Pork Tenderloin Cutlets With Grilled Cherry Salsa
2 pounds pork tenderloins
1½ tablespoons fish sauce
1½ cups fresh cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
1 small red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Cut the tenderloin crosswise into rounds about 1 inch thick. One at a time, set each round between sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound to an even thickness of about ¼ inch.
Transfer the flattened pork cutlets to a large zip-close plastic bag. Add the fish sauce, then shake to coat all of the pork. Squeeze the air from the bag, seal it and set side. This step can be done up to 24 hours ahead.
When ready to cook, heat the grill to high.
In a medium bowl, toss the cherries with 1 tablespoon of the oil until well coated. Carefully pour the cherries onto the grill grates and grill until lightly charred in spots and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs to return the cherries to the bowl. Set aside to cool slightly. Leave the grill on.
Once the cherries have cooled, add the onion, garlic, vinegar and cilantro. Mix well, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the bag of pork, then shake to coat. Grill the tenderloins for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Arrange the cutlets on 6 serving plates, then top each with some of the grilled cherry salsa.
Serves six.
Cook's note: Before starting the recipe, compare the size of your cherries to the size of the grates on your grill. If the cherries are likely to fall through the gaps, use a grill pan over the grates. Most grocers sell disposable perforated foil grill pans that work perfectly for this.
Nutrition values per serving: 240 calories, 8 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 100 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 32 g protein, 590 mg sodium.
J.M. Hirsch, The Associated Press