Coffee has become my new favorite ingredient when roasting meat.
It’s an effortless way to add gobs of flavor to whatever I am making. All I do is add whole coffee beans to whatever spice blend I am using as a wet or dry rub, then grind it to a powder and apply to the meat. The coffee provides deep, rich flavors with just a hint of acid. It’s a combination that works wonders for roasted meat.
I’ve tried the spice-coffee combination called for below on both beef and pork tenderloins; both were fantastic. You also could use it on chicken breasts or thighs for a “blackened” chicken.
The seasonings can be applied to the meat right before roasting. But if you have a little extra time, the flavor is even better if you rub the spices on the meat, then refrigerate it for several hours before roasting. And if you’d rather use these flavors in a wet rub, don’t hesitate to add a little olive or canola oil to the blend.
If you’re looking for a simple and speedy dinner, make the roasted pork tenderloin in this recipe and serve it as is with a side salad or some roasted vegetables. Or for something party-worthy (perhaps an Oscars viewing party), slice it, slap it on rounds of baguette, then top with a dollop of cherry jam. For the latter variation, the pork can be served warm or room temperature.
An electric spice grinder (or coffee grinder) is the easiest way to make the spice rub for this recipe. If you don’t have one, substitute an equal amount of ground coffee for the beans, then use a mortar and pestle or food processor to gring everything together.
CHERRY-TOPPED COFFEE-ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN
Start to finish: 35 minutes
Makes 36 appetizers
1 tablespoon coffee beans
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 pounds pork tenderloins
1 baguette, thinly sliced into 36 rounds
Olive oil
10-ounce jar cherry jam
Nutrition information per serving: 120 calories; 15 calories from fat (13 percent of total calories); 2 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 4 g protein; 260 mg sodium.
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