Blackberry Jalapeno Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Vegetables

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Let's amp up your game for this grilling season!

BIG, BOLD flavors is what it's all about.  So I turned to the master of flavors that are "off the hook!" Guy Fieri and searched for the perfect recipe to present to you today.

BLACKBERRY JALAPENO GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN 

THIS is the recipe of the SUMMER!!!  If you make only one new grilled dish this summer make this one.  Otherwise you will be missing out on a dish that totally knock your socks off.  This spicy sweet Blackberry Jalapeno glaze covers a juicy grilled pork tenderloin that elevates this dish to outstanding!

I modified his recipe just a bit.  He brines his pork tenderloin first.  Since I think that a pork tenderloin is tender and juicy as it is I skipped that part.  Plus it made this quicker to prepare and it came out fantastic without the brine.  

The sauce really is the kicker to this dish.  Something this bold needs to have a great side dish that compliments it without overpowering it.  Roasted vegetables are the perfect side dish for that.  I chose multi-colored carrots of yellow and orange, along with fresh green beans, and cauliflower.  (MGG loves his cauliflower!)  Roasting is easy to do so this side dish basically takes care of itself while you grill the pork.

This dish is outrageously good!  Try it at your next opportunity and double it if you want to invite friends over.  Great for Father's Day or any celebration, or just a weekend cookout.  You will be the envy of the crowd, and the new master griller in town!

Enjoy!

Blackberry Jalapeno Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Vegetables


Pork:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, silver skin removed

Blackberry Jalapeno Glaze:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 to 2 roasted jalapenos, seeded, minced

1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup seedless blackberry preserves
1 1/4 cup wine, preferably Merlot
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Vegetables:

1 head cauliflower
1 small bunch of multi-colored carrots
1/2 lb fresh green beans

Make the Blackberry Jalapeno Glaze:
Add the butter to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the jalapenos and garlic and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the blackberry preserves and 1 cup wine and combine well. Simmer until reduced by half. Add the cornstarch to the remaining 1/4 cup red wine in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes more. Keep the glaze warm until serving.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Prepare the vegetables by cutting the stalk off of the cauliflower and cut into florets. Place on a sheet pan along with the carrots. Make sure not to overlap. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and flip the vegetables and add the green beans. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes until caramelized.

Meanwhile preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.

Add the pork tenderloin to the grill and cook for 6 minutes on each side, browning evenly and the internal temperature registers 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. At this point, evenly spread 1/4 cup of the glaze over the pork. Cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pork from heat to a cutting board and keep it warm tented with aluminum foil. Temperature should be around 155 to 160 degrees.

Slice the pork, arrange the slices on a serving platter and serve with remaining warm glaze and roasted vegetables.

adapted from Guy Fieri's Blackberry Jalapeno Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Summer of Grilling: Grilled Citrus Pork Tenderloin

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2016 is going down as the summer of grilling for us.

This is the year that we are going to perfect our grilling skills and it all starts with a Master Grilling Class that we took.  What an excellent class!  It was a small group of 10 people with hands on grilling for about 2 hours.  We prepped, studied, grilled, studied some more, and then ate a delicious dinner.  We got to learn various grilling techniques on different types of food.  The menu was simple:  How to grill vegetables, How to make the perfect steak, direct vs. indirect heat, searing, and grill to oven with chicken.  As an added bonus we made several different sauces such as a chimichurri, a teriyaki for grilled shrimp and a lemon herb for the chicken.

The best part was all the Q&A sessions where we learned so many tips.  It really helps when you get to pick the brain of a chef.  "It's all about technique" chef Mike says.   You can take the same recipe and have 5 chefs make it and each one will be unique because their style and techniques may be slightly different.  Makes sense right?  Otherwise we wouldn't have so many restaurants with overlapping dishes.

To put our Master Grilling class to good use we promptly went and bought a wonderful pork tenderloin (you know, the other white meat...) to try out all the tips we learned on the grill.  We don't eat pork that often although we love it, and I usually roast my tenderloins, so this was going to be fun!  Pork, like chicken is a neutral bases that lends itself to so many different flavors.  Since summer gives us an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables I wanted to theme our dinner around light summery flavors.  I whipped up a wonderful Citrus Glaze to go on the pork, and we served it with my Sautéed Zucchini with Mint, Basil, & Pine Nuts as a side dish.   

Wow, the class was a hit, the grilling came off like a breeze, and the dinner was a fabulous success!  The pork turned out tender and juicy and the glaze was the perfect amount of light citrus, sweet and heat all rolled into one.  Could not have been any better.

We have so many things we want to grill this summer so be on the look out for more delicious food coming your way!

Enjoy some grilling this summer!

Grilled Citrus Pork Tenderloin

serves 2

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 - 1 1/4 pounds)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

¾ cup orange marmalade (I used one with pieces of fruit in it)

Zest and juice from 1 orange
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Garnish:  lemon slices

Remove the silver skin from the pork tenderloin.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Allow the meat to come to room temperature (about 15 minutes) while you heat the grill to medium-high heat. 

