Pinchos Morunos: Spanish Spice-Crusted Pork Tenderloin Bites

My non-pork tenderloin-eating son gobbled up these bites of meat! The sauce and seasoning were absolutely delicious.

This recipe was adapted from Milk Street: The New Home Cooking by Christopher Kimball. I doubled the recipe to use two pork tenderloin. We ate it with Basmati rice and green salad. Fabulous.

Yield: Serves 6

• 1 T ground coriander
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 one-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 T lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
• 2 T honey
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2-3 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1-2 T chopped fresh oregano

1. In a medium bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
2. Add the pork and toss to coat evenly, massaging the spices into the meat until no dry rub remains.
3. Let the meat sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, in another small bowl, combine the lemon juice, honey, and garlic. Set aside.
5. In a large skillet (I used a 14-inch skillet) over medium-high, heat 2 T of the oil until just smoking. Add the meat in a single layer and cook without moving until deeply browned on one side, about 3 minutes.
6. Using tongs, flip the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through and browned all over, another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 140 degrees.
7. Off the heat, pour the lemon juice-garlic mixture over the meat and toss to evenly coat, then transfer to a serving dish. (I tossed the sauce with the meat in my serving dish.)
8. Sprinkle the oregano over the pork and drizzle with the remaining 1 T of oil, if desired. (I omitted the additional oil.)
9. Serve with lemon wedges.

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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