By Christmas week. Family arriving in waves. Tyler, Jessica, Marcus (now thirteen months and walking with abandon), Jade (three months and laughing) drove in Tuesday from Midland. Linh, Richard, Mei, Camila, David at Mai's. Emma, Daniel, Ava, Mai at my house. Lily and James in their condo but functionally living at the restaurant through the holiday rush. Grace Okafor flying in from Chicago for the day on Christmas itself. The house is full. The neighborhood has noticed.
Christmas Eve dinner at Mai's — old-school Vietnamese, the bún riêu I made this week scaled up, plus thịt kho, pickled vegetables, Vietnamese steamed cake (bánh chưng, which Mai still makes herself with Linh's help, wrapping the rice and pork in banana leaves and steaming for nine hours), and a small ham (Christine sent it over — Christine is a Christmas-ham person, and I respect that). Twelve at Mai's table for the eve.
Christmas Day at my place. Twenty-seven of us. The smoker ran from 5 AM with two briskets and a leg of lamb. James brought a goat (smaller this time, fifty pounds, suya-rubbed). Grace had brought spice from Chicago and a special Nigerian peanut soup. Lily made cookies — not Mai's cookies, an experimental batch with five-spice powder and orange zest that ended up extraordinary. Tyler set up a little corner of the living room with toys for Marcus and Jade. Jade slept through most of Christmas, which is the right move for a three-month-old. Marcus walked into the Christmas tree at one point and cried and was consoled with a piece of brisket, which is the most Tran response possible.
The presents were small this year — we've all agreed that the gift is the gathering. I gave Lily a vintage cookbook I'd found at a flea market — a 1970s Vietnamese-American community cookbook from the Houston refugee resettlement era, filled with recipes from women whose names I half-recognize. She held it like it was made of glass. She said, "Dad, this is — " and didn't finish. I said, "I know." Some gifts don't need finished sentences. The book is now on the shelf at the restaurant, where the chefs will read it during their breaks for the next ten years. The chain. The chain. The chain.
Christine’s ham held its own on Christmas Eve — it always does — but it got me thinking about what I’d add to the table if I were scaling down to a quieter night, something that carries that same spirit of a generous, celebratory pork dish without the hours of prep. This pork tenderloin with raspberry Dijon sauce is exactly that: fast enough that you’re not chained to the kitchen, but dressed up enough to sit alongside brisket, suya, and everything else the people you love bring through the door. The sweet-tart raspberry glaze does something remarkable — it echoes the pickled vegetables and the brightness we always want on a heavy Christmas table.
Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry Dijon Sauce
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup raspberry preserves
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh rosemary or thyme, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 425°F. Pat the pork tenderloin dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper.
- Sear the pork. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tenderloin and sear, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes total.
- Make the sauce. While the pork sears, whisk together the raspberry preserves, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl until smooth.
- Glaze and roast. Spoon half the raspberry Dijon sauce over the seared tenderloin. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 18–22 minutes, until an internal thermometer reads 145°F.
- Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and let the pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Warm the remaining sauce in the skillet over low heat, scraping up any browned bits, and drizzle over the sliced pork. Garnish with fresh herbs.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 240 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 390mg