Awesome Summertime Recipe

FIRECRACKER PORK TENDERLOIN

(every ingredient in this recipe may substitute local fresh products – highly recommended when and where available – makes a better product!)

Ingredients:

Meat:

2 Fresh Pork Tenderloins (over 1# each if possible)

10 oz. package frozen spinach, squeezed dry

1 Onion chopped and caramelized

1/3 Cup minced garlic

1/2 Cup Craisins

Pork Rub:

4 TBLS. EACH Onion Powder, Oregano, Paprika, Basil, Thyme

2 TBLS. EACH Freshly Ground Pepper, Freshly Ground White Pepper

Sauce:

12 oz. frozen unsweetened raspberries, (thawed)

12 oz. frozen unsweetened blueberries, (thawed)

6 whole serrano chile peppers (stem, membrane, seeds removed, minced)

1/4 Cup Tarragon

2 TBLS. Freshly Grated Ginger

Fresh Squeezed Juice from 4 Oranges

Sautee spinach, caramelized onions, garlic until warm (a few minutes).  Add craisins, mix well, divide recipe in half, and set aside.

Using a very sharp knife, slice each tenderloin at two diagonals lengthwise opposite each other creating a relatively flat piece of pork.  Be careful not to cut all the way through the meat (err on the side of undercutting.  Pound out for a few minutes to make stuffing easier.  Divide the spinach mixture between the two tenderloins, and roll each back together to encircle the spinach mixture.  Tie each tenderloin with string in approximately 7 places to hold it together,

Mix all rub ingredients together and split recipe between two freezer bags.  Place the tenderloins (one in each bag), roll/toss each to cover with the rub mixture and refrigerate overnight.

You will be making two sauce recipes, identical except one will have raspberries and the other blueberries.  Divide all sauce ingredients in half. Place half of the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor, add the raspberries and puree.  Strain sauce through cheesecloth (unless you like the fruit seeds) into cheap plastic condiment dispensers, preferably with narrow tips.  Repeat process using the blueberries.  Strain sauce into another condiment dispensers.  You should now have a raspberry sauce and a blueberry sauce.  They may both be prepared a week ahead of time and refrigerated.

Using a “charcoal Chimney”, not flammable charcoal starter (makes food taste odd and is bad for the environment).  Get coals very hot and place on one half of the bottom of your grill, leaving the other half of the grill for indirect heat.  Grill tenderloins for one minute on each of their four sides over the hot coals.  Move both off the coals to indirect heat side of the grill.  Cover grill and cook for 20 minutes, turn each once and cook for additional 20 minutes.  Wrap each with aluminum foil and let set for approximately 5 minutes.

Slice about 1/2″ thick (serrated knife works great) and place shingled or in circles on dinner or appetizer plates.  May also be served on a platter family style.  Drizzle sauces alternately over pork however creatively you choose. Makes 6-8 portions.

This recipes looks difficult, but it is very easy and takes less than 1.5 hours from start to finish.  Play with different ingredients – have fun – enjoy!

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