Island Pork Recipe

Here is the recipe for the meat that I made the other night(that was too sugary the first time and just right the second...) I have had a couple of people ask me for the recipe so I thought I would just post it on here and you can try it if you want. I have never tried the salad with the pork. I just make the meat and then either mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. John is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, doesn't like a lot of extras! So I can't tell you how the salad is, but if you do make it let me know how it is. Maybe the kids and I would like it, forget about John!!! JK!!!

The last time I made the Pork, I think I used just a little over 3 pounds of meat, and a little under the 1 cup of brown sugar that it calls for. John thought that the first batch I made about a month ago was too sugary so I tried a little different combo. I also have never tried it with Tabasco, so... Just an FYI the notes that are in italics are from my cousin Kelly, who gave me the recipe originally. If you do try it let me know how you liked it!!!

Island Pork Tenderloin Salad
Serves 6-8

For Pork
2 t. salt
½ t. black pepper
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 t. cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins
(2 ¼ to 2 ½ lbs total)
(I used pork loin because it’s cheaper, and just cut it into 2-3 pieces lengthwise so it’s about the same size as tenderloin.)
2 T. olive oil

For glaze
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 T. minced garlic
1 T. Tabasco
(I left this out)

For vinaigrette
3 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. fresh orange juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. curry powder
½ t. salt
¼ t. black pepper
½ c. olive oil

For salad
3 navel oranges
5 oz baby spinach, trimmed
(6 c. leaves)
4 c. thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1 red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips
½ c. golden raisins
2 firm-ripe avocadoes

Prepare pork:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with spice rub. Heat oil in an ovenproof heavy skillet over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in skillet.

Make glaze and roast pork:

Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat onto top of each tenderloin. Roast in middle of oven until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140 F, about 20 minutes. (I roasted mine for 40 minutes – but I did have a lot of it in the oven) Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes. (Temperature will rise to about 155 F while standing.)

Make vinaigrette while pork roasts:

Whisk together juices, mustard, curry powder, salt and pepper, then add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified. Prepare salad ingredients while pork stands: Cut peel, including white pith, from oranges with a sharp knife, then cut oranges crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Toss spinach, cabbage, bell pepper, and raisins in a large bowl with about ¼ cup vinaigrette. Halve, pit, and peel avocados, then cut diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices.

Assemble salad:

Cut pork at a 45-degree angle into ½-inch-thick slices. Line a large platter with dressed salad and arrange sliced pork, oranges, and avocados in rows on top. Drizzle some vinaigrette over avocados and oranges. Pour any juices from skillet over pork.