Meanwhile in a small saucepan add the orange marmalade, zest from the orange and the lemon, and orange juice and lemon juice.  Stir to combine.  Add the red pepper flakes and heat over low heat until the sauce starts to melt a little and combines well.  Remove several spoonfuls to a bowl to use for serving and the remaining glaze will be used during grilling.

Place the tenderloin on the grill and cook 8 minutes on the first side.  Turn the tenderloin over and baste with the glaze.  Cook another 8 minutes.  Turn over again and baste with the glaze.  Cook turning frequently so the glaze does not burn until the meat reaches 155 degrees.  Remove from the grill and allow to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing into 1/2" pieces.

Serve with additional glaze drizzled on top and lemon slice on the side if desired.

An Elegant Father's Day Dinner: Fig and Ginger Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Father's Day is around the corner!

What a wonderful way to celebrate all the fathers in your life by treating them to an elegant dinner with family and friends.

Often we always do the grill thing for Father's Day because it's manly, and an elegant brunch for Mother's Day. But why not switch it up some and do a wonderful elegant lunch or dinner for father.  I think this is a wonderful switch up to the typical celebration.

Since the temperature is rising outside you need something to cook that is easy, quick, and has little fuss. Pork tenderloin is perfect for that. You just sear it in a skillet and pop it in the oven to finish cooking.  Adding a glaze lends tremendous flavor that everyone will find delicious! You can't get much easier then roasting in the oven which practically does everything by itself!

I chose to do a glaze that is a little lighter in flavor, reminiscent of springtime. The fig and ginger flavors compliment each other perfectly and complement the pork as well. This is a great dish anytime of the year and just perfect for a celebration. Pair it with my Ginger Glazed Roasted Carrots & Green Beans as a side dish.  Add a tossed salad, and some beautiful white wine and you have an easy dinner fit for a king!

Enjoy!

Fig and Ginger Glazed Pork Tenderloin

serves 4

2 (1 lb.) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & Pepper
For the Glaze:
1/2 c Fig preserves
2 tablespoons minced ginger or ginger paste
Splash of white wine

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Brush the pork tenderloins with the olive oil and season with salt & pepper coating all sides. On the stove in a hot skillet (over medium-high heat) sear the tenderloins on all sides until brown, about 5 minutes. Place tenderloins on a baking rack and place in the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes until done.

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan add preserves, ginger and wine. Stir to combine. Cook over medium low heat until the sauce has loosened up and is slightly bubbly. Reserve some about (2-3 T) for drizzling over the cooked tenderloins.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking the tenderloin, brush with the glaze. Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing. Cut the pork crosswise into slices 1/4 inch thick. Serve topped with remaining glaze.

Dinner Menus plus Caribbean Corn and Zucchini Saute

I've been away for a few days caring for my mom in Tennessee prior to some serious surgery she is having at the end of the week.

On top of the medical issues she's caught that nasty flu that most of the states (except mine and Alabama) has an epidemic with these days.  Needless to say the flu takes a toll on you and is hard to get over.  Especially for the elderly.  My mom is 84 and still full of vim and vigor....but this has definitely affected her appetite!  I think a bird eats more than she does. 

Not eating equates to losing weight.  At 100 pounds she doesn't need to do that.  So to get her stronger before the surgery I decided to fatten her up a bit with some good dinners.

These are nice rounded meals that you and your whole family will enjoy.  Some items I've posted before and some are new. 

Hope you enjoy these meal ideas as much as my mom did!  She complained of being so "stuffed"...I'm sure she gained a few pounds back!

Dinner Menu #1

Theme:  The Islands

Main:  Chili Lime Spiced Pork Tenderloin  (make the pork from this salad, Pork Tenderloin, Pear, and Glazed Walnut Salad)
Side:   Caribbean Corn and Zucchini Saute  (*recipe below*)
Side:   Spring Greens salad with homemade Ranch dressing  (made from my Creamy Ranch Slaw)
Starch:  Hot Roll

Dinner Menu #2

Theme:  A little bit of Italy

Main:  Chicken Marsala
Side:   Mini Bowtie pasta
Side   Spring Greens salad with homemade Ranch dressing 
Starch:  Hot Roll

(looks like someone already ate the roll!)

Dinner Menu #3

Theme:  Down home

Main:  Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
Side:  Green Beans
Starch:  Mashed Potatoes




Cute idea for the hot rolls.  We took Brigford frozen bread rolls and place two rolls into each muffin cavity.  Allowed them to thaw and rise for a couple of hours and then back them at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes.  The result is as you see in the picture, you get a big puffy roll, similar to a cloverleaf roll.  The dough pieces will form together as they rise.  Such a pretty and easy roll!



I hope you enjoy these dinner menus, and try a couple this week!

This corn saute is wonderful....!

Caribbean Corn and Zucchini Saute

serves 4

3 T butter
1 whole zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced
1 pkg of frozen sweet corn
1 T Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus blend

In a non-stick skillet over medium heat add the butter and allow to melt.  Add the zucchini stirring and tossing until lightly brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the corn and sprinkle the Caribbean Citrus blend over the mixture.  Stir to blend, and allow to cook stirring occasionally until corn is toasted, about 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

Pork Tenderloin, Pear, and Glazed Walnut Salad

How about a light dinner?

