Island Spice Pork Tenderloin

This recipe comes courtesy of one of my favorite blogs - Annies-Eats.  Not only is her food typically fabulous, her photography is amazing.  She's a resident physician here in Indianapolis.  Since I have a stepson who's just finishing his residency, I know the time commitment there.  How she has the time to cook such incredible things AND have a family AND a career, I have no idea.  I feel like a slacker compared to Annie! 

My administrative assistant found her blog about six months ago and told me I needed to check it out.  Checking it out is now a daily occurrence.  She posted this blog on March 17th.  We've now made this pork four times in about four months.  That's how much I like it!!!  For years, I made the same old marinade of bourbon, soy sauce and brown sugar.  We love that too.  In fact, when we have this, this is our favorite.  When we have the other, it is.  So, we're doing a taste testing tomorrow when we head to Cincinnati.  I've made two of each.  So, let the best tenderloin win.  (By the way - that's teriyaki flank steak behind the island spice pork tenderloin)

Island Spice Pork Tenderloin


For the spice rub:
2 t kosher salt

½ t ground black pepper

1 t ground cumin

1 t chili powder

1 t ground cinnamon



2 pork tenderloins (about 2-2½ lbs. total)
2 tbsp. olive oil



For the glaze:

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tbsp. (2-3 cloves) finely minced garlic

1½ tsp. Tabasco sauce

Mix the rub ingredients in a small bowl. 

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet until it shimmers.  Rub the pork tenderloins. 

Brown them in the skillet until they've got a slight crust - about 4 minutes total. 

While they're browning, mix the glaze ingredients in a small bowl.  

Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the glaze over the pork.  Sizzle them on a hot grill for about four minutes a side. 

Remember meat continues to cook after you've removed it from the grill so pull it when it's still pretty pink in the center or you'll wind up with overcooked pork tenderloin.  And, since pork tenderloin is such a lean cut of meat, there's not enough fat to compensate for any overcooking!

adapted from Annies-Eats who adapted it from Pennies on a Platter, who got it from a friend who got it from the Gourmet Cookbook (which I have but haven't read yet...)  Don't you love the way a great recipe travels?