Pork Tenderloin with Brown Sugar-Caramelized Onions and the Best Broccoli I've Ever Had!

I haven't cooked much this past week and am still trying to get caught up after our vacation. Meals here have been salads + protein after dining to excess last week. Last night, we ditched the salad and went to protein + vegetable.

The pork was a combination of my favorite pork tenderloin initial preparation and an adaptation of a Williams Sonoma recipe for pork with glazed onions. The broccoli side dish was a first attempt and will be on my repeat menu forever. It was fantastic! Broccoli crowns were on sale this week and my web search for a new recipe resulted in this a fantastic recipe from Alton Brown. If glazed and caramelized onions aren't enough to send you to foodie nirvana, how about oven-roasted broccoli with Panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese? Hello!

After being MIL for that past couple of weeks, I'm happy once again to share these recipes at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday! Thanks so much for hosting, Michael, and I'm sorry I missed the big anniversary party last week!

Pork Tenderloin with Brown Sugar Caramelized Onions
Printable Recipe

Serves 2

1 pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large sweet onions, sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar - packed
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 415° F.

In a heavy skillet add 2 tablespoon of butter. Add the sliced onions and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until the onions are tender and glazed, about 3 more minutes. Set aside.

Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown pork on all sides. Reduce heat to moderate and cook pork, covered, turning occasionally, 10 minutes. Transfer pork to a shallow baking pan, cover with the caramelized onions and roast in oven until a meat thermometer registers 155° F. for barely pink meat, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Oven-Roasted Broccoli
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown, 2007, Food Network
Printable Recipe

4 servings

1 pound broccoli, cleaned and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 425F.

Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces. Trim the dark green from the stalk and cut into 1/8-inch thick, round slices. Place the broccoli into a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper and set aside.

Spread the panko into a 13 by 9-inch metal sheet pan and place into the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the panko from the oven and add to the bowl with the broccoli mixture. Toss to combine. Return the mixture to the cake pan, place in the oven and roast just until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese and serve immediately.