new mexican rubbed pork tenderloin with bourbon-ancho sauce

as you may remember, my parents visited us from boston recently + one of the nights they were here, we all cooked a fantastic meal together. the star of the meal was bobby flay’s new mexican spice-rubbed pork tenderloin with a bourbon-ancho sauce drizzled over it. while i have made many of bobby flay’s dishes, this was the first time i had tried this recipe + it was perfection!

i was shocked at how easy the pork itself was to make. it’s unbelievably quick + simple, with its easy-to-assemble spice rub + basic cooking techniques (dredging, searing, + oven-baking). the bourbon-ancho sauce was a bit more complex, though absolutely worth the effort. at the last minute, i could not find ancho chiles, so i substituted ancho chile powder instead (1 tablespoon for each chile). also, make sure to account for how long the bourbon-ancho sauce takes to make – it needs to cook down quite a bit, so plan accordingly + start it well in advance!

we served this excellent pork with creamy polenta with cotija cheese + blackened green beans, both which will be featured on the blog in the future. until then, i highly recommend this pork tenderloin recipe for those of you who like spicy, southwestern dishes – it is amazing!

new mexican rubbed pork tenderloin with bourbon-ancho sauce

serves 4-6, adapted from bobby flay’s mesa grill cookbook

ingredients (for the new mexican spice rub)

3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons chile de arbol
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice

directions (for the spice rub)

combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

ingredients (for the bourbon-ancho sauce)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bourbon
3 ancho chiles, soaked, seeded, stems removed + pureed
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup apple juice concentrate, thawed
8 whole black peppercorns
1/4 cup light brown sugar
salt

directions (for the bourbon-ancho sauce)

heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. add the onions + cook until soft. add the bourbon + cook until reduced to a few tablespoons. add the remaining ingredients and cook until reduced by half.

strain through a fine mesh strainer, return mixture to the pan + cook to sauce consistency, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of bourbon + cook for 2 minutes; season with salt.

for the pork tenderloin

ingredients (for the pork tenderloin)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lb pork tenderloin
salt
new mexican spice rub (see above)

directions (for the pork tenderloin)

preheat oven to 400 degrees. heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over high heat. season pork with salt on both sides. dredge pork in the spice rub + tap off any excess. sear the pork on both sides until golden brown. cook in the oven to medium doneness, about 8-10 minutes.

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