Saturday, October 19, 2019

Espresso-Crusted Pork Tenderloin





“You can’t buy happiness but you can buy coffee and that’s pretty close.”


I love the taste of a big, bold cup of dark roast coffee. And the taste of coffee really enhances the taste of grilled and roasted meats. I know because I have posted two of my favorite coffee rub recipes on this blog.....baby back ribs and steak.

Coffee takes a rather bland cut of meat, pork tenderloin, to a very special place. This Sarah Karnasiewicz recipe calls for espresso powder, which I source from Amazon.com and always keep in my pantry. But in reality, any dark roast coffee will do. If you have beans and a grinder...get grinding. If you have Nespresso or Keurig dark roast pods, just peel off the lids and use that. Even dark roast instant coffee will work. Just don't use decaf. That stuff is a crime against all humanity.


Ingredients
1 (1-1/2 pound) pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons espresso powder
1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter


Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400ยบ.
  2. Combine the espresso powder, brown sugar, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over the pork until the surface is entirely coated. Drizzle pork with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the remaining olive oil and butter to a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add the pork and cook, turning as needed, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
  4. Transfer skillet to oven and roast pork for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. 
  5. To serve, slice tenderloin into rounds and drizzle with pan juices.



Wine pairing: Merlot

Grogs and Goldie, 1956

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