Kicky Cranberry Salsa & Creamed Corn Cornbread Pork Tenderloin

Cranberries are inherently tart and a touch sour. As humans, we are born and bred to be slightly cautious around flavors lacking sweetness. 

 

Thus, cranberries are typically slathered with saccharine in order to suit the typical “American” palate. BUT with the addition of kicky ginger and spicy jalapeño, this cranberry salsa recipe delivers so much more than what would be expected. – Yes, another way to use THIS amazing gem.

It’s also served alongside the most PERFECTLY roasted Pork Tenderloin. Easy, peasy, and something entirely “pleasey.”

 

Next, with crispy edges, the cornbread is soft on the inside, savory with a touch of sweet, and so moist, you don’t need butter to scoff it down – in fact, you’ll top it with the Kicky Cranberry Salsa and serve alongside the perfect oven-roasted Pork Tenderloin and wonder where this recipe has been all your life!

*Canned creamed corn is the key ingredient here. Ordinary canned corn kernels won’t work.

**Cornmeal – ground from dried maize, these yellow grains add flavor and a hint of the signature tiny “crunch” to cornbread. 

 

Kicky Cranberry Salsa & Creamed Corn Cornbread Pork Tenderloin

Kicky Cranberry Salsa:
1 (12-oz.) package of fresh cranberries, fresh or frozen and thawed
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
3 chopped green onions 
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped  
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (about 1 small lemon) 
½ teaspoon sea salt 
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

 

Pulse cranberries and sugar in a food processor 3 to 4 times or until coarsely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides. 

 

Add chopped green onions, chopped jalapeño pepper, grated fresh ginger, lemon juice, and salt. 

 

Pulse 3 to 4 times or until chopped. 

 

Stir in chopped fresh cilantro. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours to allow flavors to develop and juices to flow.

 

Creamed Corn Cornbread:
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, medium grind
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
pinch sea salt

1 cup canned creamed corn (“Creamed-Style”)
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly whisked
3/4 cup whole milk

1 cup Honey Goat Gouda cheese, finely chopped

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.

Combine the bowls and mix together until fully incorporated together.

 

Grease a cast iron skillet with butter (alternatively, use a round cake pan).

 

Add the batter to the prepared pan.

 

Sprinkle, evenly, with the chopped cheese.

 

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

 

Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving with Pork Tenderloin and Kicky Cranberry Salsa.

 

Pork Tenderloin:
1 lb. pork tenderloin
generous amount of sea salt and pepper
1 Tbs. olive oil

 

Bring the tenderloin to room temperature and rub the salt, pepper, and oil all over the tenderloin. Position a rack near the bottom of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. 

 

In an uncovered baking dish, bake for exactly 5 minutes. 

 

Of all the recipes I referenced, this timing was very important. 500 degrees. 5 minutes per pound. No more, no less. 

 

AND the next most important step comes here: After 5 minutes, turn off the oven and leave the oven door shut. In fact, do not open the oven door from the moment you put in the pork. 

 

Leaving the oven off, keep the tenderloin inside the closed doors for 60 minutes. Don’t be tempted to peek, you must keep the heat and moisture inside that oven! 

After 60 minutes, remove the tenderloin from the oven and cover with foil to “rest” for 5-10 minutes. Thinly slice.

 

Down-home gourmet. You never knew life as a foodie could be so easy and so very amazingly flavorful.