Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Pre-Thanksgiving prep at Mama's. The shopping list is on the kitchen wall. The turkey order goes in to the butcher Wednesday. The greens get washed Saturday. Mama runs the operation like a foreman.

Pop's in the recliner. Tigers on. Sugar in range this week. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Smothered turkey wings Sunday. Slow braised in onion gravy.

Aiden's 10. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 8. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

I called Mama Sunday night. She picked up on the second ring. She always picks up.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

The custody calendar holds. Aiden and Zaria alternate weeks. Brianna and I co-parent without drama now. We do not always have to like each other to do this right.

Stopped at Eastern Market Saturday. Got chicken thighs, bacon, a watermelon, and a pound of greens that I did not need but bought anyway. The vendors know me by name now. Three of them asked about the family.

Pop sat in the recliner Sunday. He fell asleep before the third quarter. We covered him with a blanket.

A reader wrote in about the smothered pork chops. Said her late husband loved them. I wrote back. I told her about Pop. We exchanged three emails. She's in Saginaw. She's coming to the city in the spring.

A neighbor down the street gave me a tomato plant Saturday. He grows them on his porch. Said he had extra. I put it next to the back step where it gets the afternoon sun. Detroit gardens are improvised victories.

The Lions on TV Sunday. Lost on a missed field goal. Detroit. The neighborhood collectively groaned at the same moment. You could hear it through the windows.

Mama left me a voicemail Wednesday. She said, "DeShawn. Don't forget Sunday." I had not forgotten Sunday. I have not forgotten Sunday in twenty years. The reminder is the love. I called her back.

Truck needed an oil change Saturday. Did it myself in the driveway. Took an hour. The neighbor across the street gave me a thumbs-up from his porch. I gave him one back. Detroit men do not waste words on car maintenance.

I made grocery lists on the back of envelopes the way Mama did. The list this week was short — onions, garlic, half-and-half, cornmeal, a pound of bacon. The list is the recipe of the week before it happens.

The kids next door knocked over my trash cans Tuesday night. Their dad made them help me clean up Wednesday morning. Good man. The kids apologized. I gave them each a Capri Sun. Cycle complete.

Watched the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Lost in extras. Detroit reflex. I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to yell at the TV. The TV did not respond. The bullpen will probably not respond either.

A song came on the radio Tuesday — old Stevie Wonder — and I had to sit in the truck for the rest of it before I went into the store. Some songs do that. Detroit is a city of songs that do that.

The grass came in fast this week. Cut it Saturday morning before the heat. The mower had been sitting all winter. Took three pulls to start. Once it ran, it ran. Some things just need patience.

Mama had the smothered wings covered Sunday — she always does — but the weeks in between still need feeding, and this apricot-glazed pork tenderloin has become my answer for the nights Aiden and Zaria are on my side of the calendar and I want something that feels like effort without wrecking the whole evening. Zaria climbed up on her step stool and had opinions about the garlic. She was right. Detroit Sunday dinner doesn’t always start at Mama’s, but it always starts somewhere, and some weeks it starts right here.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 to 1 1/4 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top if you have one.
Make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the apricot preserves, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic. Stir and warm for 3—4 minutes until the preserves loosen into a smooth glaze. Remove from heat and set aside half the glaze for serving.
Season and sear. Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloin 2—3 minutes per side until browned on all surfaces, about 8 minutes total.
Glaze and roast. Brush the seared tenderloin generously with the apricot glaze. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven (or move tenderloin to the prepared baking sheet). Roast 18—22 minutes, brushing with additional glaze halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer reads 145°F at the thickest part.
Rest and slice. Remove from oven and tent loosely with foil. Let rest 5 minutes — this keeps it juicy. Slice into 1/2-inch medallions and arrange on a platter. Drizzle with the reserved glaze before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin — Sunday Dinner Doesn’t Always Look the Same, But It Always Happens