There is an old wooden-handled cleaver hanging from a hook in Mama’s kitchen, the cleaver Meme and Dede used to chop the barbecued pork. Pig roasts were better than the fair or carnival when I was a child. Uncle Raymond would chase the children with the pig’s tail and Meme would always let me sneak a piece of the crisp, golden brown skin. This quick and easy pulled pork tenderloin is a far cry from pit-cooked shoulder, but it is a very good imitation. It is a perfect recipe for a busy week when there is less time to cook. The key to the brief cooking time is to first sear the meat to a dark brown, not tan or beige, but a nice crusty brown.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 tablespoon canola oil

　　2 1/4 cups Mama’s Barbecue Sauce (page 285) or your favorite sauce

　　4 to 6 hamburger buns, or 8 to 12 slices white bread

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

　　

Step 2

To prepare the pork, trim off the fat and silver skin: insert the tip of a sharp boning knife just under the silver skin about 1/2 inch from the edge of the meat where the silver skin begins. Keep the knife closer to the membrane than the meat, and pulling up slightly with the knife, slide the knife along the length of the meat to remove a strip of the membrane. Repeat until no silver skin remains. Season the pork with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 3

To sear the pork, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the tenderloin until well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Remove from the heat and place lengthwise on the prepared baking sheet. Top with about 1 cup of the barbecue sauce and roll to fully coat. Fold the foil over the top of the meat and pinch the ends of the foil to seal well. Bake until very tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Remove from the oven and transfer the pork to a large bowl. Discard the cooking juices remaining in the foil. Using 2 forks, shred the pork tenderloin into strips. Add barbecue sauce to taste, about 1 cup. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve on the split buns with the remaining 1/4 cup of sauce on the side.

　　From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.