BLACKENED PORK TENDERLOIN

After marinating overnight in a blend of rum, spices & herbs, then roasted at 450 degrees f for 23 minutes this turned out to be one of the most tender and juicy pork tenderloins that I have ever eaten.

For the marinade:

1. 2 San Marco adobo chipotle peppers with sauce (2 whole canned chipotle peppers, finely chopped + 2 TBS of sauce)
2. 1 TBS Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum
3. *1 TBS Coconut rum
4. 3 TBS Maple Syrup
5. 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
6. 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
7. 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
8. 1 teaspoon dried crushed Rosemary
9. 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10. 2 TBS unsalted butter
11. 1/2 cup Taylor sweet Marsala Wine

1 lean pork tenderloin (this one weighed a mere 1.37 lbs)

*It really isn't necessary to use two different types of rum, 2 TBS of either one would be just fine, and I might just use the Coconut rum in the future.

1. Place all of the ingredients listed in Step 1 (except the pork tenderloin & the wine; the wine will be used to baste the roasting pork) into a blender and pulse them until well blended.
2. Melt 2 TBS of unsalted butter in a heavy sauce pan.
3. When the butter begins to foam, add the blended ingredients to the pan.
4. Simmer over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the marinade becomes a very dark.
5. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

1. Rinse the Pork Tenderloin under warm water, pat dry, and sprinkle with salt (I prefer Diamond Crystal's Kosher Salt because it contains less sodium per measure than regular or sea salt).
2. Smother the tenderloin with the marinade. It's kind of messy, but use your hands to coat and pat the marinade over all exposed surfaces of the pork.
3. Wrap it in wax paper or plastic wrap, then enclose it in a ziplock bag and refrigerate it for several hours, or overnight and until you are ready to roast it.

• Since I did not have a rack that would fit into a roasting pan and accommodate the long, narrow, pork tenderloin, I made one out of aluminum foil. Just roll up strips of foil and place them in the bottom of a pan; it work s fine!

1. Remove the marinated pork from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to cooking and let it warm to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Place the pork on the rack and roast it for about 20 minutes per pound,
4. After it has roasted for about 10 minutes, baste it with about 1/4 cup of sweet Marsala wine.
5. Baste it again with the remaining wine after it has roasted for another 8 to 10 minutes
6. When the roast reaches an internal temperature of about 145 degrees F remove it from the oven and let it rest on a serving ;platter for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

• (I would ordinarily baste meat after it has roasted for 30 minutes, then again every 30 minutes until is cooked through; however, this roast only weighed 1.37 pounds, so I had to baste it more often).

Roasted Blackened Pork Tenderloin with a side of zucchini cooked with garlic and olive oil in stewed tomatoes - and a Jim Beam Apple bourbon & soda garnished with a slice of Granny Smith green apple!

Bon appétit

I have estimated the nutritional values of this recipe to the best of my ability using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Analyzer. Just click on the image to enlarge it.

(The estimate does not include any side dishes or beverages).