Fresh and sunny - with a kick. Great with a side of rice, roasted peppers or potatoes.
Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
2 limes
3 mandarin oranges
Preparation:
- Mix cayenne, paprika and cilantro. Cut one lime and one orange in half; squeeze over tenderloin. Sprinkle with half of spices - flip tenderloin and sprinkle with other half of spices. (This can be done a day ahead to marinate more completely, or just before cooking.)
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Slice the other oranges and lime.
Cook & Serve:
- Sear sliced fruit and all sides of the pork tenderloin in a grill pan on a stove burner - on high. Transfer pan to oven and cook until oven thermometer inserted in middle of tenderloin reads 155. (Trust the thermometer versus the clock to ensure a safe temperature is reached.)
- Slice the tenderloin and serve on a platter. The cooked fruit makes a lovely garnish.
A Little Backstory:
I made a roasted pork tenderloin with cayenne years ago for dinner. The online recipe misstated the measurements -- it said 3 TABLESPOONS of cayenne instead of 3 teaspoons (and even 3 teaspoons was too much). Not only was it inedible, while it cooked it released a toxic cloud of pepper gas that made eyes water and stomachs lurch. One good thing about having a professional communicator post her recipes ... I always proofread. Twice.
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