Where do you get most of your recipes these days? Other than on my blog (I mean, riiiigggghhhtttt??? Ha ha), probably mostly online in some way shape or form, right? I’m sure you have a stash of recipes though that have come from friends and family over the years. We all have at least one favorite that came from a loved one, one that we had to beg for, sneak a copy of, or wait to get in a will (yeah, our family had one of those).
When you not only get a copy of that treasured recipe, but make that special dish, you get a double whammy of benefits. A tasty dish AND the memories of where the recipe came from. This is one of those recipes: Jamaican Pork Tenderloin, mon (so a Jamaican accent doesn’t come through in print, but you get my drift).
Years ago we were fortunate to live overseas for a bit. One of our besties when we lived across the pond was another couple who shared so many of our interests it was inevitable we’d become friends. And more than a decade later, we’re proud to still call them friends. One of the many reasons we’re glad that we’re still friends is that this couple can COOK. And bake. And drink. And all that good stuff.
One summer evening, we headed to their place for a cookout. They made this seemingly simple-looking dish, and BAM we were hooked. The flavors are so complex, each complimenting the next in beautiful fashion. Warm flavors, punches of citrus, surprises of taste in each bite. And luckily they were more than willing to share the recipe. Score!
Whether or not this is actually something that would be made in Jamaica, I don’t care because it’s so good. This great grilling recipe has become a standard in our house over the years. In fact, I’m happy to say that the recipe continues to “give” as others have asked for (and received) it from us as well. It’s the recipe that keeps on giving. Who will you decide to share it with?
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 people | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 20 minutes | 2 hours, or overnight |
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I love these flavors. And the key really is the fresh ginger. You can use the ground stuff in a pinch, but the pop of flavor from the fresh-grated ginger mixed with the citrus of the lime, the earthiness of the herbs, and the warmth of the other spices is just heaven. So. Darned. Good. Enjoy, and share away!
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- 2 1# pork tenderloins
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1" piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 2 small limes)
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped (see note below)
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander (see note below)
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Trim tenderloins, removing much of the silver skin. This becomes tough when cooked, so removing it helps ensure a more tender meat.
- Mix together garlic, lime juice, olive oil and ginger in a small bowl.
- Add thyme leaves, chives, and remaining dry ingredients to a ziptop plastic bag.
- Add tenderloins and garlic & oil mixture to bag. Close bag and massage pork to completely incorporate the ingredients and coat the meat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight. The longer the marinade has to sit, the more robust the flavors will be once grilled.
- Heat grill to medium high heat. Remove tenderloins from marinade and grill for about 10 minutes on each side or until an instant read thermometer reads 140 degrees for medium. Toss the remaining marinade.
- Transfer meat to platter and tent with foil. Allow meat to rest for 10-15 minutes. Note that the meat will continue to cook as it rests.
- Slice, serve, and share this fantastic recipe!
1. I used chives in this version of the marinade. However, the original calls for green onions (or scallions, if you prefer). Either work well. The chives have a milder flavor than the green onions, so plan accordingly for the flavor profile you're going for.
2. For the coriander, I love my husband for helping me out on this one. Coriander generally comes in pod form, which means using a mortar and pestle, which I don't mind. But when you need as much of the crushed version of this fragrant spice called for in the recipe, a handy little grinder like this one works like a champ. He bought me one for Christmas several years ago, and I love it. You can find them at any home store, and can use them for whatever spices you may use more frequently.
3. Did you think I'd forget a wine suggestion? Puh-leez. For pork, Pinot Noir is a great pairing. It's lighter than many of the flavor-bombs of a cabernet sauvignon or other more tannic wine, and compliments the spices in this particular recipe really well. For a budget-friendly version, Fat Bastard is pretty even in its' flavors. Want to splurge? Ask your wine shop for a Pinot Noir out of the Pacific Northwest. The Pinots from that region are the ones I generally reach for as they are more balanced, in my humble opinion.
*As an aside, it you want a fun romp (literally and figuratively) through the explosion in popularity of this particular wine, be sure that you've watched "Sideways". It's a few years old, but will provide stunning landscapes, exploration of why one guy thinks Pinot Noir is the ONLY wine to drink, and of course, there's other stuff in there, too.
I love the flavor combinations in this marinade. And I just happen to have a huge knob of ginger waiting for the right recipe and maybe a pork tenderloin if I dive deeply enough into the freezer – hmmm.
I love the flavors, too. I’m sure it would be good on other meats as well (chicken??). De-lish!
Loving that spice combination!
LOVE all these flavors! Time to get the grill out. 🙂
Dee Dee,
This looks like it would be great for a freezer cooking session–combine all of the flavors in a bag, add the meat, and toss in the freezer. The day before grilling thaw the bag overnight and go to town.
I’m probably thinking of this since I had a Costco bag of Juicy Limes (must have been really juicy, since I got at least ¼ cup of juice from each one!) and I juiced them all before they went off. I’ve got lime juice and zest waiting for recipes!
Thanks!
Kirsten, it would definitely freeze well. And the limes here in Texas are not always as juicy as I think they’re going to be, but sometimes they surprise me! :o) Hope you enjoy this one!