Pan Seared Breaded Tenderloin : remodel dinner #3 aka DENIAL

Pan Seared Breaded Tenderloin : remodel dinner # 3 aka DENIAL

My sweetie worked from home yesterday and so decided to cook dinner. He decided to bread and pan fry the pork tenderloin we had in the fridge. After brining it.


Then coating it with mustard.





And making a breadcrumb coating. Then coating the tenderloin... And oh, yeah, we don't have a kitchen sink. Or a stove. Most of our cooking implements are in boxes in the garage. But no matter, he wanted his breaded tenderloin and nothing was going to stop him. Not even my merciless teasing about making such a complicated dish when we were kitchenless.

Have grill will cook.



Needless to say, dinner was late. And as we have no power to the back side of the house it was not only very cold, but dark out by the time we were done. I am, however, happy that he endured because the tenderloin was extremely delicious! I made some garlicky kale and plain rice as sides.

Bon Appetit!

Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Here is another super simple but incredibly tasty pork tenderloin recipe.

1 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 12-16 ounce Pork Tenderloin, trimmed

Preheat Oven to 375

Combine chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Put the tenderloin on a rack inside a baking pan and rub all over with the spice mixture. Bake in the 375 oven to a temperature of about 140 degrees. Remove from the oven, tent with foil, and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

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Spicy Pork Stir Fry

This is a pretty straight-forward stir fry recipe. It is kind of like Kung Pao Pork, without the peanuts. And you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. This time I used broccoli and yellow bell pepper. But you can use any color peppers, carrots, cauliflower, summer squash... you get the idea. Just keep in mind that some veggies (like summer squash) cook faster than others and you should add those a few minutes later so they don't get mushy.

Spicy Pork Stir Fry

For the Sauce

1 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp Water
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Dry Sherry (Not Cooking Sherry!)
1 Tbsp White Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

For the Stir Fry

1 lb Boneless Pork (Tenderloin or Boneless Loin Chops) Cut into Bite-Sized Cubes
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
! Tbsp Soy Sauce
2-4 tsp Canola Oil
8 Whole Dried Chili Peppers Cut in Half Crosswise (I had super cayenne from our garden that we had dried. In the Mexican spice section of the grocery store you can get "Chili Japones")
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Seeded and Sliced
1 1/2 Cups Broccoli Florets
1/2 a Large Onion, Sliced
1/2 - 3/4 tsp Minced Ginger From a Jar (Fresh if you have it, but I rarely do.)

Combine the pork with 1 Tbsp each cornstarch and soy sauce and set aside.

Heat 2 tsp canola oil in a wok or large non-stick skillet over high heat. Shake the seeds out of the chilis into the hot oil, then add the chilis and cook until blackened, about one minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add more oil if needed, then add the pork to the pan and stir-fry until mostly cooked, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the vegetables and ginger and cook until they are cooked but still crisp, about 2 minutes more. Re-stir then add in the sauce. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, 1 or 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and add the chilis back in. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Chili Verde Recipe

I love chili. Pretty much any chili. And this one is no exception. Cilantro, spices, pork tenderloin. Did I mention cilantro? It is an acquired taste, I think, but now that I have acquired the taste, I love cilantro. Anyway this chili hit the spot on a cold rainy night with homemade tortillas prepared by my sweetie.

Chili Verde

4-5 Small Tomatillos
2 Mild Peppers (I prefer Anaheims for this recipe, but all they had at the market this time was poblanos, so I used those instead with delicious results.)
2 Hot Peppers, Jalapeno or Serrano
A Few Handfuls of Fresh Cilantro
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Pork Tenderloin 1-1/2 lbs
1/2 Cup or so Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
4 tsp Canola Oil, Divided
1 Onion, Diced
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Mexican Oregano
2 Cups Broth (Veggie or Chicken)


Remove the papery skin from the tomatillos and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet along with the mild and hot peppers. Roast the tomatillos and peppers under the broiler or in a hot oven, turning often, until beginning to blacken and char on all sides, about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, cut the pork into about 1/2 inch dice. Combine the flour, salt, onion and garlic powders in a shallow bowl. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven. Dredge the pork in the flour mixture and cook, in batches if necessary, until nicely browned, about 5-8 minutes per batch. Remove the pork to a plate or a bowl.

When the vegetables are charred, remove from the oven. Seal the mild peppers in a bag for about 10 minutes. Put the tomatillos in a food processor and process until smooth, then remove to a small bowl. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the skins, seeds and membranes, and place them in the food processor along with the cloves of garlic, hot peppers (remove seeds for a milder chili) and cilantro. Process to form a smooth paste.

Heat the remaining 2 tsp of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sautee until just beginning to brown, then add in the cumin and oregano. Cook for about one minute. Add the pork, tomatillos, and cilantro puree. Stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the broth and simmer the chili for at least 45 minutes.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with a Cornflake Crust

I like pork tenderloin a lot. It is super versatile and easy to prepare. This version is a simple oven roast with coating of cornflake crumbs.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with a Cornflake Crust

3/4 Cup Crushed Cornflakes
1/4 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 Pork Tenderloin (1-1 1/2 lbs)

Preheat oven to 350

Combine everything except the mustard and the pork in a plastic bag. Rub the mustard all over the pork, then put the pork in the bag with the crumbs and seasonings. Shake the pork around in the bag to coat evenly with the crumb mixture.


Place the pork on a rack in a baking sheet, and bake to desired degree of doneness. I usually cook my pork to about 140 or so, then let it rest and continue cooking for about 10 minutes before slicing. This one came out of the oven at 145, and coasted up past 151.

Chili Rojo Recipe

So I had a pork tenderloin in the fridge. And today I got tomatoes, sweet red peppers and hot padron peppers in the CSA share. Now normally I make chili verde with tomatillos and a variety of green chilis/peppers, but since I had red today, I decided to try "Chili Rojo". And it was the yum!

Chili Rojo

3 Medium Red Bell Peppers
3 Medium Tomatoes
1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
One Pork Tenderloin (14-16 oz.)
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
Pinch each of salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder
2 tsp Canola Oil
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Mexican Oregano
1 cup Broth (Chicken or Veggie)

Optional garnishes

shredded cheese
sour cream

Roast the Peppers and Tomatoes under a broiler until blackened all around. My peppers took about 20 minutes with turning every 5 minutes or so. The tomatoes took about 30 minutes. Put the peppers in a paper or plastic bag and let sit until cool enough to handle, then remove the skin and seeds, keeping in mind it is okay to leave some skin on the peppers. No need to seed or skin the tomatoes. Puree the peppers and tomatoes in a food processor.

Trim and dice the tenderloin in 1/2 inch dice. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Heat the canola oil in a pot over medium heat. Dredge the pork in the flour mixture and add to the heated oil (in batches if needed) and brown on all sides. Remove from the pot. Add more oil, as needed, and the onions. Cook the onions until beginning to brown and 'reduced', about 12 minutes. Add the minced or crushed garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Stir for 1-2 minutes.

Return the pork to the pan, along with the pureed vegetables and 1 cup of broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until desired consistency. The pork shouldn't take too long to cook (maybe 15 minutes?) but the chili will really improve with increased cooking time. I simmered mine a good hour and fifteen minutes.

Garnish with grated cheese and sour cream and serve with homemade tortillas ( or corn bread )

!Buen probecho!