Sunday, September 13, 2009

Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We've just finished a wonderful meal that Bob thinks should be shared with you. I've made this pork tenderloin before, but tonight, rather than grill it outdoors, I seared it, stovetop, in a cast iron grill pan. It was terrific and , better still, almost effortless to prepare. I made a marinade this morning, placed it in a bag with the tenderloin and let it sit in the refrigerator until I was ready to cook the meat. The marinade is more than sufficient for two 1-pound tenderloins. This is a lovely stand-alone entree to serve with southwestern sides, but it also works well as a base for fajitas if you want something more informal. There are no tricks to be shared here, but because the marinade uses chipotles in adobo sauce, I wanted to pass on a tip I use for storing the unused portion of the can. I mash the chipotles with any remaining adobo sauce, transfer the puree to a small air tight container and refrigerate it until needed. This lasts for several months. When a recipe calls for a chipotle in adobo, I use two teaspoons of the puree. This recipe comes from Eating Well magazine, so you can rest assured that while the pork is delicious, it's also good for you.

Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, or 2 teaspoons chipotle puree
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, undiluted
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and silver skin

Preparation:
1) Combine chipotle and adobo sauce (or chipotle puree), garlic, orange juice, water, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a blender or mini food processor; blend or process until the chipotle is chopped and mixture is relatively smooth. Pour into a sealable plastic bag, add pork and seal, squeezing out any excess air from bag. Turn to coat with marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
2) Preheat grill to high or heat a large indoor grill pan over high heat. Remove pork from the marinade (discard marinade). Grill pork, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally into center of the meat registers 145° F, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Yield: 4 servings.

18 comments :

Anonymous said...

This looks so good like it would melt in the mouth!Yum!

KathyB. said...

I am showing this recipe to my husband who has just recently stocked up on many things 'chipotle', and as we both love pork and love to eat...and he especially loves to cook, this recipe seems written for us!(and your husbands' endorsement helps!)

Deb in Hawaii said...

Gorgeous! It looks just perfect.

Selba said...

Definitely looks so delicious!

Martha said...

This looks great. I, too, cooked my tenderloin inside the last time I made it rather than grilling. What a great tip about the chipotle/adobo sauce.

Amy said...

Oh Mary,
Your blog makes me sooo hungry! What a great cook you are. Your tenderloin came out picture perfect and I am sure it was very yummy. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes. I will definitely be back! Amy :)

Cathy said...

Pork loin is one of my favorites and this marinade looks wonderful, Mary. I bet its good on chickn too.

All printed out and ready to try. Yum...

Tracey said...

Oh my gosh, I love anything with pork and chipotle. What a perfect pairing. Thanks for the recipe.

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

You have a great blog. So glad I found you. I really look forward to seeing more

noble pig said...

This sounds excellent, love the chipotle.

Heather S-G said...

Well, I love chipotle EVERYTHING... so I know I'd love this! Sounds great...I have some tortilla begging to be wrapped around this :D

Unknown said...

YUUUUUUUUM! Thank you for stopping by my place and for realizing Marley IS truly stressed...just as the photo shows...LOL I have become a follower so as not to miss a "bite". xojana

kellypea said...

Isn't cooking in your cast iron skillet the perfect thing? Love the sound of this recipe. We've made pork butt and tenderloin so many ways and try just about every version we find. Looks delicious.

Fifi Flowers said...

I must try this recipe! Sounds delish! Looks beautiful too!

Regina said...

I try it sometime. Thanks for sharing.

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

Oh my that looks good. He was so right that you had to share with us. I usually cook my pork tenderloin on the BBQ. Love your technique.

NKP said...

That does look tasty, and the leftovers would make awesome sammies!
Thanks for the tip about mashing the leftover chipotles.

Katy ~ said...

The marinade sounds flavorful and one that we would definitely enjoy. Another recipe of yours I must try, grins.

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