Name: Garlicky Lime Sauce with Cilantro
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 10 cloves garlic , peeled and grated to fine paste on rasp-style grater (about 2 tablespoons); 2 tablespoons water; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 teaspoons light brown sugar; 3 tablespoons lime juice from 2 limes; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces

Why This Recipe Works

A marriage of stovetop and oven cooking produced a flavorful and juicy pork tenderloin recipe. A pan sauce was a natural way to add flavor to the roast; the browned bits, or fond, left behind in the pan from the roast made the perfect base for the sauce. The 10 or so minutes that the meat spent in the oven gave us time to reduce vinegar or wine down to a glaze or to caramelize onions and garlic in the empty pan. While the meat rested, we could finish the sauce with fresh herbs or mustard or butter. The entire dish took us less than 30 minutes to complete.

Before You Begin

A rasp-style grater is the best way to break down the garlic to a fine paste. Another option is to put the garlic through a press and then finish mincing it to a paste with a knife. If your garlic cloves contain green sprouts or shoots, remove the sprouts before grating--their flavor is bitter and hot. The initial cooking of the garlic off heat will prevent scorching.

Instructions

Immediately after placing pork in oven, mix garlic paste with water in small bowl. Add oil to still-hot skillet and swirl to coat; add garlic paste and cook with skillet's residual heat, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, until sizzling subsides, about 2 minutes. Set skillet over low heat and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until garlic is sticky, 8 to 10 minutes; set skillet aside off heat.

While pork is resting, set skillet over medium heat; add pepper flakes and sugar to skillet and cook until sticky and sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add lime juice, cilantro, and chives; simmer to blend flavors, 1 to 2 minutes. Add any accumulated pork juices and simmer 1 minute longer. Off heat, whisk in butter, one piece at a time. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.