This Blood Orange & Berbere Spiced Pork Tenderloin is the quickest and quite fantastic recipe. I’ve never cooked tenderloin before, so I had a flick around the internet while trying to get stuff ready before picking the kids up. In my desire for the least preparation possible, I ended up just pinching the cooking times from a recipe and doing the rest myself.
Now I expect all you tenderloin experts will read this and think ‘crikey, what was she thinking, that’s an awful thing to do with pork!’ Huge apologies xxx
Anyway, the result was a stack of juicy slices of pork, coated in a rather heady mix of ‘Berbere’ spices (Chilli, Salt, Black Pepper, Cumin, Coriander Seed, CrackedFenugreek Seed, Cloves, Allspice, Ajwan Seed, Ginger, Cardamon and Nutmeg) and the kids loved it! I know that’s quite a concoction but I used a Bart’s Spices one that I found lurking in my spice draw…
So, start by preheating your oven on full whack and gather the following:
- Piece(s) of pork tenderloin (I just go by eye to see how much I need depending on how many people are eating. We’re greedy piggies and we ate 800g between 5 of us, where 4 of us eat as if we may never eat again).
- Blood orange – juice of (or any orange, or orange juice from a carton is fine too!
- Berbere Spices
- Mix the blood orange juice with a couple of dessert spoonfuls of the Berbere Spice mix – more if you would like it spicier and less if not.
- Roll the tenderloin around in the mix in a roasting pan and into the oven.
- I did 5 minutes uncovered and then put tin foil over the top.
- 30 mins – check the pork is hot hot in the middle and pull out of the oven to rest.
- Slice as thickly or thinly as takes your fancy and serve with whatever you like. We had mash, peas and gravy (little one needs a sauce/gravy) today.
You can always cut some of the coating off for the kids if they find it too spicy OR you could roll the tenderloin in the orange juice first and then rub on the Berbere Spice mix on to the bit you’re going to eat and just a herby mix on to their bit…it’s always good for them to try things, though there’s no need to blow their heads off with chilli seeds on their first introduction I suppose.
Looks fantastic, as always – a gorgeous recipe! Thank you for lining up with #foodpornthursdays x
Thank you Becky – it was my first attempt at tenderloin and I was impressed!
I have a pork roast in the deep freezer that is coming out tomorrow. I don’t think I can get that spice blend anywhere here in my little town ….do you happen to know the spices that are in it? I love me some spicy! Thanks for linking up with us again at #foodpornthursdays!
Hi Trista! Yep – chilli, salt & pepper, cumin, coriander seed, cracked fenugreek seed, cloves, allspice, ajwan seed, ginger, cardammon and nutmeg. Thanks as always for your wonderful hosting!
This looks so scrummy! I’m often scared by pork as I can never get it right! But this recipe looks like a no fail to moist pork! X
Believe you me, if I can do this then you can! This was my first attempt at tenderloin and I think as long as you keep the foil tightly wrapped, it stays really juicy. Thank you so much for commenting x
Bet that is a succulent dish. I quit meat pre Christmas but that looks incredible. Thanks for linking up to #brilliantblogposts and also poppig over from #freefromfridays
Oh my goodness that sounds delicious! What a fabulous recipe. I never know what to do with meat having been a vegetarian for a long long time, so reading recipes like this is very inspiring! Thanks for sharing it.
Ah thank you Vicki – really lovely of you to say! x
I’m not that big a fan of spicy, but like the idea of doing tenderloin in orange juice. We do chicken breasts in it, but pork I’ve not tried.
Does make me laugh at your description of your family’s greediness…that could be my family too!
…and I haven’t tried chicken breasts in orange juice – thank you! Glad to know it’s not just us! Thank you so much for commenting x
Thank you 🙂
Thank you! 🙂