Jamaican Pork Tenderloin

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This is definitely on my to try list. DH and I are going to try the smoking method on the BBQ (I hope!)

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch slices

1 cup orange juice

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tbsp frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup minced green onions

Instructions:

Place the pork slices, a few at a time, between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound slices to 1/4-inch thickness.

Coat a 10-inch non-stick skillet with non-stick cooking spray or a small amount of vegetable oil; place skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add pork slices to make a single layer in the skillet. Cook pork slices for about 6 minutes, or until pork is cooked, turning once halfway through cooking time.

Transfer the pork to a warm platter; cover to keep warm. Repeat until all the pork is cooked.

Add the orange juice to the same skillet. Quickly bring to a boil, scraping bottom with a spatula to loosen any browned bits. Add the onions, green peppers, red peppers. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Place the cornstarch in a cup or small bowl. Add the apple juice concentrate; stir until smooth. Add the minced garlic, ground cayenne pepper, cumin, thyme, and salt. Add to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Serve over the pork. Sprinkle with the green onions.

Serves 4.

To freeze, pack the cooled cooked pork and sauce in a freezer-quality plastic container. To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover and microwave on high power for 5 minutes or until hot.

Alternative method that we use:

We marinate the pork with all the ingredients for 4-5 hours, unsliced. After marinating, place whole tenderloin on a banana leaf, pour marinade over the tenderloin. Wrap it up in the banana leaf, and place in a smoker for 6-7 hours, making sure that the heat is not too high or low (we have a temp gauge on our smoker, and I keep it in the middle). Once the meat reaches an internal temp of 170F, remove from smoker and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and enjoy. Doing it this way allows all teh flavors from the ingredients to get into the meat, and the banana leaf allows the smoke to get in too.

For the leftovers (if there are any), just shred with a fork mix it with some BBQ sauce, and you have instant pulled pork that is beyond yummy as well.