Honey Marinated Pork with Gremolata

I'm always looking for ways to jazz up chicken breasts and pork tenderloin. My arsenal has at least a dozen stand-by marinades, spice rubs, and pan sauces yet from time to time I get bored with them. This marinate/gremolata combo that I found in the February Bon Appetit magazine is simple and unlike anything I've had before. The balance of fresh earthy herbs and bright citrus over the perfectly caramelized pork is wonderfully refreshing any time of year.

Ingredients: Two 12-14 ounce pork tenderloins, trimmed 1/3 cup honey 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon of orange juice, freshly squeezed 1 teaspoon (or more) of kosher salt 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1/4 cup of dry white wine 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

Whisk the honey, garlic, and orange juice together in a measuring cup or a small bowl. Place the pork in a baking dish and pour the marinade over, turning to coat them evenly. Then sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to overnight.

Meanwhile- to prepare the gremolata mixture for sprinkling over the cooked pork, mix the orange zest and chopped herbs together in a small bowl. You can cover this and place in the fridge for later.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Move the pork over to a plate and SAVE THE MARINADE. Heat oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat for one minute. Then sear the pork, rotating to brown each side for about one minute. I didn't have a skillet large enough to do both, so I did them one at a time.

Transfer them back to a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a thermometer reads 150 degrees. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

(I'll definitely try this on the grill when the weather improves a bit.)

Meanwhile, I prepared a sauce in the same skillet that I used to cook the pork... pour the reserved marinade and the white wine into the pan and cook over medium high heat until reduced to half a cup. This takes anywhere from 3-5 minutes.

Serve the sliced pork with a drizzle of the pan sauce and a sprinkling of the gremolata. You could serve the pork with roasted potatoes, couscous or your favorite veggie. I made a fennel risotto that worked well with the citrus flavor and some garlicky green beans. Check back soon for a detailed risotto "how to."