CUBAN STYLE MOJO PORK TENDERLOIN

Cuban Style Mojo Pork Tenderloin image

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 Pork Tenderloin
1/2 cup Orange Juice - For the Marinade
1/4 cup Lime Juice - For the Marinade
2 clove Cloves of Garlic - For the Marinade
1/2 teaspoons Salt - For the Marinade
1 teaspoon Cumin - For the Marinade
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano - For the Marinade
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes - For the Marinade
3 cloves Cloves of Garlic - For the Rub
1/2 teaspoon Salt - For the Rub
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano - For the Rub
1/2 teaspoon Cumin - For the Rub
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes - For the Rub
1/2 teaspoon Ground Pepper

Steps:

Mash the 2 garlic cloves with the salt, either using a fork or a mortar and pestle. Mix in the cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
Combine the garlic/salt mash with the orange juice and lime juice in a gallon zip top bag and add the trimmed pork tenderloin. Press out as much of the air as possible and then place in the refrigerator.
Marinade the pork for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, flipping it occasionally to ensure all parts of the pork are marinaded.
When you're ready to start cooking, adjust a rack to the middle position of your oven and preheat it to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking tray with aluminum foil. This will make your clean up so much easier!
While the oven is heating, create your spice rub mixture. Again, smash the garlic and salt together, then combine with the other ingredients. You can actually just put everything in your mortar and pestle it around, if you'd like. If you don't have one, use a fork to mash minced garlic and the salt together, then combine everything with a fork in a small bowl.
Remove the tenderloin from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. This is really important because it will not brown up well and develop the tasty crust if it's too moist on the outside!
Rub the spice mixture into the pork tenderloin as evenly as possible.
Place a large skillet over medium/medium-high heat and melt the butter. After the butter has melted and foaming has subsided, add the tenderloin and let it cook without moving it for 3-4 minutes so it can develop a nice, browned exterior. Flip the pork and continue browning, turning when necessary, until all sides are browned. This should take about 8-10 minutes total.
Once the tenderloin is fully browned, move it to the prepared baking tray, place in the oven, and cook for approximately 15-18 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer shows 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the tenderloin from the oven, tent it loosely with foil, and allow it to sit for 5-10 minuets. After waiting, the internal temperature should be about 150 degrees.
Cut on a slight diagonal, serve, and enjoy!