Caribbean Pork with Pineapple Salsa

Pork tenderloin gets a bad rap.

A lot of people grew up eating tough and dry pork, and that’s a shame. It doesn’t have to be that way.

I’m a huge preacher of “don’t overcook your pork!” I’ve said it countless times on here. You only need to cook pork to 145 degrees—that’s it. Anything more and it might start to get tough.

Pork tenderloin is one of the best cuts of pork. It’s also not that expensive (by comparison, BEEF tenderloin is the MOST expensive cut of beef). If you’re feeding a lot of people, tenderloin also usually comes in a two-pack. That’s a pretty good deal in my book.

There are a million different ways to cook pork tenderloin, but my favorite is to simply roast it. For this recipe, I went a different route and grilled the pork, which is another great way to cook it.

Make sure you season up your tenderloin well (I went with a caribbean/jerk vibe here) and keep a meat thermometer handy.

145! Remember that number! Don’t cook it over that!

Try your hand at pork tenderloin with this tropical recipe. It’s a good one to have this summer.

Enjoy!

Caribbean Pork with Pineapple Salsa

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 20 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

A simple pork tenderloin recipe that's grilled and served with a pineapple salsa.

Ingredients

• 3 lb. pork tenderloin
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 TBS. brown sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 TBS. olive oil
• salt & pepper

For the pineapple salsa:

• 2 cups chopped pinepple
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1 tsp. tajin
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Directions

1. In a large resealable bag, add red pepper flakes, allspice, cinnamon, garlic powder, brown sugar & lemon and lime juice. Add in olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Place tenderloin in bag and give it a good shake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to marinate.
3. Make the pineapple salsa: combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Take tenderloin out of bag and discard marinade. Heat half of a grill over medium-high heat. Place tenderloin on indirect heat. Grill for 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.