I’ve been forgetting all week to talk about this fantastic pork tenderloin recipe we tried over the weekend. Last week as I sat down to plan menus out for our weekend of company I was stumped on a simple dinner for Sunday. I was delighted the day my new issue of Cooking Light showed up in the mail, because right there on the cover was my dinner. We always love pork tenderloin, and we also have grown rather fond of mustard based barbecue sauces, so when that was what was featured right on the cover, I eagerly flipped the pages to find the recipes.
The pork was quick to put together and extremely simple. A spice rub comes together in mere seconds, and then the tenderloins are grilled for about 20 minutes. After a brief rest they are sliced and served with a smoky and tangy mustard barbecue sauce. We happened to serve it on rolls as sandwiches, but no doubt this would be great as a slicing and eating pork. I did reduce the chili powder in the rub by half as I have a fairly spicy chili powder and I didn’t want it to be too much for the kids to enjoy. Otherwise, it simply was perfect. The barbecue sauce was very different from other barbecue sauces we’ve had, but delicious all the same. The bacon really gave it a nice smoky flavor, and overall we really enjoyed it. The mustard, oddly enough really didn’t come through that much. I think when I make it again (and note- there will be an again), I will add a bit more vinegar to the mix, as I really wanted a little more tang to the sauce.
Quick, easy, and a keeper, Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Barbecue Sauce was a hit. Unfortunately, since we did have company, I didn’t really feel compelled to snap a photo, so you’ll have to use your imagination, OR check out the cover of the June issue of Cooking Light magazine- they’re professionals, so they’ve done a much better job than I could even dream of.
Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Barbecue Sauce
Sauce: 2 bacon slices — finely chopped 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard 5 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin Pork: 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper 2 pork tenderloins — (1-pound) trimmed Cooking sprayPrepare grill.
To prepare sauce, cook bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until almost crisp, stirring occasionally. Add chopped onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mustard and next 5 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin) to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 4 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally.
To prepare pork, combine brown sugar and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper) in a small bowl, stirring well; rub mixture evenly over pork. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink), turning once. Let pork stand 10 minutes. Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with sauce.
Source:
“Cooking Light, June 2008?
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 72 Calories; 1g Fat (11.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 301mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.