Smokey BBQ pork tenderloin

This is an easy and quick dish to make for a tasty midweek dinner.

Smokey BBQ pork tenderloin served with an onion sauce and Nappa cabbage with pancetta

Ingredients

serves 3-4

600 g pork tenderloin
3 tbsp mixed spices (cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, coriander, clove)
1 tsp pink salt
1 tsp ground mixed peppercorn
1 tsp demerara sugar
2 tsp fat (any other high smoke point oil, like bacon or duck fat)

1 pink onion, sliced, optional
pat of butter, optional

Instructions

1. Place a cast iron cocotte roasting pan on the middle rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 230°C.
2. Pat the pork dry and trim off any large pieces of surface fat.
3. Mix the spices being used with the salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl. 
4. Rub the pork with some fat and then rub the spice mix into the surface of the pork on all sides.
   
5. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven using oven mitts and pour the fat in the pan. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
6. Sear one side of the pork in the pan. (It's fine if the pork tenderloin is a little long for the pan; just bend it to fit.)
7. If using the onion, remove the pork and set aside. Sauté the sliced onions in the pan. When the onions start to soften, lay them in a bed under the pork.
   
8. Return the pan, lid on, to the oven. Roast for 10 minutes.
9. Take the pan out of the oven and flip the pork to the other side.
   
    
10. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C and continue roasting, lid on, for another 10-15 minutes. The pork is done when its internal temperature registers 60°C - 63°C in the thickest part of the meat (20 to 25 minutes total).
    
11. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
    
12. While the pork rests, make a sauce for the pork: add some water and butter into the pan with the onions and reduce over a medium high heat.
13. Slice the pork and drizzle the sauce over the slices. Serve with cabbage.
    

While the pork was roasting in the oven, I braised nappa cabbage with pancetta. This is an easy side to prepare that's full of wonderful flavours.