I always say a recipe is just a guide. You should feel free to switch around and substitute ingredients to suit your own flavour profile and palette... and that's exactly what I did with this recipe from The Barefoot Contessa.
It was originally Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin but I chose to use to sub out the herbs for spices...so, here's my Spice Rub Pork tenderloin.
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| (L-R, front row: chilli powder, black pepper, cayenne powder. Back row, L-R: ground ginger, white powder, smoked paprika) |
Ingredients
2 Pork tenderloins approx 3lbs. (you can get pork tenderloin at Hi Lo Supermarket or Pricesmart, it looks like a log of meat and has two cuts in a package)
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tbsp. chilli powder
1 tsp. chilli flakes
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. all spice
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
Salt
Black pepper
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. chilli powder
1 tsp. chilli flakes
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. all spice
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
Salt
Black pepper
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
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| All my spices together in my bowl |
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| Mix your blend thoroughly so the spices are evenly distributed |
Mix all the spices together in a small bowl.
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| Patting off the excess liquid |
To your fully thawed pork loins, pat them dry to get rid of the excess lquid. Line your countertop surface with plastic wrap, and place the pork loins on top the wrap. This works wonders for keeping your work surface free from the juices and saves from making a messy situation with the spices.
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| Apply the spice blend evemly to both sides of your pork |
Apply salt and black pepper liberally to both sides of the pork. Apply the spice blend with a spoon preferably because if you use your hands you can get into trouble if you touch your eyes or other "sensitive areas" if you know what I mean *wink wink*.
Use a glove if you want to use your hands to apply the spice blend and massage the spices into the pork.
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| Fold the plastic wrap over and around the loin, see how clean the counter surface remains? |
Then, simply fold the ends of the plastic wrap over the pork, pressing out the air as you go and tucking the ends of the wrap in to secure the pork. If you don’t have plastic wrap you can do this in a Ziploc bag. Just ensure that you get the spices well worked into the pork.
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| This is what the finished wrapped tenderloins look like... no mess and all the spices are rubbed into the pork! |
Refrigerate for at least three hours or leave overnight.
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F with your well –greased baking tray in it so it gets hot as the same time your oven is. Get a large frying pan hot, pour in the vegetable oil. When the oil gets searing hot put your pork in to the frying pan. This will make your eyes water so make sure your kitchen windows are open to ventilate the room well.
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| Get the oil searing hot and sear the pork on all sides |
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| Get all the sides seared to seal in the juices Sear the pork for at least 3 mins. on each side. When this is done, transfer the pork to the hot baking tray immediately and bake for 20 mins. or until a meat thermometer reads 137degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin.  |
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| Final step...into the oven |
Remove the tray from the oven and cover with foil and "rest" the pork for at least 20 mins.
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| Remove the baking tray from the oven and let the meat rest |
When ready to serve cut 2-inch diagonal slices. DO NOT CUT THE MEAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER REMOVNG FROM THE OVEN, this will cause all the juices from the succulent meat to "bleed" out. You may be tempted to cut it, but wait.....
Do not be concerned if the centre is pink, that’s ok…the meat is perfectly cooked! Enjoy
When the meat is rested, it would have generated its own juices, pour this off and let's make a sauce for our pork.......
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| L-R: Guave Jam, Dark Rum, Dijon mustard |
2 capfuls of Dark rum
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Guave jam (you can substitue a jam, jelly or preserve of your choice)
2 cloves
Directions
Pour off the liquid from the meat into a small saucepan over a low fire. To the liquid add the rum, Dijon mustard, Guava jam and the cloves. Whisk together to break up the jam and continue to whisk away to incorporate all the ingredients. Season to taste if necessary.
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| Whisk all the ingredients together and reduce the rum, which means, let the alcohol burn off. |
Pour over the pork and serve with oven roated vegetables and a salad.....delish!!!!
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| Spice rub pork tenderloin served with oven roasted vegetables and baby spinach salad |
This is great! I'm loving the sear on the pork. It looks perfectly cooked to me, and yay to that dark rum. Will try this rub.
ReplyDeleteHi Giselle
DeleteThanks for the feedback... try it, you will love it and change or subsitute whatever you like to "own" it! ENJOY!