Mojo Pork Tenderloin

The tenderloin is the leanest and most tender cut of pork and because of its leanness, care should be taken so that it is not overcooked. Tenderloin is a long, cylindrical, boneless cut of meat from the loin section of beef, pork, veal, and lamb. It is best when roasted or grilled. There are many recipes out there for pork tenderloin and this dish is one more to add to the list. Mojo is the name, or abbreviated name, of several types of hot sauce that originated in the Canary Islands. Mojo is also commonly served with fresh bread rolls at the beginning of a meal. Similar sauces, also known as mojo, are also popular in Cuba and throughout the Caribbean, due to heavy Canarian emigration to the Caribbean.

Serves 6
recipe from Cooking With Booze

75ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
75ml (1/3 cup) fresh orange juice
75ml (1/3 cup) fresh lime juice
75ml (1/3 cup) dark rum
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins (3/4 lb/375g each)
chopped cilantro

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and add garlic and cumin, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Add juices, rum, zest, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes, remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool. Place pork in shallow dish and pour marinade over. Refrigerate 1 to 3 hours.

Grease and preheat grill to medium heat. Grill tenderloin for 25 minutes, turning twice, or until internal temperature reaches 65c (150f), for medium. Transfer to cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add cilantro. Slice pork into medallions and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon over sauce and garnish with orange slices, if desired.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Lovely fresh flavors here. My husband usually grills this meat for about 10 minutes on all sides and then slices into medallions to cook for a further 2 to 5 minutes (depending on thickness of the slices). This helps to cut the cooking time down and also ensures the meat doesn’t get overcooked. A favorite Cuban drink of ours is the Mojito which I made for us to drink while my husband cooked the meat. Cheers!