I’m participating in a really interesting challenge that has been launched by the National Pork Board. It’s called the “Good and Good for You Challenge.” The goal is to inspire us all to make healthy lifestyle choices in 2012. Pork is an excellent lean meat option that our family rarely chooses, which is why I wanted to take part in this challenge. I thought it would be fun to expand my culinary horizons. We’ve already drastically reduced our intake of less lean meats over the past few years, but honestly, all that’s really meant is that we mostly eat ground turkey! It’s time to think outside of the gobble and see what pork has to offer!

Publix is the retail partner for the Good and Good for You Challenge, and as such, they are offering a special sale on a different cut of pork each week from now through February 22nd. This week you can score pork tenderloin for just $4.99/pound, which is a most excellent buy! Here’s the cut I purchased, which actually includes 2 one pound tenderloins in the package. I used for one dinner and stuck one in the freezer to use later in the week.

The only thing I’ve ever made with pork tenderloin is carnitas in the slow cooker, so I needed some new ideas. Fortunately, there’s a website just for such a purpose! It’s called porkbeinspired.com and it is full of great recipes that your family and your waistline will love! Since I’ve been craving guacamole like nobody’s business lately, this recipe for pork tenderloin sliders with three sauces really caught my attention. I also liked just how fast it came together. Did you know that thinly sliced pork tenderloin can cook up in as little as 3 minutes? SWEET!!!! The recipe is found below. You can make all three sauces to give your family plenty of options, or you can just opt for one, like we did (guacamole, of course!). 

Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Three Sauces

(note: I’m only including the sauce we used, but you can see all 3 options on the original recipe)

Recipe courtesy of the National Pork Board

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 3 minutes

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin (1 pound), trimmed

1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning

2 teaspoons olive oil

12 mini (1 1/2-x-2-inches) rolls, split and toasted

6 romaine lettuce leaves, torn

2 plum tomatoes, each cut into 6 slices*

Directions:

Cut pork about 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle pork on all sides with the seasoning. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning once, until the pork is browned, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.

Place the tenderloin in the rolls, top with lettuce, tomatoes, and sauce of your choice.

*Tomatoes can be served raw or broiled for more intense flavor

SAUCE

Spicy Avocado Sauce:

1 small ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled

1 tablespoon minced jalapeno, including seeds

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

Place the avocado in a small bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher; add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed.

Serving Suggestion:

You can substitute the romaine lettuce with arugula, baby greens, baby spinach, or cabbage instead.  Make all three sauces so everyone has a choice, or choose your favorite bottled sauce, such as barbecue or honey mustard sauce. Serve the sliders with baked sweet potato fries.

Here’s a pic of how our version turned out. It isn’t as pretty as the picture above, but I still thought it was a rather attractive sandwich!

Wanna hear my verdict? This was absolutely DELICIOUS! AND…I love how quickly it came together. It is perfect for a weeknight. Also, this is very kid-friendly. The size is not overwhelming for little hands. There’s no doubt that this is going into my recipe rotation, pork tenderloin and all!

If you live in an area with a Publix, get yourself to the store and pick up some pork tenderloin! The price is right, and the recipe possibilities are enormous! I feel so inspired to try out this particular cut with several different recipes I found on porkbeinspired.com. The next recipe I’m going to try in a few days with my remaining tenderloin is the pork tenderloin cancun with chorizo potatoes. Doesn’t that look incredible??? I’m also going to spend some time on this website learning about the different cuts of pork and different cooking methods. Since I’m new to using pork, I’ve got a lot to learn, and its great to have all the resources I need in just one spot.

If you’d like to learn more about making healthy eating choices by using pork, be sure to follow Pork Be Inspired on Facebook as well as Twitter for great tips, as well as contest info!

Disclosure: I am participation in this campaign in conjunction with The Motherhood, and am being compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.