Red Beet Char Siu Pork

• 3 roasted red beets
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel (I actually buy seeds and grind them fresh with a mortar and pestle)
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• squirts of Sriracha, to your taste
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil, divided
• 1 pork tenderloin, silver skin removed, about 1 lb
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced for garnish (optional)

1. To roast the beets, remove the stems and greens (if present), peel with a vegetable peeler and cut into a 1/2 inch dice. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, a touch of salt and pepper, and roast in a 400F degree oven for 45 minutes.
2. Puree the roasted beets in a blender or food processor. Add the soy sauce through Sriracha and 2 tablespoons of neutral oil and blend until smooth (this will not be liquid, more like a bright fuchsia paste.)
3. Empty the paste into a large zip top bag. Pat the pork tenderloin dry, lightly coat with salt and pepper, and add to the bag, massaging the paste into the meat. Seal and refrigerate to marinate overnight (or at least 4 hours - and up to 24, the longer the better in my book.) Bring to room temperature before cooking.
4. Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare a foil-lined baking sheet. Heat a large cast iron or other heavy bottomed sautee pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons of neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork to the pan to brown, 2 minutes per side (8 minutes total). Remove the pork, place on the sheet tray and cook in the oven about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 140F. Once out of the oven, let the meat rest for 10 minutes loosely tented with foil; the internal temperature should read 150F after the rest. Slice into rounds and enjoy!

red beets, soy sauce, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, fresh ginger, clove of garlic, sesame oil, ground fennel, white pepper, ground clove, cinnamon, squirts of sriracha, vegetable oil, pork tenderloin, scallions

Taken from food52.com/recipes/63053-red-beet-char-siu-pork (may not work)