Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Chile Lime Glaze
A simple spice-rubbed pork tenderloin with a tangy glaze made from pomegranate molasses, lime and chiles.
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From: PatioDaddio — September 21, 2009
Ingredients
2 pork tenderloins (1 to 1 1/2 lbs each)
1 Tbs prepared yellow mustard
Seasoning
1 Tbs Sea salt, medium-fine
1 tsp Black pepper, ground fresh
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
1/4 tsp Granulated garlic
Glaze
2 cups Pomegranate juice (100% pomegranate -not a blend)
1 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime, strained
Zest of 1/4 lime, minced or grated
1/8 cup Sweet Asian chili sauce
1 Tbs Mirin
1/8 tsp Ground chipotle chile
1/8 tsp Ground ancho chile
Pinch of ground allspice
Preparation Instructions
Combine all of the rub ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Smear a very thin coat of mustard on all sides of each tenderloin.
Apply the seasoning liberally to all sides of each tenderloin.
Put the tenderloins in a gallon-size zip-top bag and refrigerate two hours.
Combine the pomegranate juice, sugar and lime juice in a medium non-reactive sauce pan over medium-high heat.
Warning: Do not use aluminum of any kind -not even anodized. Think stainless steel.
Stir the mixture well and let it come barely to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced in volume by half (45-60 minutes).
Remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining ingredients, mix well, and let cool.
Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let rest on the counter while heating the grill.
Tip: If one end of the tenderloin is very thin, fold the thin part over and tie with butcher’s twine.
Light your grill and create two heat zones, one medium-hot (about 425*), and a cooler side (350*).
Sear all sides of each tenderloin over the hot side of the grill until a nice crust forms.
Move the pork to the cooler side of the grill and cook to an internal temperature of 140*.
Apply a liberal coat of the glaze to all sides of each tenderloin.
Continue cooking to an internal temperature of 150* (total grilling time is 20-30 minutes).
Remove the pork from the grill and onto a serving platter.
Drizzle the glaze on the top of each tenderloin and tent with foil.
Let rest 10 minutes.
Slice the pork on a diagonal, against the grain, and serve fanned with a drizzle of glaze.
Cooks Notes
This recipe started with the glaze. I had been reading a little about pomegranate molasses and it intrigued me. The rest was literally just a brainstorm. I love chiles and thought the combination of flavors might work well together, and they did. Once I had the glaze I had to find something to put it on. I love the simplicity of pork tenderloin, and it seemed like a natural pairing. To my surprise my kids even loved it.
