Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Easy Pomegranate Cranberry Chutney
You walk into the produce section in your local grocery store during fall and I guarantee you will see a large display of cranberries. For good reason too, as they are in season from mid September through mid November. Once you see cranberries the very next thing that comes to mind is probably turkey for obvious reasons. But cranberries can be so much more than just a Thanksgiving side if given the opportunity. Like this grilled pork tenderloin with with pomegranate cranberry chutney.
The other display you will see is a big box of pomegranates. The term comes from medieval French and means “seeded apple”. This peculiar fruit has been harvested for centuries and can be eaten as is or turned into wine, juice or molasses. Harvesting the fruit from a pomegranate can be a little cumbersome so we will be using the juice in this case. And that’s even better because it’s available year round.
Why should you make this grilled pork tenderloin dish?
- Pork tenderloin is relatively inexpensive and easy to find.
- The juxtaposition of flavors. The warm grilled pork along with the sweet but tart chutney makes for one hell of a bite.
- It’s a quick dish to make. The whole meal, from prep to eating, can be done in under and hour.
- Chutney sounds fancy but it’s pretty simple. This is the type of dish that will impress by name and flavor.
- It can be made year round. Frozen cranberries and pomegranate juice are always available.
Cooking Tips
- Employ the “just keep flipping” method of cooking. This will ensure a great exterior crust and an evenly cooked piece of meat.
- Get your grill nice and hot. This is a high, direct heat cook. We want some char and grill marks.
- Use a two zone cooking technique. One side direct. One side indirect.
- Don’t overcook the pork. Pork tenderloin doesn’t have much fat and dries out quickly. Use a thermometer!
- Be patient with the chutney. The cranberries take time and heat to pop. But don’t crank the heat because that may scorch the bottom of the pan.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Cranberry Chutney
Ingredients
For the pork tenderloin and dry rub
- 2 whole pork tenderloins about 2 pounds total
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
For the pomegranate cranberry chutney
- 6 ounces cranberries fresh or frozen
- 4 ounces pomegranate juice
- 1 whole jalapeno seeded, ribs removed and diced (about ¼ cup)
- 1 whole shallot diced (about ¼ cup)
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon a neutral oil canola, vegetable, avocado, etc
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the pomegranate cranberry chutney
- In a small pan over medium low heat, add the oil along with the jalapeno and shallot and a small pinch of salt. Sweat until softened, about 3 – 4 minutes.
- After, add the pomegranate juice, cranberries, honey and apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer, stirring frequently.
- Simmer for about 20 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped and the chutney has thickened.
- Set aside to cool while cooking the pork tenderloin.
For the pork tenderloin
- Trim any excess fat and silver skin from the pork tenderloins if not already done.
- Excluding the salt, combine the remaining dry rub ingredients. Mix to combine. Optionally, use your favorite sweet BBQ rub instead
- Lightly oil the pork tenderloins then apply the salt followed by the dry rub. Let it sit out at room temperature while you preheat the grill.
- Set up your grill for two zone cooking. The direct heat side should be around 450 – 500 degrees. Make sure to clean the grates as well as possible.
- Once the grill has preheated, place the pork tenderloins over direct heat and cook for about 30 seconds, uncovered. Then roll the tenderloin onto a different side and cook for another 30 seconds. Keep rolling onto a different side and cook until the exterior is seared very well on all sides. This step should take about 5 – 10 minutes.
- After searing the pork, move to the indirect side continue cooking, with the lid closed, until you have reached 140° Fahrenheit or your desired internal temperature. Then remove from grill and rest for 5 – 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the chutney.
