Photo: Seared Pork Tenderloin with Cocoa Spice Rub Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander
- 4 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 4 tablespoons sea salt, preferably gray
- 2 (2-pound) boneless pork tenderloins
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, toast white peppercorns and coriander seeds until they begin to pop. Remove from heat and grind to fine powder in a spice mill or coffee grinder. Mix the ground pepper and coriander with remaining spices, cocoa and salt.
Trim the pork tenderloins of fat and silver skin. Rub with a generous amount of the cocoa spice rub. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Sear each tenderloin on all sides until a rich brown color, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove tenderloins from heat and finish in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Let the tenderloins rest out of the oven for at least 10 minutes before carving.
Extra cocoa spice rub will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Review This Recipe
You must be logged in to review this recipe.
or Sign Up to Review
Newest Ratings and Reviews
Read all 48 reviews
By ornith
on April 26, 2013
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
This is a great, easy recipe (especially if you have the rub already made!, and makes juicy pork with a wonderful aroma. Yeah, the rub takes a little time, but you can prepare it in advance, or use ground spices to make it faster and simpler.
However, it's improved with the following modifications.
- For a normal family dinner, make a half recipe. Even that gave us 6 servings, and enough rub to make a second half recipe.
- The rub could use a little more pepper and significantly less salt. (White pepper is milder than black pepper - don't just substitute evenly.
- "Done" for pork is 145 degrees. (Chefs have said this for a while, and the USDA *just* changed their recommendation to agree.
- I've done it twice and both times it took 15 minutes in our oven, not 10, though that may be because we have a high-end stove and it seared faster. If the halves of your tenderloin are different sizes, the larger one will need a few extra minutes.
By romerodejesus
Brooklyn, NY
on April 01, 2013
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
Very tasty, wonderful meal, This is the 1st time I've made this and it will definitely not be the last time.
By jashmore42
on January 13, 2013
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
Fabulous. This has been a go t recipe for me for 6 years!
Read all 48 reviews