Chili-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Martha Stewart Living (September 2008)

Pork tenderloin has got to be the biggest and best cheat there is. Salt, pepper, pan, stovetop, olive oil, sear, flip, sear, then throw in the oven for a half hour.

It's one of the easiest, no-fuss dishes in our repertoire. In the fall and winter, we make it all the time.

You can get fancier if you want, of course. A pork loin can be soy-glazed, herb-crusted, jerked or barbecued, turned into appetizers, sandwiches, entrees.  We're not sure how you'd incorporate it into a dessert, but we're sure it can be done.

Mostly, though, we keep our pork loin really simple: salt and pepper, maybe a handful of rosemary or thyme or garlic if we have it. But that's usually about it.

This recipe, though, has a great twist that's super simple but really takes the pork to a whole new place.

Truth be told, we didn't always have our pork tenderloin method down so well. Back in our younger, more novice days -- you know, like two years ago -- we would simply roast the loin in a pan, maybe glazing it with a sauce or something. The pork often turned out too dry, too overcooked.

Much like our barbecued chicken, we'd been doing it all wrong.

We learned, from a recipe in an issue of Everyday Food, that we'd been missing the biggest part of what makes a pork tenderloin so great -- searing it. 

Searing the loin in an oven-safe pan -- browning it on all sides and then throwing it in the oven -- makes a world of difference. You get that golden, deliciously flavorful crispiness on the outside, while the meat inside stays moist.

But the biggest, most important step is the resting: Allow your pork to sit for 8-10 minutes after you've taken it out of the oven. You'll end up with even more great flavor and perfectly moist meat.

This recipe for Chili-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin is really fantastic. The addition of the chili and the crushed garlic adds maybe two minutes to our stripped-down salt-and-pepper staple. But it gives the pork a delicious new flavor and a lovely, mild heat.

We'll definitely be going back to this one many times in the future.

Chili-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
Martha Stewart Living (September 2008)
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(This Photo:  Martha Stewart Living)

Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

    * 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill pan
    * 3 garlic cloves, minced
    * 1 tablespoon chili powder
    * 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
    * 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
    * Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

   1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine oil, garlic, and chili powder in a large, shallow dish. Add pork, and turn to coat evenly with chili mixture. Sprinkle pork with sesame seeds, and press seeds into meat. Season with salt and pepper.
   2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat, and brush with oil. Add pork, and cook until browned and grill marks appear, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
   3. Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork to desired doneness, 17 to 18 minutes for medium. Let stand for at least 5 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with pan juices.

Comments

[Mrs. L]

I just started reading the MSL September issue last night (I know, I'm a bit behind in the mags). Since I never make pork tenderloin (it always comes out dry) I'll have to give this recipe a whirl as I do love pork when it comes out nice and juicy.

[heather]

i love pork tenderloin too - it's a great "cheat" dinner, and it goes sweet, hot, sour, salty - whatever! i love how flexible it is! this one looks good :)

[Tiffany]

Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite winter foods too. I'm curious: what did you serve this with? It sounds delicious!

[Zach @ The Bitten Word]

@ Tiffany -- We actually served this pork with a pear-and-jicama salad, which we wrote about in a separate post this morning. http://thebittenword.typepad.com/thebittenword/2008/10/pear-and-jicama-salad.html

The two dishes played off each other really, really well -- kind of like a different version of BBQ pork and cole slaw.

[Maggie (Pithy and Cleaver)]

Yum! Gorgeous picture and great sounding dish. My friend Shiv also always puts a pan full of water in the oven...not sure if it helps prevent the meat from drying out, but that's the idea.

[Jennifer]

I made this recipe last night and it was really good. The pork was perfectly cooked. My grill pan wasn't large enough (My pork tenderloin was a bit "overweight") so I just used my roasting pan on the stove top and then popped it in the oven.
I served it with brussel sprouts, apple slices and texas toast.

[Zach @ The Bitten Word]

@ Maggie -- You mean a pan of water separate from the pan with the pork in it? That's really interesting...

@ Jennifer -- Glad it turned out so well! Also, pork with apples and brussel sprouts is seriously one of our most favorite meals! Just love the way the tastes go together! Mmmmm!

[Ciaran]

Boys,
I made this last night and it was great -- so easy and quick!
Miss you!
Ciaran

[Holly]

This is one of my favorite pork tenderloin dishes. I brined the tenderloins for 2 hours,used a lot more chili powder, browned it on both sides in my cast iron skillet, and cooked it in the same pan on convection roast. I suggest scraping the pan juices and serve over the sliced pork. Excellent and easy.

[Holly]

i used the the left over tenderloin for a late night dinner after a movie for fried rice.