Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Spring Vegetables
(tender spiced pork tenderloin, charred vegetables + Spring greens salad)
Serves 4
Fire up your grill or cook in a smoking hot cast-iron skillet if you prefer. The vegetables can be whatever looks best at the market and highlight the season.
What you need:
1 (2 pound) Chairman’s Reserve Pork Tenderloin
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons Coriander Rub (recipe to follow)
12 small carrots with tops, washed and dried
8 spring onions, washed and dried
12-18 thin asparagus spears, washed and dried
1 lemon, cut in half
2 heaping cups watercress, arugula or any Spring salad greens mix, washed
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
1 tablespoon torn or chopped tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon torn or chopped Italian parsley
Coriander Rub
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
(Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container, until ready to use)
What to do:
1. Prepare Pork Tenderloin and Vegetables: Brush all sides of pork tenderloin with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Evenly season all sides of the pork with one tablespoon of Coriander Rub and refrigerate for 2 hours. Coat carrots, spring onions, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1 tablespoon of Coriander Rub and refrigerate until tenderloin is ready
2. Grill Pork Tenderloin, Spring Vegetables and Lemon: Remove tenderloin and vegetables from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature while grill is heating. Heat a grill to 400ºF. -using a direct grilling setup. Place lemon halves cuts side down over the hot coals and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the lemon halves have a nice char. Remove to cool. Place the seasoned pork tenderloin over the hot coals or burner and grill for 3-5 minutes. Using tongs rotate the meat every 3-5 minutes and cook until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the pork tenderloin reads an internal temperature of 140º F (about 15 minutes). Remove the loin from the heat and let it rest 10 minutes. While the pork is resting, place to seasoned carrots, onion, and asparagus on to the hot grill to cook. (NOTE: The grill should still be hot, so the vegetables and get a nice char quickly, without over cooking.) Grill the vegetable for approximately 3-4 minutes and then turn them and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove to a plate.
3. Prepare Spring Salad Greens: Toss the Spring salad greens in remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil , the juice of 1 of the halves of charred lemon, and 2 teaspoons of Coriander Rub.
To Serve: Slice tenderloin into ¼-inch medallions. Place grilled vegetables and tenderloin medallions on a platter, garnish with herbs and juice of remaining lemon half. Serve with Spring Greens Salad on the side. For a one platter service, pile dressed salad on a platter and top with sliced tenderloin and vegetables. Garnish with chopped herbs and juice of remaining lemon half.
Tuffy Tip: When placing the vegetables on the grate, place them perpendicular to the bars of the grate, so that the vegetable will not fall through the grate.