Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloins

Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloins

Photograph by James Carrière

SERVES 10 to 12
TIME About 40 minutes, plus at least 1 hour to marinate

Ingredients
About 1 tsp. coarse kosher salt
3 pork tenderloins* (1 lb. each)
2 tbsp. each star anise (about 8 pods crushed with the back of a heavy saucepan), coriander seeds, and fennel seeds
2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. each ground ginger, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes
About 2 tbsp. olive oil
Good-quality balsamic vinegar

Directions
1. Sprinkle salt liberally all over tenderloins. Coarsely grind star anise, coriander, and fennel using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Add five-spice powder, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp. salt; pound or whirl to combine. Rub spice mixture on pork until thickly coated on all sides (save any remaining mixture for another use). Let pork sit at least 1 hour (at cool room temperature, covered) or up to 1 day (covered and chilled).

2. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tenderloins and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides and just slightly rosy in the center (cut to test; a thermometer inserted in the center should read 140°), 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle in additional olive oil as needed. If meat is browned but not done in the middle, cover pan, lower heat to medium, and cook until thermometer registers 140°, up to 10 minutes longer.

3. Remove tenderloins from pan, cover with foil, and let rest at least 10 minutes. Cook remaining tenderloin the same way, but brown it over medium heat and check temperature after 10 minutes. Slice meat into 3/4-in. rounds and drizzle with vinegar.

*Cooked pork is best when still a bit rosy and juicy. (Trichinosis in pigs is nearly nonexistent in the United States now, but if you are concerned about it, cook the pork until it’s well done—to 155° instead of 140°. Its temperature will rise another 10° as it rests after cooking.)

PER SERVING 194 Cal., 43% (84 cal.) from fat; 26 g protein; 9.3 g fat (2.6 g sat.); 0.6 g carbo (0.2 g fiber); 295 mg sodium; 82 mg chol.

Serve With Sonoma Coast Vineyards Freestone Hills Pinot Noir 2006