Recipes

Pork Tenderloin Adobo

Serves 4-6

| Prep Time: 30 mins

| Cook Time: 30 mins

| Total Time: 60 mins

You may need: Mexican Adobo

Discover The Recipe

Pork tenderloin adobo is a delicious Mexican dish. Adobo is one of countless traditional sauces that are made from a base of dried and ground chiles with a variety of spices. If you've ever purchased a can of chipotle peppers, adobo is the red sauce that bathes the peppers. Adobo can be used to amp up the flavor of any dish from soups, beans, tacos, to meats, rice and even roasted veggies. Mexican adobo is also distinct from its Filipino cousin, which features a prominent vinegar and soy base with no dried chiles.

This recipe uses our Adobo Spice blend to make a marinade and sauce for a pork tenderloin adobo roast, imparting an earthy and subtly smokey flavor to the meat. Because pork tenderloin is as lean as chicken breast and cooks quickly, it makes a healthy weeknight main meal. Finally, reserve some adobo sauce for drizzling (or see the 'alternatives' section below for other ideas).

Ingredients

1-2 lb pork tenderloin, whole
5 cloves of garlic (peeled), optionally roasted
3 Tbsp Piquant Post Adobo Spice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (~1 lime)
2 Tbsp brown sugar or honey (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
Handful of cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

Notes

If you marinate the pork for more than 20 mins, cover and refrigerate the marinade bowl. The tenderloin can be marinated up to overnight.

Cooking with the broiler requires careful attention so the meat does not burn. This recipe calls for use of the broiler on a Low setting, which is a little more forgiving. If your broiler only has one setting (High), then bake the pork tenderloin adobo at 475-500 degrees. If you have never used a broiler, here is a good primer on broilers.

Since the tenderloin has such little fat, there is no need to use a broiler pan, but you may use it if you prefer.

If using a glass baking dish, make sure that you do not place a hot glass dish on a wet surface. It could cause the glass to shatter.

You can BBQ the pork tenderloin adobo instead of using the oven. The meat should reach an internal temperature of at least 145 before serving.

Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.

Instructions

(Optional) Heat a pan to Med High. Pan roast the garlic in its skin until garlic cloves have patchy, dark spots and are starting to soften (~10 min). If not roasting, toss the peeled garlic in a bowl with enough water to cover and microwave for 1 min.

In a blender or food processor, add all Adobo marinade ingredients including roasted garlic (remove skins). Blend until the paste is the consistency of BBQ sauce. Add a Tbsp of water (as needed) at a time.

Reserve 1/4 of the adobo sauce for dipping or drizzling. Marinate the pork tenderloin in remaining adobo sauce in a Ziploc bag or bowl for 10-15 mins. Preheat oven broiler on low setting.

Cook pork in a baking dish or on a foil wrapped pan for 25-30 mins (or until center raches at least 145). Remove tenderloin from heat and let meat rest for ~5 mins, garnish with chopped cilantro. Slice tenderloin in rounds and serve with remaining sauce.

Alternatives & Substitutions

If you don't eat pork, you can use the adobo paste as a rub or marinade for any kind of meat and even seafood (chicken and shrimp are both great!).
The raw adobo spice can be used a rub directly on meat, rather than blending into a paste.
Adobo paste is as versatile as curry. Spoon it into soups, stews, sauces or pots of beans. Or use it as a condiment on sandwiches, instead of ketchup for sweet potato fries, or mix it with sour cream, mayo or yogurt for a vegetable / chip dip with zing. We love it in our Adobo Whole-Roasted Chicken recipe, too!
In addition to BBQ'ing or smoking the pork tenderloin adobo, you can cook it in the crockpot! Prepare the adobo paste as per our recipe. Place the tenderloin in the crockpot and dump the entire adobo sauce over the tenderloin. Turn the meat to thoroughly coat. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pot and cover. Cook on Low for 5-6 hours.
Make delicious adobo quesadillas by cooking chicken, pork, or shrimp with our adobo paste. Spoon any reserved adobo sauce into the quesadillas. Don't forget to try our Adobo Chicken Enchiladas or Mexican Chili Verde for your next family dinner. How about Adobo Scallops Tostadas? Delicious and easy.
Vegetarians can use adobo paste to spice up or marinate just about any vegetables including cooked greens, pots of legumes, and roasted root veggies. Or try these eggplant adobo quesadillas substituting our adobo paste for their adobo spices in that recipe (our adobo is authentic!). We love our recipe for Adobo Tofu Tacos and Jackfruit Adobado Tostadas as well!
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