Grilled Pork Tenderloin Southwest
One of our favorites, this recipe may be tailored to feed a family or a dinner party. If you do halve the recipe and use two 1-pound tenderloins instead of four, make the same amount of marinade as called for in the recipe. If you're feeding a large gathering, double the number of tenderloins, as well as the marinade. In any case, you'll get raves however many you're serving.
Which chiles to use are a matter of personal taste. We used a mix of ancho and pasilla chiles -- very flavorful, but not so hot as to mask the flavor of the tenderloins.
- 4 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup dried, crushed chiles (New Mexico, ancho, cascabel, chipotle or serrano, in order of mildest to hottest)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 large limes)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- With a sharp knife, remove the "silver skin", a thin membrane surrounding tenderloins, if it is present.
- Mix all marinade ingredients and marinate tenderloins in a glass or plastic container or heavy-duty freezer bag for several hours or overnight. (You can control the heat of the marinade with the amount and type of chile you select.)
- Before grilling, remove the tenderloins from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.
- Preheat your grill. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade, and discard the marinade. Grill over high heat for 10 minutes, turning frequently, to sear. Then, move the tenderloins to a cooler part of your grill or, if you are using a gas grill, reduce the heat, and cook, turning frequently, until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 145°F degrees.
- Remove from heat, wrap tenderloins well in aluminum foil, and allow them to rest for at least 5 minutes. (This last step is important because the tenderloins will continue to cook after removing them from the heat.) Slice on the diagonal and serve with sliced avocados, onions and tomatoes.
Note: If using two 2-pound tenderloins, grill as above but turn to expose all four sides of each tenderloin to the high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Finish on lower heat, use your instant-read thermometer and wrap in foil, as above.
Ready in: 3 Hours 30 Min