Recipe by Chef Sarah Scott of
the Robert Mondavi Winery.
More great
Pork Recipes.
Brined Pork Loin with Roasted Pepper & Avocado Salsa
Recipe Type:
Pork,
Avocado,
Bell Peppers
Yields:
8 to 10 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 18 min
Ingredients:
Roasted Pepper and Avocado Salsa (see recipe below)
2 to 4 petite pork tenderloins
1/2 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/4 cup
coarse salt
1 cup boiling water
1 gallon cold water
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon
peppercorns
Pinch crushed red pepper
6
garlic cloves, chopped
6 fresh thyme sprigs, chopped
6 fresh oregano sprigs, chopped
4 bay leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons
olive oil
Preparation:
Prepare Roasted Pepper and Avocado Salsa;
refrigerate until ready to serve.
Trim
the tenderloin roast of fat and silver skin (see photo on left). Silver skin is a silvery-white connective tissue. It doesn't dissolve when the
tenderloin is cooked, so it needs to be trimmed away. If the silver skin is not trimmed off, it will cause the tenderloins to curl up into the shape of a quarter
moon.
Score the meat at various points across the width of the tenderloin and
set aside.
Brining the pork tenderloin:
Check out my
Guidelines for Brining Pork.
Using a heavy-duty plastic tube, stainless-steel bowl,
or resealable plastic bag can work as a brining container, as long as the
pork is fully submerged. Weight with a plate, if necessary, to keep the meat
fully covered by the brine. To determine how much brine you'll need, place
the meat to be brined in your chosen container. Add water to cover. Remove
the meat and measure the water.
Dissolve brown sugar and salt in the boiling water. Add it to
the cold water. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the
coriander, peppercorns, and crushed red pepper. Cook until they begin to
release their aromas, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add to the water
mixture. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. Mix well. Add the
pork tenderloins, cover and refrigerate 6 to 12 hours.
To assemble, remove the pork roasts from the brine. Rinse pork twice after removing it from the
brine solution; discard brine. If you are not ready to cook at the end of
the brining time, refrigerate until ready to use.
Bring pork roast to room temperature before cooking. Rub olive oil over the
entire roast before grilling.
Preheat barbecue grill. Place pork roasts onto hot grill; close the lid and
grill for 7 minutes. Turn the pork over, close the lid, and grill for
another 6 minutes. Turn off the heat (keep the lid closed) and continue to
cook the pork for another 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, insert an instant-read
meat
thermometer
into thickest part of the roast, temperature should
read 145° to 150°F (if not, close the lid and let the pork continue to
roast). Once brined, the pork cooks faster so be careful and use a
thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat.
The meat will remain pink from the brine.
This
is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and
use in my cooking.
I get many readers
asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my
cooking and baking. I, personally, use the
Thermapen Thermometer
shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed
for professional users, the
Super-Fast Thermapen
Thermometer is used by
chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent
thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click
on the underlined:
Thermapen Thermometer.
Remove from grill and transfer onto a cutting board; let pork
roasts stand 15 minutes before carving (meat temperature will rise 5
to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven). Cut across the grain into
1/2-inch slices. Transfer onto a serving platter and serve
with a generous
spoonful of Roasted Pepper and Avocado Salsa.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Roasted Bell Pepper and Avocado Salsa:
1 ripe, firm
avocado,
cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons minced red
onion
1 tablespoon chopped
cilantro
1
garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed
lime juice
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons
olive oil
1/2 teaspoon
coarse
salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
In a large bowl, combine avocado,
roasted red and yellow peppers, onion, cilantro, and garlic.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice,
rice vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour
over avocado mixture and stir gently to combine. Refrigerate, covered, until
ready to use. Remove from refrigerate 1/2 hour before using to bring to room
temperature.