Pork matches well to the sweetness of cider, but instead of braising, sear tenderloins for a quick weeknight salad with slices of fresh green pear. If the weather is too chilly to fire up the grill, use and indoor one or the broiler works just as well.

This salad will leave you wanting more.  It is hearty enough to please a manly appetite but light enough to satisfy a woman's palate too.

This uses fresh pears, which are abundant right now.  A perfect mix of salad, pork pears, and some crunchy sweet walnuts.  The dressing?  A simple sherry vinaigrette.  A simple touch to a salad packed with flavors.

Eat Well 2013

Pork Tenderloin, Pear, and Glazed Walnut Salad

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

serves 6

½ c store bought glazed walnuts

2 pork tenderloins, each about 3/4 lb., trimmed

1 Tbs. olive oil

3 Tbs. chili lime rub (such as Mrs. Dash or Williams-Somoma)

For the vinaigrette:

7 Tbs. olive oil

2 ½ Tbs. sherry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 firm but ripe pears, preferably Bosc

6 handfuls (about 6 oz.) mixed salad greens

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Prepare a hot fire in a grill, or preheat a broiler.

Brush the pork tenderloins with the olive oil and season with chili lime rub coating all sides.  Grill or broil  (4 inches from the heat source) turning occasionally to brown evenly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 150°F or the pork is pale pink when cut in the thickest portion, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing. Cut the  pork crosswise into slices 1/4 inch thick.

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, the vinegar, salt and pepper.

Halve, core and cut the pears lengthwise into very thin slices. In a large bowl, combine the greens, walnuts and vinaigrette and toss to mix well. Arrange the dressed greens on a platter or individual plates, top with the pork and pear slices and serve immediately. Serves 6. 

Pineapple Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Don't put away the grill yet!

It's still summertime here.  It's 100 degrees...every day...so I would say that it's still grilling season! 

In Southern California we can pretty much grill all year round.  That's a great perk.  But during the summer months, grilled food just tastes so much better!  Maybe it's the fresh fruits and veggies, or maybe it's my imagination.  Either way, I like it!  I'm gonna keep grilling till the cows come home...hehe!...which may be a long time in LA!

So I got a great recipe for you that the whole family will love.  The main protein is pork tenderloin, you know the "other" white meat.  I like to think of it as the filet mignon of pork.  It is sooo tender.  It takes flavor very well either through a marinade or a rub.  A completely versatile meat the you can turn in to many, many, dishes of any international flavor....or just a wonderful American flavored home style dish!

This dish is Asian inspired.  The basting sauce has pineapple juice and some other great Asian flavors, that make a nice thick sauce.  Make sure to save some of the sauce for serving along side the pork!  Another great feature of this dish is the grilled pineapple.  Grilled fruit is fabulous!  If you haven't tried it, you just HAVE to!  Grilling brings out the sweetness in fruit, and gives it a nice smokey depth of flavor.  Brilliant as a side to the grilled Asian flavored pork!

I served this dish with a side of roasted baby white potatoes, laced with a little garlic and some grilled focaccia.  Another side dish that would be equally good are roasted sweet potatoes!  A nice rice would do well too.

(see the minced garlic in this sauce?....YUM!)

Any way you make this dish it's full of flavors that everyone will love.  So don't dawdle on this one!  Make it! Make it! Make it!  It deserves making...the sauce makes the dish, so don't forget it!

I'd love to hear how you like it, so come back and let me know. 

Enjoy your grilling!

Pineapple Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 ½ lbs.

salt & pepper

6 slices of pineapple, from an 8 oz can, save 3 T juice

1 lime

2 T low-sugar orange marmalade

1 ½ T hoisin sauce

1 ½ T lite soy sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

½ t Dijon mustard

½ t ground ginger

Preheat grill medium heat.  Remove the silver skin from the tenderloin.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Zest 1 whole lime and squeeze juice from lime and place in a small saucepan along with the zest.  Add 3 T pineapple juice from the can to the saucepan, along with the marmalade, hoisin and soy sauces, garlic, Dijon, and ginger.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Pour ½ of the mixture in a small bowl for serving.

Grill the pork, covered with the grill lid, 10 minutes on each side.  When you turn the meat the first time baste that side with some of the remaining pineapple mixture.  Turn the meat after another 10 minutes and baste again.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes and turn, and cook for a final 2-3 minutes, being careful not to let the marinade burn.  A thermometer inserted in a thick part of the meat should read 155 degrees.   Remove from grill and cover with foil, allow to stand 10 minutes.

While the meat rests, grill the pineapple slices 1 to 2 minutes on each side.   Slice the tenderloin against the grain in ½” thick slices.  Serve with grilled pineapple and drizzled with reserved pineapple sauce mixture.  


shared with:  Weekend Potluck
Foodie Friends Friday
Full Plate Thursday