Citrus & Chile Marinaded Pork Tenderloin

The last two times we've gone to the grocery store they've had a citrus chili pork tenderloin in the butcher case that Matt has been eying. He decided to take a stab at making his own version last night. It turned out really tasty. The flavor of the lime really comes through nice & bright in the grilled pork. We used ancho chile powder which is very mild. You could get the chile flavor in the pork but we think next time we'll add a little cayenne pepper as well for a kick.

In the past, Matt has had some problems getting pork tenderloin cooked correctly on the grill. He said his problem was he was trying to cook the pork like a steak & that wasn't right. This time he treated the grill like a outdoor oven, allowing the pork to roast & it came out beautifully cooked & juicy.


Citrus & Chile Marinaded Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin
1 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lime
2 T olive oil
2 T ground ancho chile powder
1 t kosher salt
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Mix everything but the pork together in a resealable plastic bag. Add the pork & seal the bag shut, removing most of the air. Massage the meat a little to get it completely covered in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator & let marinade for 1 hour.

Heat grill to 400. If you have a gas grill heat two or three burners. Remove the pork from the marinade & place over direct heat on the grill. Sear all sides of the pork. Turn the flame off under the pork, leaving the burners the pork is not over on, & close the grill cover, allowing the pork to cook with indirect heat for about 30 minutes or until done. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

If you have a charcoal grill first sear the pork over the hottest coals & then move it to a cooler section of the grill to roast. If you want to do this inside, sear the pork in a pan on the stove before roasting it in the oven.

We served the pork with creamed cipollini onions & radish greens which I prepared just like the leeks & yukina savoy last week, so good!