Lemon & Herb Rubber Canadian Pork Tenderloin - Gingered Noodle Salad with Mango and Cucumber

Lemon & Herb Rubbed Canadian Pork Tenderloin

1 Canadian pork tenderloin, well trimmed, approx. 12 oz / 0.375 kg

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp / 15 mL lemon zest
4 sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 Tbsp / 25 mL canola oil

0.5 tsp / 2 mL sea salt

0.5 tsp / 2 mL chili pepper flakes


Gingered Noodle Salad with Mango and Cucumber
(dressing and salad separated as per Lou's preference...)


Vinaigrette:
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil (Chef Jebediah used canola oil)

1.5 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced jalapeño or serrano chile (including seeds), or to taste

1 garlic clove, chopped

Salad:

0.5 pound bean thread (cellophane) noodles

1 seedless cucumber (usually plastic wrapped), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced diagonally 

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced diagonally (1 cup)

1 firm but ripe mango, peeled. pitted. and thinly sliced

2 thin carrots, very thinly sliced diagonally

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs (CJ went a little light here, too)

***

Well, CJ had the good fortune to visit Calgary during the Stampede a few weekends ago. Between the rain and watching the Working Cow Horse Classic, CJ visited the agri-dome(?) where they showed city-folk where milk comes from, what's canola, eggs, chickens, etc... and pork, of course. CANADIAN pork, to be more precise, and they all had various recipes to (honestly, the recipe read "CANADIAN" pork tenderloin...)

So CJ picked up the postcard-sized recipe (along with my I (heart) Alberta Beef) tattoos, and decided it was time for another pork tenderloin dish.

The writeup on the card mentioned that it would be well suited with "...rice or pasta and your favourite fresh vegetables or a salad with citrus fruits and pine nuts". Wham! So a salad was found (maybe not the well-suited) to accompany the pork.

The rub was incredibly easy, and left overnight. Pork was popped into the oven, for about 10 minutes longer than suggested, and it was still moist and tasty! Good seasoning, not too overbearing. CJ was a little tight with the lemon zest, so a second or third lemon is recommended.

The Gingered Noodle Salad with Mango and Cucumber was up next. CJ has always had a soft spot for soba noodles, so this salad seemed like a good fit.

The vinaigrette wasn't processed in a blender, unless you consider CJ's powerful wrists and biceps as heavy machinery. A nice flavour, with little to no aftertaste. Refreshing, if you will.

As for the salad, not a lot of cilantro was used, probably less than 0.25 cup. Use more, next time, CJ will. And it was a little disappointing that the noodles didn't toss well enough with the fruit and vegetables. Why didn't it mix well enough? Were the noodles a little too well cooked? Still too wet?

Regardless, my little sous chefs are probably foaming at the mouth in anticipation of a photo of the latest culinary wonder ...

 Well, there you have it!

The Grade: Pork Tenderloin: 8.1 out of 10.0. Salad: 7.0 out of 10.0.