Photo by Sonia Mendez Garcia The marinade for this grilled pork medallions recipe also doubles as a tasty sauce to garnish your dish!
Wet marinade versus dry rub marinade? I know a few friends who are diehard grillers and they insist that dry rubs for marinating meats is the only way to go. I can’t decide which I like better. The plus side of preparing a wet marinade is that I like taking the leftover marinade and cooking it down to create a sauce. Many times they will ask you to discard it, but I found that it makes the most flavorful sauce when cooked down and reduced. Most times I add fresh citrus, such as lemon or orange juice, and on occasion I like to add white wine. So, next time you find yourself with a recipe that requires a wet marinade you may want to save it and create a tasty sauce to garnish your meat dish.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork tenderloin sliced into 12 equal medallions
- 1 small red onion sliced into strips
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 chipotle in adobo minced
- 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds crushed or 1 teaspoon ground
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Fresh cracked pepper
- salt to taste
- Juice of 1 orange reserved
Directions
- Transfer the pork medallions to a storage container; set aside. Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade, minus the orange juice. Stir well to combine, taste for salt. Pour marinade over pork, cover and marinate for 4 to 6 hours.
- Remove the pork from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, so it comes to room temperature. Preheat your grill to medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Remove the medallions from the marinade, shaking off excess marinade, and cook on grill for about 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until meat thermometer reads 145ºF.
- While pork is cooking, pour the marinade into a sautee pan. Cook at medium heat until liquid reduces, add the orange juice and reduce once again until the onions start to caramelize. Remove pork from grill and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve as-is or warm some tortillas for tacos. Garnish medallions with caramelized onions and lemon or lime wedges.
View Comments