Crisp on the outside and buttery-tender on the inside, these sweet and spicy soy sauce-marinated pork tenderloin medallions make for a delicious, healthful and elegant entree. Serve with snow peas, brown rice and Sour Mango Salad on the side.

Makes 6 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 20 minutes (including 2 hours marinating time)

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large clove garlic, peeled and finely grated or minced
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 fresh red Thai chile (see Note) or cayenne chile pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch-thick medallions

1. Whisk soy sauce and sugar in a medium bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in garlic, ginger, chile and oil.
2. Place pork in a resealable plastic bag. Add the marinade and seal the bag, squeezing air out. Turn the bag to coat the medallions. Refrigerate for 2 hours, turning the bag once to redistribute the marinade.
3. Preheat the grill to medium. Remove the pork from the marinade. (Discard marinade.) Grill the medallions until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 138 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 63 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 0 g fiber; 101 mg sodium; 357 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Selenium (54% daily value).

0 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 3 very lean meats

TIP: Note: Thai chiles can be red or green, are only about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/4-inch or less in diameter. They are on the high end of the heat scale. Find them in Asian markets. If unavailable, substitute fresh cayenne chiles or 1/2 teaspoon or more to taste of purchased chile sauce, such as sriracha. Fresh chiles can be frozen, in a air-tight, for up to 3 months.

It was really easy to make and it was delicious! Instead of marinating it for 2 hours I only soaked the pork in the marinade for about half and hour and it still came out great.

Anonymous, Santa Barbara, CA

I was concerned that the sesame oil would over-power the dish, and was very happy to find that it did not! The flavor was great, everyone in the family enjoyed it. I used a vacuum sealed container to marinate it in, cutting down the time to 30 minutes. Served with fresh snow peas and a salad of jicama, mango & fresh lemon juice. Wonderful!

Anonymous, Erie, CO

Spicy and Delicious! We LOVED it!

Anonymous, Silver Spring, MD