With so many cuts of pork available, it is easy to overlook the tender pork tenderloin cut that is found at every market. You may see it labeled pork fillet or pork steak. It is a long, thin cut. The price may seem higher than pork chops or spareribs, but with this cut there is no bone or waste. Marinate it overnight or just for 1 hour in an easy mixture of ingredients you should already have at home. Soy sauce, oil, mustard, honey and garlic are all you need. It’s easier if you have honey mustard and substitute for the honey and mustard. Baked in the oven for only 15 minutes, you’ll have a guest-worthy protein that is great with the starch of your choice.

Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons vegetable, canola or olive oil, divided

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, substitute any mustard

• 1 tablespoon honey, substitute maple syrup or brown sugar

• 3 large cloves garlic, smashed or minced

• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)

Directions:

Mix marinade: soy sauce, oil, mustard, honey and garlic, except for 1 tablespoon oil. Marinate pork overnight in mixture or at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 400. Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium high. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. When skillet is hot, sear all sides of the tenderloin, about 1 minute on each side. Then move skillet into hot oven for 15 minutes until the thickest part of the pork reaches 135 degrees with instant-read thermometer. Cook a few more minutes if needed to reach 135 degrees. Cool at least 10 minutes on a platter. Slice into one-fourth-to one-half-inch rounds and serve. It’s also good cut into cubes as a pupu or as sliders.

Serves 4 or 2 hearty eaters.

Lynette Lo Tom is the author of cookbooks A Chinese Kitchen and Back in the Day. She wants to hear about your cooking shortcuts. Reach her at lynette@ brightlightcookery.com or on Instagram (@brightlightcookery).