Roast Pork Tenderloin with Plum Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 1/2 pounds black plums, quartered and pitted
• 1 star anise
• Pork:
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. 1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add sugar and the next 10 ingredients (through star anise); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until plums break down and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Discard cloves and anise.
2. 2. Preheat oven to 450°.
3. 3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add pork to pan; sauté 7 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
4. 4. Transfer pork to a foil-lined jelly-roll pan; coat with 1/2 cup plum sauce. Roast pork at 450° for 15 minutes. Remove pork from oven. Turn pork over; coat with an additional 1/2 cup plum sauce. Roast 10 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of pork registers 155°. Remove from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Slice crosswise. Serve with remaining plum sauce.