AIP herb-rubbed pork tenderloin with warm blueberry-balsamic-shallot sauce

Cooking for someone who does not eat this way is its own kind of test. You want the plate to look like real food, not like a modification, and pork tenderloin with a warm blueberry sauce passes that test without you needing to explain a single ingredient. Nobody at the table has to know this came out of a kitchen with no eggs, grains, dairy, or nightshades in it. Set it down and let it speak for itself.

The blueberries do more than turn the sauce a deep purple. Their anthocyanins are researched for a role in easing an overactive inflammatory response, and cooking them down into a reduction concentrates what is already there into a form your body can use quickly. Pork tenderloin is also a steady source of B vitamins, thiamine and niacin in particular, which the body leans on for energy metabolism, exactly the kind of fuel that runs low when the immune system is working overtime.

Slice it thin, spoon the warm sauce over the top so the color bleeds into the meat a little, and let the plate look like something you would order somewhere, because it can. This is what caring for a body with real boundaries looks like from the outside: nobody at the table has to know.

Ingredients

For the pork:

• 2 to 2 1/2 lbs pork tenderloins
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh citrus juice (lemon, lime, or orange)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, powdered
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (thyme, sage, oregano, or marjoram - or a mix)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder

For the blueberry sauce:

• 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup shallots, minced (or 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Mix the sea salt, powdered rosemary, Italian herbs, garlic powder, and ginger powder together in a small bowl. Pat the pork tenderloins dry with a paper towel. Rub the olive oil over the surface of each tenderloin, then press the herb mixture onto all sides.

Place the tenderloins in an oven-safe skillet or roasting pan. Pour the water and citrus juice into the bottom of the pan - this keeps the pork from drying out and creates pan juices for basting. Roast at 425 F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 F at the thickest point. Let the pork rest on a cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

While the pork rests, make the blueberry sauce. Warm 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots (or fresh ginger) and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the blueberries, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, fresh rosemary, olive oil, dried ginger powder, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries begin to break down and the sauce thickens slightly, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil to finish.

Slice the pork and arrange it on a platter. Spoon the warm blueberry sauce over the top, or serve it alongside. Collect any pan juices from the roasting pan and drizzle those over the meat as well.

*Adapted from eatbeautiful.net*