So Many Dishes

Some foods just seem to enhance any dish. Pineapple is one of those things for me. It’s one of my favorite fruits, and it’s delicious on its own. But when you combine it with other ingredients, it always seems to result in something special.

We’ve had a pork tenderloin in the freezer for a few weeks, and we decided that it was time to put it on the menu this week. I have lots of recipes for the cut, but I wanted something where I could put together a nice meal while still watching the World Cup final. Ken suggested a dish I haven’t made in a couple years, jerk tenderloin with pineapple chutney.

This was really the perfect choice. I made the chutney early in the afternoon. It’s good warm or cold, so I refrigerated it after cooking. The pork gets a jerk seasoning rub, then is seared on the stovetop before roasting. I probably would have grilled the tenderloin if it hadn’t been for the soccer match. That would have added an extra layer of flavor, but it was just fine the way it was.

I decided to throw an allspice leaf into the pan before I put the browned meat into the oven. We have an allspice tree in our yard, and Ken loves to tear a leaf off to smell whenever he walks past it. The allspice we use in cooking and baking, including in jerk seasoning, is from the berries. However, I have talked with people from the Caribbean islands who tell me that it’s not uncommon to toss an allspice leaf into a sauce or broth for extra flavor. There’s no cooking liquid in this dish, but that leaf at least made the kitchen smell extra good.

I’ve adjusted the cooking time for the recipe, which is from the 2007 Cooking Light annual compilation. It calls for cooking the tenderloin to a temperature of 160 degrees. That’s definitely overcooked! The accepted temperature at which a tenderloin is done is 145 degrees, letting it rest for an additional 10 minutes.

I used Penzey’s jerk seasoning, but added an extra half teaspoon of ground allspice, because it just tastes so good.

Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Pineapple Chutney

Pork:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (1 to 1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin
• 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning

Chutney:

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 cups finely chopped fresh pineapple
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Dash of freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To prepare pork, heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Rub pork with jerk seasoning. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Place pan in oven. Bake at 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until a thermometer registers 145 degrees. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

To prepare chutney, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add pineapple and remaining ingredients. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold over pork.

Makes 4 servings.

Happy eating!