make sure to have some rice on the side, just in case.

If you are going to a holiday dinner party or are hosting guests, this makes for a great winter meal.

When you shop for cookware at Goodwill, you are helping provide job training and education services for those in need.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Endive and Apple Salad

Ingredients

-1.5 lbs. pork tenderloin

-3 endives

-1 medium Fuji apple

-2 small red chili sesame seeds for garnish

 

Marinade

-3 TBSP soy sauce

-1 TBSP sesame oil

-1 TBSP brown sugar

-1 tsp black Pepper

-1 tsp garlic granules

-1 tsp onion granules

 

Salad Dressing

-1 TBSP sesame oil

-1 tsp rice wine vinegar

-1 tsp gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes

-½ tsp salt

 

Directions

1. Put the tenderloin in a Ziploc bag, and add all ingredients for the marinade. Leave in the fridge for least 2 hours, up to 6 hours.

 

2. After marinating, remove any excess liquid with a paper towel. Preheat the oven to 425F. Get a skillet to medium high heat, and sear all sides of the tenderloin, about 4 minutes each side. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 12 minutes for a medium doneness. Remove from skillet, and rest for 5 minutes.

 

3. Quarter the endives. Thinly slice the chilies into round pieces. Cut large pieces around the core of the Fuji apple. Thinly slice while keeping the form of the piece intact, to be fanned in the salad. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together, and drizzle over the endive and chili pieces. Place fanned apple pieces on top.

 

4. Slice the tenderloin into ½ inch rounds. Serve immediately with the salad.