Tasty Tuesday: Chipotle Crusted Pork Tenderloin for the 4th

Sweet readers and fellow flag wavers,

Happy 4th of July!  Hoping that you are stopping by bright and early this holiday morning. Before you have set your menu for the day’s festivities.  Before the ground beef for today’s standard fare has thawed.  Because this chipotle crusted pork loin is the perfect alternative to those tired ole hamburgers and hot dogs most of us resort to serving on our country’s birthday.  And this simple 5 ingredient recipe is just as easy or easier to prepare!  So stick that ground beef back in the freezer and meet me in the kitchen.  We’ll run through this recipe and then you can dash out to buy a pork loin and dinner will be ready within the hour.

Let’s Get Cooking:  Chipotle Crusted Pork Loin

A few weeks ago, I shared some of my grocery shopping tips in a post on organization.  One of the things I do before heading out for my monthly grocery shopping spree, is collect all of the recipes I want to make over the next 30 days.  Then fill out my master grocery list with the ingredients for each one. Reread that post here.

I had been planning to make this pork loin for a couple of months.  Had all of the ingredients and two pork loins in the freezer.  But we have been gone so much that I just never got around to preparing it.  Each new month, I would bring the recipe forward with plans to finally make it.  Well, June was the month.  And last Sunday was the day.  I finally prepared this recipe.  And we will be enjoying it regularly from now on!

Here are the five ingredients you will need to make this tender, spicy-sweet deliciousness.

Four common ingredients rubbed over a pork loin create this lil bit of heaven.  I printed this recipe from my computer but was unable to tell where it originally came from.  In preparing this post, I typed in ‘chipotle crusted pork loin’ and came up with the same recipe on a number of different websites.  I pinned this one on my “Cooking, Cuisine and Calories” Pinterest board.

The Recipe

• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons chipotle chile powder  (Because of PC’s sensitive tum-tum, I reduced this amount slightly)
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins

The Directions

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, chipotle chile powder, salt, and brown sugar.
• Place tenderloins in bag and shake, coating meat evenly
• Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes  (I refrigerated for several hours)
  

I took the bag out of the frig and kind of rubbed the spices over the meat from the outside of the bag.  Thought doing so might rub the flavors into the meat a little better.

• Lightly oil grill grate (oops!), and arrange meat on grate.

• Cook for 20 minutes, turning meat every 5 minutes.
• Remove from grill, let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Dinner is Served

Because I was cooking for just the two of us, I prepared only one pork loin.  Had plenty of the seasoning so brushed the extra onto the meat as it cooked.

We allowed the pork loin to rest a few minutes while I gathered our baked potatoes and mixed up a bagged Asian salad for our side dishes.  Then PC sliced the meat and I snuck pieces into my mouth as fast as he cut them.

So good!  Crusty on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside.  And just as delicious as left overs the next day.

This recipe serves 6 although we had probably close to four servings with our single pork loin.  Each serving is less than 200 calories so a very diet-friendly main course.  And so flavorful…like a little fireworks display for your taste buds!

Your Turn

Do you have a rub recipe to share?  Or maybe a recipe for pork loin that you love to use?  Please let me know in a comment below.  Then run to your nearest grocery to grab a couple of pork loins, a bag of Asian salad mix, and some potatoes for baking.  Mix up this rub, stick your meat in the frig and enjoy some time with the family.  When everyone is getting hungry, just throw this on the grill while you mix up the salad and zap the potatoes…and voila! dinner is served.

My Holiday Wheelbarrow

Before I let you go, just want to share a couple of the ways I decorated for America’s birthday.  You know I like to put together seasonal displays in my wheel barrow, thanks to my BFF Sharon, who first shared the idea with me.

Here’s what I put together for the 4th of July.

You might remember I found my wheel barrow at a junque store for $25.  I thought it was a fabulous bargain but PC was not impressed.  I have used a bag of potting soil to weigh the wheel barrow down.  It works well because I can stick these garden decorations into the bag of soil and they stay put.

Then I pile some large, heavy rocks around the different items in the display to keep them from blowing in our west Texas winds.

We have had an American flag hanging from our front balcony but the winds have played havoc with it.  Had to finally take it down and hope someday to have a flag pole in the yard.  In the meantime, I found this little vintage looking bunting on Amazon.

Secured it to the wrought iron railing with zip ties.  Hope it will stay in one piece through the holiday.  Have you done any decorating at your house?

I am writing this on Thursday.  We will be running up to Albuquerque to see Lauren, Francisco, and Lucia this weekend but will enjoy a quiet 4th at home.  Hopeful that this crazy laptop will be at the ‘doctor’ Monday-Wednesday so wanted to get a few posts written in advance.  Totally unlike me.  It’s going to snow.

Enjoy your day!  Try the meat!  Thank me later.

Happy birthday, America.

Hugs and kisses,

 

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