Pork Tenderloin with Coconut Cilantro Sauce

 from Hal Schade, Sailing Vessel Griffin

Hal is one of the best cooks I know. He's not much for recipes, just throws in a "touch of this" and a "pinch of that".  Here's one he made up that's awesome.

Pork Tenderloin

Italian salad dressing

Lime

Dried oregano

Course pepper

Pickapeppa Sauce

Recado/Achiote

Red Onion

Garlic

Coconut milk

Cilantro

I marinate a pork tenderloin in my favorite: Italian salad dressing, lime, dried oregano, coarse pepper, a dash or two of Pickapeppa Sauce and the most important ingredient, recado or achiote, a Central America seasoning in the form of a paste from annatto. I slice the pork about half way through every 1-1/2 inches to let the marinade really get in and this also makes nice serving pieces. I marinade for hours! Then it’s to the grill.

Before preparing the sauce I roast a red onion and garlic to use in the sauce.

For the sauce I gently heat the onion and garlic in butter, then put in a whole lot of chopped fresh cilantro and heat until it just wilts. This tender herb is best when barely cooked. Then I add coconut milk (not coconut cream, it is too sweet for me) and simmer. You can add a little hot sauce to spice it up.

When I serve the pork I just spoon generous portions of the sauce over it. And I have lots of bread ready to sop up the excess! 

I’ve served this with grill-roasted potatoes, plantain baked in its skin inside foil or the usual rice.

For a change in the marinade I add some mango juice (Jumex brand is best).