Juicy pork tenderloin coated in a glossy sweet-and-sour plum sauce, served with fragrant sesame rice and crisp cucumber. The glaze goes on the meat only when it is almost cooked, so the plum and soy sauce don’t burn.
This dish is all about a simple balance of flavors: ripe plum brings fruity sweetness, soy sauce adds savoriness, and rice vinegar keeps the glaze fresh. Ginger adds a little heat without overpowering the plum. Use ripe but firm plums; very soft fruit breaks down quickly as it simmers, which is fine here but can make the sauce a little thinner. If fresh fruit is hard to find out of season, unsweetened plum purée also works. Simmer it briefly and taste before adding extra honey.
Pork tenderloin is lean and cooks quickly. Searing it briefly on all sides adds color and flavor, while finishing it in the oven helps keep the inside juicy. A meat thermometer is more useful here than relying on the clock alone: take the meat out of the oven at 63 °C and let it rest for at least three minutes. Its temperature will rise a little more as it rests. Brush the glaze onto the meat only towards the end. Sugars in fruit and any honey can brown quickly and may darken or burn if left in the oven too long.
Jasmine rice works well thanks to its delicate fragrance and separate grains, but regular long-grain rice will also do. Use the water ratio stated on the package, since different types of rice vary. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they smell lightly golden; this takes just a few minutes. Then stir them into the cooked rice so their nutty flavor isn’t lost in the cooking water. If you want extra sesame flavor, you can add a small splash of sesame oil, but it isn’t necessary for the recipe.
The thin cucumber slices offer a cool, fresh contrast to the warm rice and sweet-and-sour sauce. Slice them just before serving, or toss them with a little rice vinegar if you’d like them a bit tangier. Serve the meat sliced, with the remaining glaze on the side so everyone can add as much as they like. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly; keep the cucumber separate so it stays crisp. Slice the meat only after it has rested, so more of the juices stay in the meat.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Pat the pork tenderloins dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
Put the plums, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, honey and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, until the plums are soft. Mash them with a spoon and stir until you have a thick, spoonable glaze.
Rinse the rice if desired and cook it with water according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan regularly, until lightly golden. Remove them from the pan immediately.
Heat the neutral oil in an ovenproof skillet. Sear the pork tenderloins on all sides for 3–4 minutes. Put the skillet in the oven and cook the meat for about 10–15 minutes, depending on its thickness.
Brush the pork tenderloins with a thin layer of plum glaze during the last 3–4 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 63 °C. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 3 minutes.
Stir the toasted sesame seeds into the cooked rice. Slice the meat and serve with the remaining glaze, sesame rice and thin cucumber slices.
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