This recipe was developed while I was still in my early 20's in my first apartment, long before I met my wife. It was created from the need for a foolproof meat to serve guests that I could make ahead, even the night before, pop in the oven, and voila... pig perfection on a plate! Oink oink! Pork tenderloin can be elegant or very casual depending on how you cook and serve it. This is a great quick, hardy and healthy weeknight meal, especially in the fall or a reliable meal for the boss or in-laws.
The secret ingredient comes straight from Cuba, so put on some latin music, sip your mojito and get ready for your family or guests to think you are amazing. Or maybe they just think you are amazing because they've been drinking the mojitos while you're cooking, and you are not amazing, but come on, your reading this blog to cook something for your friends and family, so you are totally amazing. Tell your guests I said so! Ok, rabbit chased, back to pork...
Cumin is the indisputable and undiscovered secret ingredient for making your pork sing from bbq to pork chops. For this recipe take a pork tenderloin, wash and dry, then rub in salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. If you like a little heat add some ground chipotle pepper to the rub. After the meat has set for a bit at room temperature place it in a glass pyrex casserole and smother it in local wildflower honey or clover honey from the market. At this point you can store the meat in the refrigerator all day. Make sure to let the meat come to room temperature before cooking. Pop it in a 375-degree oven. Cover in foil for about 20 minutes, then uncover for about 20-30 minutes to induce a nice crust. You can also rotate the meat half way through the uncovered cooking process.
Check the meat with a thermometer being careful not to over cook. The internal temperature should read 160-degrees. Then, let it rest for about 10 minutes. Just before you sit down at the table cut the pork into nice medallions and spoon a bit of the molten honey drippings over the meat. Ahhhh! It is so good and pleases the pickiest eater, even the kids.
This is a great meal served with herb roasted potatoes or butternut squash, baked apples, strawberries or a simple salad. This recipe makes even the novice cook look like a masterful chef with little to no work.
Ingredients
Approximately 2.5 lbs Pork Tenderloins, Cut in Two Pieces
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Cumin
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
6 oz Honey (I use local honey)
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Method
Wash and dry the Pork Tenderloins
In a 9x13" Pyrex Dish that has been sprayed with vegetable spray rub the meat with the following spices. Sprinkle both sides of the meat with garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Then pour the honey over the meat. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour covered in plastic wrap.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Allow the meat to come to room temperature before baking.
Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes until the interior temperature almost reaches 160 degrees on a meat thermometer. Once out of the oven allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes under a tent of aluminum foil and then slice into medallions 1/2" in thickness. Spoon honey sauce from the dish onto the meat.
Enjoy!
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