Cilantro & Lime Marinaded Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle Cream

This dish starts with a marinade which is essentially the same as this pork chop recipe I posted recently. In fact, it was the success of the humble pork chop recipe that inspired this somewhat fancier dish to be featured in a recent dinner party I did (details coming soon, I promise!).

I'll write this version for 1 tenderloin, which is a good amount for a few people, but it scales well (I made 3 for the party). The Sweet Potatoes with Cumin-Sage Butter make a great side for this one!

1 pork tenderloin, about 12-16 ounces

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For the marinade

3 to 4 tbsp fresh lime juice

2+ tbsp chopped cilantro

2 clove garlic, minced

pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil

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For the cream

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp adobo sauce from small can of chipotles packed in adobo

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Combine all the ingredients except for pork in a small bowl to make the marinade. Place the pork chops in a large plastic bag, pour the marinade into the bag to cover. Close the bag, shake it up to coat the pork. Marinade for at least 1 hour...most recently I marinaded for 5 hours or so (refrigerated) with good results.

Pre-heat your oven or grill to cook the pork. Remove tenderloin from the marinade, scrape off the bigger pieces of garlic. Place on grill or in oven, 15-20 minutes on a grill medium/high heat should do it, turning once. Pork tenderloin should still have a bit of pinkness, it will continue to cook when resting. Remove from heat and tent with foil while you make the cream.

To make the cream, pour the heavy cream into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 5-10 minutes, until it is reduced to about 3/4 of a cup. Stir in the adobo toward the end of cooking.

Slice the tenderloin and serve with a bit of the cream, passing extra at the table. Enjoy!