Pretty Pork Holiday Appetizers

Sponsored by @MoPork. All Pork Passion is from my heart and experience!

The holidays are a great time to show off some Missouri Pork deliciousness! A stunning Pork Crown Roast always puts me in a festive spirit but this year Christmas celebration is different in my home. Your home too? So I say, let’s create some #prettypork appetizers to keep the holiday spirit alive!

WHY PORK TENDERLOIN

I love to pan sear, grill, or smoke pork tenderloins because the meat is always tender, and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. The flavor of pork tenderloin is consistent, and I love the lean tender texture. Pork tenderloin can be dressed up with rubs or toppings but really a pork tenderloin is delicious with just salt and pepper. When I do want to fancy-up pork tenderloin I do so with Argentinean chimichurri, Mexican salsa verde, roasted pears, or homemade cranberry sauce or other fruit sauces. #OhYUM

WHEN TO SERVE PORK TENDERLOIN

I love sautéed pork tenderloin for breakfast with fried eggs. A Loaded Cuban Pork Tenderloin Torta sounds tasty for lunch or how about a pork tenderloin taco? Of course, the variations of a pork tenderloin dinner is endless! Check out pork recipes at I LOVE PORK!

WHAT MAKES UP A TASTY APPETIZER

I love small bites that have 3-5 defined laters of flavor: salty, sweet, and spicy. In my pork stack up appetizers you need a base, a spread, scrumptious PORK, and a topping.

Feel free to change up this recipe!

BUILD YOUR OWN PORK APPETIZERS

THE BASE:

A Merry Tip:

Use one piece of bread as a sponge to blot the other pieces of bread with butter.

This method is so much quicker than brushing individual squares.

The Base:

Packaged Frozen Garlic Texas Toast or bread aisle Texas toast that you season and toast ~ squares or diagonal.

Tortilla Scoop Chips, or fry mini corn or flour tortillas.

Baguette toasted for Bruschetta

Lettuce cups

Toasted Flatbread, Naan, Pita, or Pizza Crust

THE SPREAD:

Homemade Herb Cheese

Plain or seasoned Mascarpone Cheese

Seasoned Sour Cream

Cheese Spread from Grocery Store

Goat Butter with Mascarpone Spread

Whipped Feta Cheese

THE PORK:

Grilled, Smoked, or Baked Pork Tenderloin

Pulled Pork

Chorizo Pork

Pork Salami or preserved pork

Seasoned Ground Pork …think taco filling in a tortilla scoop

THE TOPPINGS:

Jam or Marmalade splashed with Sriracha and lime juice

Homemade or Store bought in the refrigerator section.

Olive tapenade

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Jam mixed with tapenade and pepperoncini

Fresh Herbs

VARIOUS SHAPE BREAD and TASTY TOPPINGS!

PICK YOUR FAVES & GET FESTIVE

Pork Tenderloin Texas Toast Bites with C

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Pork Tenderloin Texas Toast Bites with Creamy Herb Mascarpone Spread and Cranberry Pecan Mostarda

Ingredients:

1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin, silverskin trimmed

2 tablespoons light tasting olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon ground black or mixed red peppercorn

3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, divided

8 slicesTexas Toast bread

1/3 cup melted unsalted butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Creamy Herb Mascarpone Spread:

1/4 cup loosely packed basil, additional for garnish

1/4 cup loosely packed parsley, additional for garnish

1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For Cranberry Pecan Mostarda:

1/3 sweetened dried cranberries

1/3 cup candied pecans (in salad aisle) or by (3.5 oz) pkg Dried Cranberries & Candied Pecans

1 tablespoon raspberry jam

1 tablespoon apricot jam or just use all of any jam ~ blackberry is nice

1/2 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar glaze

3 pepperoncini, remove stem and seeds then chop or scant 1/4 cup sliced

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

To prep: Transfer pork tenderloin from refrigerator to work surface 30 minutes before cooking. Drizzle 1 tablespoons of olive oil on all sides of pork and sprinkle with black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic. Set aside. The salt will be added at cooking.

For the toast: Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove crust from bread slices and cut each slice into 4 squares. Brush bread squares with melted butter on both sides. Place on cookie sheet and bake on lower rack 4 minutes, turn over if golden brown. Toast the opposite side, until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.

For the Spread: In a mini food processor, finely mince basil, parsley, and cilantro. Add lemon juice, mascarpone cheese, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Process until evenly mixed. Transfer to a serving bowl. Wipe out food processor bowl before making the tapenade.

For the Mostarda: In a mimi food processor, mince cranberries pecans, jams, mustard, balsamic glaze, and pepperoncini until evenly minced. If desired, add extra jam for sweetness or balsamic vinegar for tartness. Set aside.

For the pork: When the pork tenderloin is ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Salt pork tenderloin on all sides and place in skillet, and sear about 4 minutes on each side or until center internal temperature has reached 140°F, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer cooked pork to cutting board and allow to rest 10 minutes. Cut in 1/4-inch by 2-inch strips.

To assemble: Spread each toast square with about 1/2 tablespoon mascarpone cheese, and layer with 1 heaping tablespoon pork loin strips, and 1/2 teaspoon cherry tapenade. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Garnish with a small basil leaf. Serve at room temperature.