Spicy Pork Tenderloin

This lovely recipe is adapted from Diane Sanfillippo’s excellent Practical Paleo book (p.328). I received this book as a Christmas present when we first started Paleo and it has become a firm favourite. There is just so much information in it, as well as fantastic recipes.

We don’t cook pork loin regularly. I don’t know why because it is relatively cheap and has the most melt-in-the-mouth texture. It is not dry at all. This recipe is a winner.

Ingredients

Bacon fat – we used some dripping instead

1 pork loin

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon coriander

1/2 tablespoon garlic granules

Salt and pepper

Combine the spices in a bowl with salt and pepper. Pat the loin dry and roll in the spices, making sure that it is coated well.

Melt the fat in the pan and sear the loin on all sides.

Pop into the oven on a medium heat (around 180) for 30-40 minutes until cooked through. Be careful here. Although you must make sure it is thoroughly cooked, you don’t want it to over-cook it. We took ours out when it was still very slightly pink (just cut through after 30 minutes to check).

Cover with foil and allow the meat to rest for around 10 minutes.

While the meat is resting, transfer any juices from the roasting tray to the frying pan. Add a little chicken stock, some herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage) and a good splash of red wine. Season and reduce down.

Carve the loin into slices.

Serve on a bed of spicy red cabbage, accompanied by some roast root vegetables (we used butternut squash this time) and the red wine sauce.