Pork Tenderloin with Cheddar-Jalapeno Grit Cake, Collard Greens & Black-Eyed Peas
I don’t know of any meal involving pork that isn’t good, do you? Emeril swears by the goodness of pork. This meal is so good it will even fool ya mama into thinking you slaved away in the kitchen all day.
This week we are paying tribute to all that is New Orleans and making delicious food celebrating Mardi Gras. Stick with me and by Fat Tuesday, you’ll be gobbling up jambalaya and screaming “ throw me some beads mistah“!
Recipe:
For pork tenderloin:
1 – 1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of any visible fat
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
barbecue sauce for finishing
Trim pork tenderloin of any visible fat.
In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Rub mixture onto pork tenderloin and let come to room temperature.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pan and sear tenderloin a few minutes on each side until lightly browned. Place in a roasting pan and continue cooking in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. The meat will register 155-160 degrees when done.
Let meat rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Set pan aside with pork drippings and seasonings to use for collard greens.
For Jalapeno-White Cheddar Grit Cake:
4 servings quick cook grits
1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
2 small jalapeno peppers, diced
splash of hot sauce
Cook grits according to package directions. Then stir in remaining ingredients, when cheese has melted pour grits into an 8×8 pan and put in fridge to chill.
Just before serving, remove grits from fridge, cut into desired shape and heat grit cake in a skillet over high heat.
For Collard Greens:
1 – 12 oz bag frozen collard greens
1 piece bacon
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp white vinegar
In same pan that pork was seared, cook one slice of bacon over medium-high heat. Remove bacon and gently wipe excess grease out of pan. Pour chicken broth into pan and deglaze, scraping up all the seasoning from the bottom. Add frozen collard greens, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
Let cook for about 15 minutes and then add vinegar and crumbled bacon just before serving.
For Black-Eyed Peas:
You may either use canned peas, rinsed and drained or cook frozen peas cooked according to package directions.
This meal can really be done in under an hour – just follow the steps below:
1. If using frozen black-eyed peas put them on to cook.
2. Season pork tenderloin and set aside to come to room temperature.
3. Cook grits, stir additional ingredients, pour in 8X8 pan and place in fridge to chill.
4. Fry bacon in skillet and put collard greens on to cook.
5. Pop tenderloin in the oven to cook for 15-20 minutes.
6. When tenderloin is finished cooking and resting, cut and heat the grit cakes.
Before plating, drizzle a little of your favorite barbecue sauce on the plate for the pork tenderloin to sit on. My favorite is Stubb’s from Austin, Texas – it’s super thick and tangy!
Laissez le bon temps rouler!
Throw me some beads!