Vanilla and Bourbon Marinated Pork Loin with Sour Cream Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Pecan Gravy

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Put this together for a big dinner party we had this past week and it was a huge hit. I'd recommend to everyone who loves pork loin and sweet potatoes. Make sure to look hard for the cane syrup. It makes the dish. Also, if you don't have vanilla beans, 4 tps of a quality vanilla extract works just as well.

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WOW...what flavor!!!!

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if I left the pork marinating too long (48 hours + another 8 but this was awful- the pecan gravy however is excellent- again though I didn't make it with that much of the marinade which I think was the main problem- overpowering bite to it

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If you don't enjoy the flavor of bourbon, you might find it a bit overpowering in this dish. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it's not for everyone. I used Wild Turkey 101, which has a higher alcoholic content than Maker's Mark, so by all means use a really good bourbon, albeit one with an alcoholic content more along the lines of 80-proof. I served the dish with Kunde Estate "Robusto" Zinfandel, a dry late-harvest-styled wine and the integration was perfect.

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I was inspired by this recipe to try a slight variation that truly paid off!
I substituted a cup of maple syrup for the brown sugar, and added a dash or two of angostura bitters instead of the zest when making the marinade. Also, it's important to use a good bourbon like Maker's Mark or Knob Creek, as opposed to something cheap like Jim Beam. I would recommend Maker's as it has a smoother flavor, and will be less pungent. Also, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar tastes best, and is best for you. I would also recommend cooking the tenderloin for about an hour as opposed to 45 minutes, and leave on a little fat for flavor and moisture.
As I'm not really a fan of pecans, I removed them from the gravy altogether. I substituted green chiles for green peppers, and added a couple of whole dried red chiles, and a chopped green onion. Perfect to my taste!
Serve with mashed potatoes and corn bread and it's perfect!

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The gravy is really good, but the pork loin didn't taste very good at all. The meat had a gross vinegar/bourbon taste. I like bourbon, but this flavor was bad. The sweet potatoes were okay. My parents didn't like the bourbon in them, and I didn't particularly care for the molasses(Steen in them. The worst part of the experience was marinating the pork for 2 days and constantly thinking about how good it was going to be and then being totally disappointed.

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I am most disappointed in the time frame of this recipe. I thought I had it all ready at the same time, even with using a 5 lb pork loin instead of 6. I had the potatos on the table and the gravy ready with 50 minutes of the loin having been cooked plus 5 minutes sitting time, then I went to cut the roast. It was only half cooked. I know it is not my oven for it is brand new and works great. I am hoping that when it is finished cooking, my family will enjoy an awesome dinner even with it being much later than anticipated.

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The recipe is great. The procedure was easy follow thanks to the special treatment Emeril gave to this chapter.