2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins, cut in 1/2 crosswise
1 teaspoon each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Rain’s Choice ground Vanilla Bean Powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Olive oil
1 1/2 cups apple cider (apple juice will work)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup (preferably dark amber)
Heat oven to 375 degrees F and place rack in the upper third of the oven.
Combine salt, pepper, vanilla bean powder and cinnamon in a small bowl and blend well.
Pat room-temperature pork tenderloins dry with paper towels. Rub meat well with dried ingredients. Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 pieces of pork tenderloin and cook until brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Set pork aside on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining pieces.
Place pork in oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle of the tenderloin registers 145 – 150 degrees F, about 15 – 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place pan over high heat, add cider and vinegar and stir, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until mixture is reduced by 2/3, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in maple syrup and remove from heat until pork is cooked.
When pork is ready, remove to a cutting board to rest about 5 minutes. Warm sauce over medium-high heat, add pork and any accumulated juices and spoon sauce over meat to completely coat. When pork is warm, return pork to cutting board and slice thinly. Serve with pan sauce spooned over.
Pork tenderloins typically come two to a package or as one large tenderloin. Either will work. Personally, whenever I can find Niman Ranch pork I purchase it as they are known for excellent quality pork that has been humanely raised from birth.
If the cider reduction gets too thick or reduces faster than you intended, simply add a little more juice or even water. I personally like lots of sauce. If you do as well, increase the sauce ingredients by a couple of tablespoons each.