My first introduction to anything or anyone Brazilian, was at the age of 12 when I met an acquaintance of my parents - a fellow student at the Yoga Institute.
She was indeed an unforgettable woman - a woman with an amazing stature, beautiful, flawless olive toned skin & strikingly stunning features. What was even more memorable was the passion with which she described her country, her people, their festivals & their food.
It was through her talks that I first heard of Churrasco, a cooking style, which translates roughly from the Portuguese language to barbecue. It owes its origins to the fireside roasts of the gauchos of southern Brazil & is one of the most commonly known styles of Brazilian cooking (though there are many styles & varies with region)
Years later when I received my first cookbook by Mark Miller Coyote Cafe, I was thrilled to see that he was so heavily influenced by South American & Mexican cuisines & with time, his books proved invaluable in strengthening my understanding of the South American & Mexican cuisines. The recipe that follows is adapted from one of his & inspired by the National dish of Brazil - Feijoada, a thick stew of black beans and pieces of pork and other meats .
The pork tenderloin should be marinated for 3 days (72 hours) -
I have started the recipe at noon on Friday & I am going to marinate the tenderloin in the herb bath & then record its 'journey' as it marinates over the next 3 days, to be finally cooked for Monday evening's dinner. Join me won't you?
The marinade is a combination of brown sugar, dried thyme leaves, Mexican oregano leaves, red cayenne pepper, crushed dried bay leaves, salt, black pepper cloves & cinnamon.
Mix with dry, clean fingers & set aside.
I would have preferred to marinate the meat in a zip lock bag so it does not take up so much room in the refrigerator. But it is not to be - the tenderloin is too long so I am going to have to use a large (non metallic) dish.
Place the marinade rub in a dish (large enough for the tenderloin to fit) & add the water. Soak the tenderloin in this marinade bath. Cover with plastic wrap or a tight lid & refrigerate & for the next 3 days (72 hours).
With each passing day there is a darkening of the marinade bath. This is what it looks like on day 3 - 72 hours later. Remove from refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature.
For the glaze - Gather the ingredients - freshly squeezed orange juice, roughly cut ginger, Serrano chiles, brown sugar and cloves.
In a mini chopper, add 1/2 cup orange juice with the cloves and ginger. Pulverize to a fine paste. In a small sauce pan, add the pulp from the chopper to the rest of the orange juice and the Serrano chiles slit down the middle.
Bring the glaze to boil on high flame. Reduce to medium flame and continue to boil for approx 15-20 minutes or until it is the consistency of maple syrup.
Sieve the glaze and press down into the pulp so you get most of the glaze out of it. Discard the pulp.
Place the pork tenderloin into a baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Discard the marinade.
Turn the pork tenderloin over to its fatty side first and apply the glaze with a pastry brush. Turn over to the top side. Repeat process with the pastry brush. Insert a meat thermometer through its thickest portion (almost horizontally)
Place in preheated oven and reapply glaze every 15 minutes. Cook for approx 1 hour - 10 minutes or until the meat thermometer shows a temperature of 145 deg F.
Rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/4" thick slices at a slight angle. Spoon the glaze from the baking dish over the tenderloin with an upcoming recipe for Mark Miller's Authentic Black Beans
If you are going to make one pork tenderloin recipe in your life - this should be the one! A tall order you say?
Wait till you bite into it - the pork tenderloin is infused throughout with the rich smoky flavors of the herbs and spices and the glaze provides a balance of sweet, tart, a touch of heat and richness - nothing shouts out, yet all the elements remain identifiable.
What to do with leftover pork tenderloin?
You are not going to believe what I have planned - it is going to be truly fabulous - Roast Pork Tenderloin on Blinis with Chipotle Mayonnaise & Pear salsa!
Recipe for
PORK TENDERLOIN MARINATED IN FEIJIODA INSPIRED SPICES, ROASTED WITH AN ORANGE-SERRANO GLAZE
Shopping list -
Pork Marinade in Feijioda spices-
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs dried thyme
4-5 crushed dried bay leaves
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Mexican oregano leaves
2 tsp cayenne pepper
6 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
6 cups of water
For glaze -
1/2 cup brown sugar
freshly squeezed juice of 3 oranges
1/2 cup roughly chopped ginger
2 tsp whole cloves
2 serrano chiles, slit down the middle
Preparation
The marinade - Mix all the dry ingredients in a zip lock bag or dish (non-metallic) large enough to hold the pork tenderloin and water. Mix the rub ingredients till well blended. Add water to the herbs and spices. Place tenderloin in the marinade bath for 3 days or 72 hours in refrigerator. Remove pork tenderloin from the refrigerator and set aside to reach room temperature.
The glaze - In a mini chopper, add 1/2 cup orange juice with the cloves and ginger. Pulverize to a fine paste.
In a small sauce pan, add the pulp from the chopper to the rest of the orange juice and the serrano chiles. Bring the glaze to boil on high flame. Reduce to medium flame and continue to boil for approx 15-20 minutes or until it is the consistency of maple syrup.
Sieve the glaze and press down into the pulp so you get most of the glaze out of it into a bowl, under the sieve. Discard the pulp.
Preheat oven to 350 deg F
Cooking method -
Place the pork tenderloin into a baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Discard the marinade.
Turn the pork tenderloin over to its fatty side first and apply the glaze with a pastry brush. Turn over to the top side. Repeat process with the pastry brush. Insert a meat thermometer through its thickest portion (almost horizontally)
Place in preheated oven and reapply glaze every 15 minutes. Cook for approx 1 hour -10 minutes or until the meat thermometer shows a temperature of 145 deg F.
Rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/4" thick slices at a slight angle. Spoon the glaze from the baking dish over the tenderloin and serve with Mark Miller's Black Beans.
Enjoy!
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