The Tenderloin: Pork Tenderloin with Coffee Sauce

Pork Tenderloin is probably one of my favorite meats to mess around with... because it marries well with so many exotic flavors, i.e. coffee - and following my alcoholic passions, Kahlúa was the "coffee"of choice.


What you need:
-1/4 cup Kahlúa
-1 cup Chicken Stock
-Espresso shots/ Drip Coffee (about 1/4 cup)
-Pork Tenderloin
-Seasonings: Salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin, lemon juice
-Side dishes: Rice/Beans, Asparagus
-Butter/ Olive Oil

Let's begin: Start by seasoning your pork tenderloin with salt, pepper, cumin, and a dash of cayenne. Heat a pan with butter and olive oil, olive oil helps the butter not to burn, and when the pan is smoking, you're ready to start searing your meat. We just want to add coloration to the pork so don't aim to fry the whole loin in order to cook it! Put the colored loin onto a separate baking tray and bake at 350 until it's reached 160 with a thermometer. Meanwhile the sauce... use the juices and fat left over from the pork pan. Fry garlic until it's just about done on low heat, crank up the fire to high and then deglaze the pan with Kahlúa and espresso/drip coffee. Next add lemon juice, to cut the fat, and season accordingly with salt, pepper, cumin, and if you're daring, a pinch of cayenne. Add chicken stock and let the sauce reduce until it's thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon.

I served this with steamed asparagus and wild rice with black beans. Not a bad combo, eh? Tu aimes les couleurs?