Chipotle and Citrus Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Jon is always creating fabulous marinades for pork, chicken, and beef. I usually don't even search for marinade recipes - I just tell him what flavors I'm going for, or what I'd like to serve as sides, and he creates something that pairs perfectly.
However, when I saw this recipe in my Google Reader for Chipotle and Citrus Pork Tenderloin on Elly Says Opa, I knew we had to try it. Jon's dad was in town for the weekend, and my parents were also coming over, so it was the perfect time to try something new (I love that my parents enjoy trying all of the recipes I test!). Elly seared her pork on the stove and then finished it in the oven, but we decided to grill the pork.
I marinated the pork for about 6 hours and it really took on great flavors. Smoky, sweet, and a bit tangy all at the same time. I served it with a Cilantro Rice dish that I'll blog about soon!
The Marinade (I doubled this)
Whisk together:
- 1/4 cup orange juice (about 1 orange)
- 3 Tbsp. lime juice (1-2 limes)
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 chipotle in adobo, minced*
- 2 tsp. adobo sauce (from the canned chipotles)*
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 tsp. cardamom (I didn't have this so I used cinnamon instead)
I used two 1 lb pork tenderloins. I placed them in a Ziploc bag and poured the marinade over them. I marinated the pork for about 6 hours, turning them around two or three times.
Grilling the Pork
When ready to cook, heat grill to high. Sear the pork on all sides, and then place foil on the grill and put the pork on the foil and loosely close it (this is a new method Jon has played with over the past several months that he really likes - the pork stays so juicy). Cook until the pork's internal temperature reaches 150 degrees (about 20-30 minutes). Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
