Coconut-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Rice

 Last Year's Post: Raspberry Dark Chocolate Wonton Cups
Two years Ago:   Banh Mi

If you'd like a little island getaway without the hassle and expense, try this Caribbean-inspired menu.  It's full of interesting flavors and not particularly hot despite the addition of the chile.  I love the idea of serving the pork with hot sauce so each person can kick it up as much as they want.  The pork tenderloin is marinated in all sorts of ingredients that are tempered by the addition of coconut milk, then grilled and served with a wonderful garnish of green onions, cilantro, allspice and peanuts.  (If you live in a climate where you currently have feet of snow on the ground and/or below zero temps, go ahead and use an indoor grill pan or broil the pork. We all have our limits, even The Lawyer.)

The rice is the perfect accompaniment - dried pineapple adds sweetness that balances the heat, plus lime juice, cilantro and green onions echo the same ingredients as in the pork recipe.  I've posted the rice before here with grilled shrimp, but it's so perfect with the pork that I had to do it again.

Notice that you marinate the pork for 2-8 hours, so be sure to plan ahead.  The original recipe called for a Scotch Bonnet chile which I couldn't find at the store, so I substituted a Habanero chile instead.  Both are hot, so be careful when handling or wear gloves.  The heat is lessened by removing the ribs and seeds, plus it's tamed down by the coconut milk so don't worry - the finished dish is mildly spicy at best.  Hence the hot sauce - I tried red and green Tabasco and preferred the green by far - the red overwhelmed the other flavors.

One last note - the little jalapenos in the photo are just for looks because they're cute, so not to worry.

printable recipe

Coconut-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

You can make a chunky purée from the green onion/peanut relish, if you prefer, by pulsing it in a food processor. Handle the Scotch bonnet chile carefully as you chop it.

1 (14-oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk

Grated zest of 2 limes

Juice of 2 limes

1 heaping tbsp. mild curry powder

2 tsp. mild Spanish paprika

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

 1 Scotch Bonnet or Habanero chile, minced

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1 (2-lb.) pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat

2 tbsp. canola oil

Kosher salt

4 green onions, green and pale green parts, halved lengthwise and finely chopped

2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 c. coarsely chopped roasted peanuts

Green Tabasco hot sauce

Combine coconut milk, lime zest and juice, curry powder, paprika, garlic, ginger, Scotch bonnet and pepper in bowl. Add pork, turn to coat in marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

Heat grill to high for indirect grilling. Remove pork from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and pat dry with paper towels.

Brush pork with oil and season with salt. Put pork directly over heat and cook until charred on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove to cooler part of grill (indirect heat) and continue grilling until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 140 degrees, about 12 minutes longer.

Remove pork from grill, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Combine green onions, cilantro, allspice and peanuts in bowl and season with salt.

Slice pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with green onion-peanut relish and serve with hot sauce.

printable recipe

Pineapple Rice

Serves 4

Note: dried pineapple is sweeter and more intense in flavor than fresh; don’t substitute.

2 cups water

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

½ cup chopped dried pineapple

1 tablespoon butter

½ teaspoon grated lime zest

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add rice and next 4 ingredients (through salt).  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, onions and juice.

Coconut Lime Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Rice

Last Year's Post: Jewels of Spring: Asparagus Soup and Chicken with Rhubarb Sauce
Two Years Ago:  Special Brunch - Egg Strudel

The weather is finally warmer and it's time to switch to lighter, healthier foods and start grilling!  This recipe couldn't be any more fresh and tropical with the slightly spicy shrimp balanced by the soothing pineapple flavor of the rice.  Serve it with your favorite tropical drink (complete with little umbrella, of course) and you have a party in the making.

I love that this meal is healthy and relatively low-calorie in addition to delicious.  It's extremely easy to make and very fast, once you've marinated the shrimp.  Be sure to notice the marinating time of two hours -  I wouldn't marinate it any longer (like, say, from breakfast to dinner much less overnight) or the lime juice will toughen the shrimp.  So, plan on about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish but only about 30 minutes of active time.  It would perfect for a weekend where you start marinating the shrimp, then work on your garden for an hour or two before focusing on dinner (or a two-hour happy hour, who's to say?).  If you're having a party you could always do a huge platter of just the shrimp for an appetizer and it would be fabulous.

As I mentioned, the shrimp are very slightly warm from the jalapeno.  If you like spicy food I'd leave the jalapeno seeds in when preparing the marinade, or add another jalapeno.  Either way, this is a great change from the same-old burgers, brats and chicken on the grill.

printable recipe

Coconut Lime Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Rice

Serves 4

Notes:  Requires 2 hours marinating time.  Dried pineapple is more intense than fresh; don’t substitute if possible.  Also, several ingredients are common to both recipes – lime zest, juice and cilantro – and may be prepped one time and divided according to the recipes to save time.

For the shrimp:

2 jalapenos, seeded

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 garlic cloves

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup soy sauce

1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Wooden skewers, soaked in water at least 30 minutes

For the pineapple rice:

2 cups water

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

½ cup chopped dried pineapple

1 tablespoon butter

½ teaspoon grated lime zest

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

To prepare the shrimp:  in a food processor, combine the jalapeno, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, coconut, olive oil and soy sauce; blend until smooth.  Place the shrimp in a large zip-top bag and pour the sauce over.  Seal and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.  Thread the shrimp onto pre-soaked skewers and reserve the marinade.

While the grill is preheating, make the rice:  bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add rice and next 4 ingredients (through salt).  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, onions and juice.

To grill the shrimp:  place skewers on the preheated grill, turning and basting with the reserved marinade, 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through.

Serve shrimp skewers over rice.