Spiced Rhubarb Chutney (& Pork Tenderloin)

The rhubarb chutney had to be listed first in the title because it absolutely takes center stage in this dish. If it gives you any idea how good it is, my husband started it eating it by the spoonful and then piled it onto some ice cream after dinner. Thank goodness for him he's a marathoner and can burn that off in about 10 minutes.

When my husband was a young tike, he used to visit his grandparents' farm in upstate New York. There are some darn cute pictures of him riding on a mini tractor, which my boys now get to ride on when they visit their grandparents. One of my husband's strongest mealtime memories from the farm was digging into the bowl of stewed rhubarb that was on the table at every meal. I knew this chutney would be a hit with him! And if it wasn't, I'd get it all to myself. Not a bad trade-off.

The Chutney

Here are the first stars...

So I made a little mistake...there is no coriander in this recipe. It should be cumin instead.

In a large pot, combine ¾ cup sugar, ⅓ cup cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon ground cloves.

Over low heat, bring the mixture to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Chop about 1 ½ pounds rhubarb into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups).

Add the rhubarb, ½ cup chopped red onion, and ⅓ cup golden raisins to the sugar mixture.

Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook until the rhubarb is soft, about 8-10 minutes. Cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

The Pork

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season one (1 ½ lb) pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. In a large, oven-proof skillet set over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.

Put the skillet into the oven and cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 150 degrees F. Remember that the temperature will rise about five degrees after the pork comes out of the oven. Let the pork rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with the rhubarb chutney. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Rhubarb Chutney (& Pork Tenderloin)

adapted from a recipe from Bon Appetit

Chutney:

¾ cup sugar

⅓ cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

4 cups ½-inch cubes fresh rhubarb (about 1 ½ pounds)

½ cup chopped red onion

⅓ cup golden raisins (about 2 oz)

Pork:

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 ½ lb), trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & pepper

For the chutney, combine the sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, cumin, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves in a large pot set over low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the rhubarb, red onion, and golden raisins to the sugar mixture. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook until the rhubarb is soft, about 8-10 minutes. Cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

For the pork, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. In a large, oven-proof skillet set over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Put the skillet into the oven and cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 150 degrees F. Remember that the temperature will rise about five degrees after the pork comes out of the oven. Let the pork rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve the pork with the rhubarb chutney.

Serves 2-3. If you cook a second pork tenderloin to serve 4, you will have enough rhubarb chutney to go around.