Blackberry Jalapeño Pork Loin

If I watch TV, the majority of the time, it’s a food show.  I pick up a lot of food knowledge, techniques, and other tidbits.  It’s not as often as you’d think that I see a recipe I feel compelled to make.  However, when I saw Guy Fieri make this Raspberry Jalapeño Pork Loin on the Rachael Ray Show, I knew I had to try it.  First of all, I love a bit of sweetness with my savory food, and Tim loves spicy food.  Plus, it looked really simple and the ingredients were accessible and inexpensive.

I’m so glad I made this, and I’ll definitely make it again!  The pork is juicy and sweet and spicy all at the same time.  The blackberry jalapeño sauce makes a nice caramelized glaze on the outside of the pork.  A really cool bonus is that the recipe made a lot of glaze, so you could save some and make another pork loin later, or even use it with chicken. That would be delicious!

Before you cook the pork loin, you brine it in a really easy solution for a short 20 minutes.  I used to be sort of afraid of brining, assuming it would be difficult or cumbersome.  But it’s actually really simple and makes the meat so juicy! Guy made his pork loin on the grill, but I did mine on the stove top and finished it off in the oven and it turned out perfect!  You can adjust the amount of heat in the recipe with the amount of jalapeños you use.  Very easy, and impressive enough for guests!

Blackberry Jalapeño Pork Loin

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 3 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin, silver skin removed
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 to 2 roasted jalapeños, seeded, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced or grated
• 1/2 cup seedless blackberry preserves
• 1 1/4 cups red wine, preferably Merlot, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag, dissolve 1/4 cup of salt in the warm water. Add the vinegar, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, ice cubes and the pork. Brine for exactly 20 minutes. The pork becomes mealy if it’s brined longer.

To make the glaze, add one tablespoon of olive oil to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeños and garlic and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the blackberry preserves and 1 cup of wine and combine well. Simmer until reduced by half. Add the cornstarch to the remaining 1/4 cup red wine in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes more.  The sauce needs to bubble in order to thicken. Keep the glaze warm until serving.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstsick oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry. Rub the pork with the olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook the pork tenderloin for 4-6 minutes on each side, until all sides are evenly browned.  Insert a meat thermometer and transfer to the oven.  When the internal temperature registers 135 degrees, remove from the oven and evenly spread 1/4 cup of the glaze over the pork. Cook for approximately 5-15 more minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145-150,depending on how done you like your pork.  Tent pork with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!