Coffee-Marinated Pork

I 'll continue the pork theme with a recipe from Bon Appetit. I modified it slightly. The original recipe called for a pureed marinade that contained macadamia nuts. After trying the recipe a couple of times, I couldn't really detect what this added to the recipe, so I omitted the macadamia nuts.

I like this recipe a lot. I feel like the sweetness of the marinade goes well with the pork. I also like how the marinade and grilling gives the tenderloin a great caramelized color.

Also, the more I think about this recipe, the more I feel the molasses and maple syrup might be redundant. I'll give this some more thought. I'd also like to use a hotter pepper like a Serrano or Habanero. I think more heat would better complement the sweetness of the marinade.

Coffee-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup freshly ground coffee beans
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/8 cup molasses
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 jalapeno chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon minced ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 pounds)

Directions:

1. Prepare pork tenderloin by trimming the silver skin. This step is crucial. You will end up with a much more tender, flavorful, and appealing final product if this is done. I wish someone would have shared this little secret with me when I first started cooking.
   
2. Transfer marinade and pork to Ziploc bag. Turn to coat the tenderloin, and let it chill in refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.
3. Prepare grill and cook pork tenderloin over medium heat for 25 minutes or until the center registers 145 to 150 degrees. Be sure to turn the pork a couple of times during the cooking process.
   
4. Transfer to cutting board; let stand 10 minutes, and then thinly slice the tenderloin.