What's a good molasses-based glaze for pork tenderloin?

Question

My wife and I cooked a pork tenderloin with a molasses-based glaze/sauce this evening. However, we didn't care for it, not because of the molasses but because the recipe called for ground cumin—turns out, we don't care for cumin.

How could I make something similar without cumin. The original ingredients were:

2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb pork tenderloin

All excellent answers and comments! Hard to pick one chosen answer. — Kyle Hayes, Jan 09 '12 at 16:51
That's not a bad idea. I've had mustard based pork recipes before that are quite tasty. — Kyle Hayes, Jan 10 '12 at 03:34

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 09 '12 at 15:27

You might try giving it an Asian twist by replacing the cumin with a tablespoon of Chinese Five Spice powder (a mix of star anise, cloves, szechuan peppercorns, fennel and cinnamon), and the salt with a splash or two of soy sauce. I'd also add some freshly grated ginger and crushed garlic. You should then have a tasty, sticky Chinese-style glaze.

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 09 '12 at 15:48

To expand upon baka's comment: this would taste good without the cumin too; it'd just be a simpler flavor. You can then replace it with any other spice that appeals to you, since pork's flavor isn't going to strongly clash with many spices. ElendilTheTall's answer suggests one option; I'm sure you can come up with others. This gives you a chance to make your pork fit well with whatever other dishes are in your meal.

What's a good molasses-based glaze for pork tenderloin?

2 Answers2