Curious About Curry

I curiously discovered there is no exotic curry blossom only found on the north side of a flowing brook.  There is no curry root unearthed only during a full moon.  There is no curry seed, harvested high in the mountains.  There is a curry tree.  If you find yourself in southern India, you will find the leaves of this tree being used in their regional cooking.

I think it is pretty safe to say that curry is more a flavor profile used in many different forms of cooking.  Curiously, there is no set standard of ingredients that make “curry” curry.  But it usually contains some or many of the following ingredients: turmeric, chili powder, coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom.  It can be a dry powder, or it can be a paste which has added oils, lime juice and fresh ingredients like chilis, garlic and ginger.  Curry powder tends to be mellower whereas the chili paste can pack on a little more heat.  However, a little cayenne can turn up the heat in a curry dish using curry powder.  You will find curry powder used in “India” style cooking (they do not actually use curry powder).  And you will find curry paste used in Thai dishes (they do use curry paste).

So where in the world did this cooking phenomenon of “curry” come from? It is believed that the British (when colonizing India) brought this spice combination home.  From there it spread to the colonies in American and then throughout the world.

So here is my “Thai” style curry dish…Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Green Curry Sauce.  I suggest serving it with rice noodles and buttered garlic naan bread to soak up the bright flavors of the sauce.

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Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Green Curry Sauce

Course Main Course

Ingredients

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

  • 2 pounds Pork Tenderloin may need two tenderloins
  • 3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Fresh Ginger minced
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Orange zest chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Light Brown Sugar
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil

Green Curry Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil approximately
  • 1 medium Shallot chopped
  • 1 clove Garlic Minced
  • 1/4 cup Green Curry Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
  • 1 can Unsweetened Coconut Milk 14.5 ounce can
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Lime
  • 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves firmly packed
  • 1/2 cup Coconut Oil

Instructions

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

  • Tie the tenderloin tail to have a consistent size from end to end.
  • Combine soy sauce, ginger, orange zest, garlic, and pepper. Slowly whisk in sesame oil.
  • Place the pork in a large zip lock baggie or a shallow pan (covered in plastic wrap). Cover the tenderloin with the marinade, ensuring to coat evenly. Refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large oven proof sauté pan over medium heat. Add a thin coat of coconut oil. Sear the tenderloin on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Baste with leftover marinade. Put the tenderloin in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes then slice and serve.

Green Curry Sauce

  • Heat a medium sauté pan over medium low heat.  Coat the bottom of the pan with approximately 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.  Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Add the green curry paste and lime zest, reducing the heat so it does not stick to the pan.  Cook for a couple minutes then whisk in the coconut milk.  Simmer for 15-20minutes.  Set aside and let cool.
  • Using a blender or food processor, blend the green curry sauce, lime juice and cilantro until smooth.  Slowly add the ½ cup of coconut while the blender is processing. Continue to process until you can no longer see any of the cilantro leaves. 
  • Can be made ahead and reheated.