Pork Tenderloin with Porcini Apricot Sauce

My Dad grilled pork tenderloins all the time by just dusting them first with a little garlic salt. This recipe takes it up a level with a really special sauce, although sometimes I just make them Dad’s way. Full sized whole pork loins are huge but little tenderloins are,well, tender and much smaller. We can get them here in D.C. packed 2 to a package and they are 2-3 pounds each. We cook one at a time and freeze one. But it is the sauce here that really makes the meal. Adapted from a recipe found in the Washington Post. Ingredients: 1 pork tenderloin, 2-3 pounds garlic powder or garlic salt or McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning 1/2 ounce dried Porcini mushrooms 2 cups low salt added chicken broth – I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken Low Salt flavor according to package directions 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped (about 2 ounces) 1 small clove garlic, peeled and chopped fine. A larger clove will overpower the apricot flavor. 1 tablespoon butter Trim the tenderloin and discard excess fat. Pay particular attention to removing any “silver skin” which your seasoning will have a hard time penetrating. Season with the garlic powder and salt or else the remarkable McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning. Let the tenderloin come to room temperature under some plastic wrap. This will give the seasoning a little time to adhere and penetrate plus at room temperature the tenderloin will cook more evenly and thoroughly without drying out or being underdone. I use my propane gas grill, preheated to maximum heat and grill the tenderloin for 20 minutes, turning once at the 10 minute mark. You may also roast the tenderloin in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes but you will not get the same coloring of the finished roast. Aim for an internal meat temperature of 140F degrees for proper doneness. Remove from heat and let the tenderloin rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. For the sauce, which may be made ahead of time: Soak the dried Porcini mushrooms for about an hour in a cup or so of tap water. Drain, rinse and drain again, seeking to wash away any natural grit from these precious tasty mushrooms. At the risk of losing some flavor, I actually squeeze water out of the soaked Porcini because I really don’t want my guests to grind their teeth on any natural grit hiding in the mushrooms. And yes, dried Porcini mushrooms are expensive. But they are much more concentrated in flavor than fresh so you don’t need much. Discard the water you used for soaking and rinsing the mushrooms. Coarsely chop the drained mushrooms to get them ready for cooking. Set a medium saucepan on medium-high heat and fill with the 2 cups of the chicken broth. You may use any quality broth that you like. I use Better Than Bouillon according to the directions found on the label. This is an excellent product that never lets me down. Simmer the mushrooms along with the apricots in the broth for about 10-15 minutes. Then add the garlic and butter and continue to cook until the butter is melted and then for 2-3 minutes more. Reserve this amazing sauce for the pork tenderloin. After resting the cooked tenderloin for 5-10 minutes, cut it in ¼ inch slices so you can arrange them overlapped on a plate, drizzled in sauce to look like a glossy magazine cover and serve! Optional: 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, added with the mushrooms. 1/3 cup raisins, added along with the butter at the very end of the cooking.