This grilled pork tenderloin with avocado apricot salsa is the perfect summertime grilling dish. The avocado salsa is the perfect balance of flavors.
If someone asked you to throw a dinner party and wanted you to showcase avocados would you say no? Exactly. When someone asks you to do something like that you always say “Yes!!!” Notice all those exclamation points? That’s how much I love avocados.
So with a couple Rick Bayless recipes with Avocados from Mexico in hand I set off to throw the best party possible!
Lots of family and friend gathered for some weekend fun and I took to the grill. Well, the men took to the grill. I stayed in the house making salsa and drinking sangria. Trust me, I didn’t mind. I love grilling but I choose sangria over a hot grill. Who’s with me?
The recipe turned out to be a huge success. Most of the adults devoured the pork and the kids went straight for burgers. As much as I am a believer that kids should try everything I didn’t mind. It just mean more avocado and pork for me 🙂
Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Avocado Apricot Salsa
Yield: 2 cups salsa + 8 servings pork
Prep Time: 30 minutes + 12 hour marinade time
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes
Ingredients:
For Pork
3 large pork tenderloins (about 2-1/4 pounds total)
1 jar (16-ounces) Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa or 2 cups Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 medium-large red onion, cut into 1/3-inch thick slices
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots, tossed with a little hot water to soften
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest
1 firm-ripe avocado from Mexico, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
Salt to taste
For Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
4 to 5 serrano chiles, stemmed
1 small white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 4 ounces)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
Directions:
For Salsa:
Heat broiler. On a foil-lined baking sheet, lay tomatillos and chiles. Set sheet 4 inches below broiler; roast until tomatillos are soft and black in spots, about 5 minutes. Turn tomatillos and chiles; roast 5 more minutes; set aside to cool.
Set oven to 425⁰F. Separate onion into rings.
On a baking sheet, combine onion rings with garlic. Bake, stirring frequently, until onions are roasted and garlic feels soft and brown in spots, about 15 minutes. Cool.
In a food processor, pulse the chiles, onions and garlic until finely chopped; remove to a large bowl. To food processor, add tomatillos; coarsely puree; add to bowl. Stir in water, cilantro and salt. Add sugar to soften the tartness of the tomatillos, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
For Pork:
Trim fat and whitish “silverskin” from pork tenderloins. Cut each in half, making six 6-ounce portions.
Mix together 1 cup of the salsa with the Worcestershire and vinegar. Place the pork in a large dish, smear all sides with salsa mixture, cover and refrigerate for several hours or as long as overnight.
Preheat a gas grill to medium or light a charcoal fire and let burn until charcoal is covered with a thin layer of gray ash. Use tongs to arrange the pork in the center of the grill; reserve the marinade.
Lay the onion slices on the cooler section of the grill. Cover and cook until the pork is nicely browned underneath and onions are softening, about 10 minutes. Turn pork and onions over. Baste pork and onions liberally with reserved marinade.
Re-cover the grill and cook until the pork feels nearly firm* when touched or reads 150° on a meat thermometer, about 5 minutes more. Remove pork to cutting board and tent with foil.
Chop the onion slices and remove to a bowl. Add remaining salsa, apricots, parsley, lemon zest and avocado; season with salt and stir gently. To serve, thinly slice pork and generously spoon salsa over slices.
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen
Saturday 22nd of June 2013
I love grilled pork tenderloin and when you add avocado I believe that would be heavenly!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets
Thursday 20th of June 2013
Love this recipe! Pinning for my menu next week. I love pork tenderloins and avocados, pretty sure this is going to be amazing!
grace
Thursday 20th of June 2013
you've named three of my favorite food-related things in this post: 1)avocados, obviously, 2)pork, the best white meat, and 3)rick bayless, an absolute superstar in my eyes!
Coleen @ The Redhead Baker
Wednesday 19th of June 2013
I love apricots, and just recently discovered that I like avocados -- and I happen to have a pork tenderloin in my freezer. I can't wait to try this!
Reeni
Tuesday 18th of June 2013
I am loving on that salsa! Sweet and savory and spicy - sounds perfect with pork!